The developer of Bluffton Park voluntarily agreed to stop clearing trees while Bluffton and the county explore whether they want to buy the land and create an educational wetlands preserve.

After being alerted that bulldozers were taking down trees on Tuesday, Bluffton Mayor Hank Johnston called the development company -- Quinnco-D'Amico, Shultz LLC-- and asked it to hold off until he and others approach the county's land-buying board on May 10.

The roughly 10-acre property on Red Cedar Street sits next to a future elementary school and is surrounded by wetlands on three sides, part of a series of swamp that drains into the May River. It has been approved to become up to 87 townhomes.

Hidden Lakes resident Carol Weir, whose home backs up to it, first proposed a county-town partnership to buy the land and turn it into a nature lab, which could include a boardwalk.

"This is not about having or not having condos as neighbors," said Weir, real estate and special sections editor for The Island Packet. "If nothing had gone wrong during the construction projects in other parts of Bluffton Park ... I would never have focused on this parcel."

Bluffton Park has been in the public spotlight for more than a year after freshwater from the dense project began to erode Verdier Cove, sending plumes of sediment into the May River. Construction also has flooded other areas.

"We're interesting in taking that out of development because of the other issues we have in this area with drainage," said Johnston, who hopes the town and county can speed up talks to buy the land.

Both Weir and Johnston praised the developer for agreeing to stop the site preparation and for attempting to reach the county's land agent, The Trust For Public Land, before clearing began.

Michael Maloney, managing partner of Quinnco, said his company needs commitments that the county and town want to buy the land, not just the conceptual conversations currently taking place. Quinnco is "fairly far along" in negotiating a letter of intent with a townhome developer to begin construction, he said.

"Basically, there's nothing firm (from the county and town) other than this is something they'd like to do if they can pull all the parts together," Maloney said. "We have a bird in hand and we're not quite sure what's in the bush with the town, county and public trust."