In its fifth appearance before voters, a proposal to construct affordable senior housing on the 77-acre Westfield property in West Wareham was overwhelmingly approved on the final night of fall Town Meeting Tuesday.

"I am extremely pleased beyond words," Board of Selectmen Chair Jane Donahue said after the meeting. Donahue chaired the committee tasked with studying options for the Westfield land, which was created after a Westfield senior housing proposal was defeated at last spring's Town Meeting. "We have the opportunity to leverage this piece of property and make it work for us."

The project will include 150 to 200 units of affordable senior housing, with 50 to be rented for less than $500 per month, which would enable Wareham to meet a required quota of affordable housing set by the state.

The Board of Selectmen, along with a separate review committee appointed by the Appointing Authority (Town Moderator Claire Smith, Donahue in her role of Selectmen Chair, and Finance Committee Chair Donna Bronk), will be charged with drafting the specifications to put the project out to bid, as well as reviewing bids as they come in. Donahue said the project could bring in $5 million in revenue over a 15- to 20-year period.

Previous proposals were sent to further study twice before being rejected at October 2009 Town Meeting, and again at last spring's annual Town Meeting.

Differences between the approved proposal and ones that failed previously include stipulations that not more than one-third of the property will be used for senior housing, that all units will be affordable and restricted to seniors, and that any developer hired to complete the project would be required to maintain the athletic fields on the property.

The article's proponents pointed out that more than 125 residents are on the waiting list for affordable senior housing, but the town only has 104 units, resulting in a two- to three-year waiting list.

"I rise to beg you, friends on both sides ... to rise above our differences and support this project," said resident Tom Monaghan in a plea to fellow voters.

Supporters also argued that the maintenance of the athletic fields would be a big benefit for the town's youth.

"Westfield has the potential to become a model youth sports complex," said resident and Council on Aging Chair Richard Boucher.

Though previous Westfield proposals had been contentiously debated among Town Meeting voters, no one rose in vehement opposition to the proposal this time around, though some voters did express concern that the new units would be given to non-residents.

Donahue assured the voters that the Wareham Housing Authority would control the leasing and lottery process for the property, and that 70 percent of the occupants would be residents of Wareham.

Concerns about a deed restriction on the property that specified its use for "municipal buildings, and/or recreational, playground and park purposes" were also quelled Tuesday, after Town Counsel noted that the restrictions were added to the deed without Town Meeting approval, and thus are non-binding.

The proposal was approved 165 to 32, which elicited applause and cheering from voters. The next steps will be for the Appointing Authority to fill the seats of the proposal review committee, and for the committee, along with the Board of Selectmen, to put the project out to bid.