Plans to develop the 75-acre Gyrodyne property in St. James could be stopped if voters support a ballot proposition next month.

That ballot proposition has to do with funding environmental preservation.

The piece of land is known as the Flowerfield Fairgrounds. Most of the property is still untouched and some people in town would like to keep it that way.

The land is owned by the company Gyrodyne, which used to manufacture helicopters there, but 48 acres of the property remain undeveloped.

The new plan would have the Peconic Land Trust, a nonprofit that conserves farms and natural lands, step in.

Working with the Department of Environmental Conservation, the trust would purchase the property from Gyrodyne at a fair market price.

Right now, development proposals call for a hotel, assisted living and medical offices.

"If this property gets developed as proposed, we're all going to come to regret it someday," says Joseph Bollhofer, who is leading the charge to preserve the property. He hopes a $4.2 billion environmental ballot proposition will give the state enough green to keep this land green for generations to come.

"We're hoping and actually expecting that state funds are going to come through perhaps in conjunction with county funds to fund the final purchase," Bollhofer says.

Concerns from the community include traffic and pollution, but some wonder if the property can really stay untouched forever.

"I always like to see things preserved. But at the same time, you need to, there's got to be some sort of progress," says St. James resident Joe Minutillo.

A spokesperson for the town told News 12 Long Island their stance has always been that they'd support the idea of preserving the land if the Gyrodyne board found it acceptable.

News 12 Long Island reached out to Gyrodyne which said they have not entered into any talks to sell the property to the Peconic Land Trust.