Citing tax revenue loss and a lack of public access, Selectmen declined to act on a request that would have protected land on Allen’s Point Road from development Tuesday night.

“These things can be fraught with problems,” Selectmen Chair Jon Henry said, adding his board will research the issue more. “It’s poor public policy to sign off on something like this right away.”

The land is composed of two, one-and-a-half-acre adjoining lots at 105 Allen’s Point Road owned by Doug Watson and his siblings.

One parcel is the site of a small house that Watson said would eventually be torn down. The second parcel abuts Sippican harbor and the Pierson Woods conservation site. Watson and Conservation Commission officials said the second lot is unbuildable due to wetlands.

Watson asked Selectmen to place a “conservation restriction” on the property. The restriction, which requires both state and local approval, permanently restricts development of private property by transferring rights from the landowner to a nonprofit or land trust.

Because of the site’s small size and thick underbrush, the area isn’t a good candidate for public walking trails. Selectmen said that was a concern.

“I’m still stumbling with how the public will benefit,” said Selectman Stephen Cushing. “There’s a huge upside for the owner who will get a huge tax break.”

If approved, Watson said the land would be transferred to an abutting neighbor. The restriction would be held by the Wildlands Trust, a nonprofit that protects land in southeastern Massachusetts.

With a restriction in place, the town is expected to lose approximately $20,000 per year in tax revenue, according to the assessor’s office.

Two years ago, Watson and his family inherited the property in equal shares from their parents. To sell the land, which is valued at $2.1 million, one sibling would have to buy all the shares. Watson said that wasn’t economically feasible, and his family would rather see the land preserved.

More than 80,000 acres are under conservation restrictions in the state, making them a popular tool to preserve land, wildlife habitat and water quality, according to Mark Robinson, executive director of the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc. A nonprofit, the organization assists six land trusts on lower Cape Cod.

Robinson advocated for the project on Watson’s behalf, saying it supported town goals.

“The open space plan for Marion encourages the use of private conservation restrictions for open space conservation,” Robinson said. “It’s a small project that has precedent in town and is intended to preserve water quality in the harbor.”

Conservation Commission Chair Norm Hills and Chris Bryant, president of the Sippican Lands Trust, spoke in favor of the restriction, too.

Specifically, adding protected land adjacent to Pierson Woods widens a natural corridor.

“It gives wildlife access to the water,” Hills said. “It's a big help because it allows wildlife to get from one place to another without having to navigate backyards or cross roads.”

Selectmen will discuss the conservation restriction again at their Dec. 16 meeting.