Whether it’s buildable or unbuildable, one thing is for certain: The property on the corner of Chapel Road and Route 6 in Mattapoisett is stirring up some controversy.

“It has always been considered to be unbuildable. It’s very swampy,” said Beth Underwood of 16 Chapel Road.

“Most of us think it shouldn’t be built on.”

When a “For Sale” sign appeared on the wooded property a few months ago, Underwood said, “The neighbors were all really upset about it. I got involved as soon as I saw the signs go up.”

The 3.1-acre site is positioned on a slice of land opposite ORR Junior High and sits beside two other lots, which Brad Hathaway said have been considered unbuildable for some time.

“The third parcel was unbuildable but when the sewer went by, it became a buildable lot for one house,” said Hathaway.

Hathaway helped lead a petition to preserve the land in its current state through a purchase by the Community Preservation Committee.

He said 135 residents signed it, most from the Aucoot area.

“Those of us who have signed the petition think that it should be maintained as a woodland and not be built on because of the character of east Mattapoisett, which is rural,” said Hathaway.

A major concern for abutters is maintaining a barrier from traffic.

“Now it acts as a buffer between Route 6 and the people who live in that area,” said Underwood.

“The High School track team runs by it, people walk to work by there so they don’t have to walk on Route 6, older people walk there.”

Underwood said  development on the site would jeopardize that.

“Once they build there, no matter what they say, there’re going to take down a lot of trees. There goes a buffer from the road,” said Underwood.

Underwood said Dawson Real Estate, the company handling the sale, told her the asking price for the land is $105,000.

“If you look in the records, the assessment by the town was that it was worth about $30,000 and was unbuildable. Now all of a sudden it’s considered buildable,” she said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”

Sandra Dawson of Dawson Real Estate said, “There is a lot that is for sale. There’s nothing to say. It’s a non-story.”

Building Inspector Andrew Bobola said he isn’t sure why the land would ever have been deemed unbuildable.

Bobola hasn’t inspected the property yet, but looking at the specifications of it said,  “I don’t see any major issues with it. Unfortunately, it is a buildable lot.”

Bobola said he didn’t want to cause a war, but the area appears to meet current zoning regulations.

“I know some of the neighbors are upset about that,” he said, adding that a wetland study would have to be done before anyone built on the property.

Even if the property is buildable, Underwood said a house would be a blow to the community.

“We’re going to try and stop it now. Whether we can or not, I don’t know.”

Underwood, Hathaway and their neighbors see the Community Preservation Committee as their primary option for preserving the land.

The residents will ask the committee to recommend a Town Meeting article to use preservation funding to purchase the property.

Committee Chair John DeCosta is trying to set up a special July meeting to discuss the proposal.

“I can understand the residents’ desire to want to save it,” said DeCosta. “The Recreation Committee is going to bring in a competing article, so there’s going to be limited funding.”

DeCosta said the committee tends to look more favorably on articles that have some outside funding. “It helps stretch everything, but it certainly doesn’t disqualify them,” he said.

If the town purchases the land, Underwood said the neighbors have considered creating a World War II memorial for people who belonged to the chapel that once stood near the property.

Underwood also said the owner of the adjacent lot agreed to donate it to the town if the purchase goes through.

Of the owners, Underwood said, “We’re not asking them to donate it. We want to use town money set aside for open space. A lot of people benefit from the land. I wish I had $100,000. I’d just buy it and give it to the town.”