SOMERSWORTH — Councilors authorized Monday the purchase of 14.7 acres of land along the Salmon Falls River.

The land is located along Salmon Falls Road in the northern corner of the city against the Rochester and Berwick, Maine boundaries in the area of the Mast Road Dam site. The purchase also includes a 250-foot wide and more than 1,200-foot long conservation easement that runs from Rocky Hill Road to Salmon Falls Road.

City Planner Dave Sharples said this strip of land provides a connection between Rocky Hill Road and Salmon Falls Road. There is also a brook that runs through it.

As it is designated as a conservation easement, there will be some stipulations as to how it can be used or whether it needs to stay completely untouched, but the "language of the easement is not set" and will be further looked at by the Conservation Commission, according to Sharples.

Sharples said the purpose of the easement may be to allow public access as it does provide a connection between two main roads, but trails, park benches and other features of a public-access nature area will also need to be discussed by the commission based on the language of the easement.

Councilors briefly discussed the land after a public hearing Monday, and all were in support of the purchase, which is not to exceed $100,000 to be taken from the Conservation Fund. The purchase also may not exceed an additional $2,500 in associated costs.

All monies for the purchase are available in escrow, which comes from comes from Current Use penalties.

Within the past couple of years, the city adopted a resolution that would allow Current Use penalties to go into the Conservation Fund. Current Use can be applied to a property of at least 10 acres that is not being used, and this status lowers taxes on the property. However, if the property owner decides to subdivide or build on the land and therefore must take it out of Current Use status, there is a penalty that would then be placed in the Conservation Fund.

With the money now available, the city will be able to purchase the land at no cost to taxpayers. The resolution states the city will select an independent appraiser to assure a fair-market purchase price be placed on the land for sale.

City officials are excited about the land as it will provide additional city-owned open space.

"It's got river frontage, it can be used for passive recreation or as an outdoor classroom," Sharples said, adding it is a "pretty sensitive area" from an environmental standpoint, and it would be an interest of the city to keep the site undeveloped and uncut.

Councilor Mike Watman said Monday he thought the land was "a fine selection," and Councilor Dana Hilliard agreed.

"I am absolutely in support of this," Hilliard said. "Anything this body has an opportunity to preserve green space in the city I think it would absolutely behoove us to do so."