NASHUA — Elected officials are split on whether to buy three parcels of land on West Hollis Street, a site that could eventually house a new Public Works facility adjacent to the city's landfill.

On Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen voted 8-7 to table a proposed resolution that would have authorized the mayor to acquire the property at 836, 844 and 848 West Hollis St. for $650,000.

“This land stands on its own merits, whether we ever put anything on it or not,” said Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, telling aldermen it is a wise investment.

The property, according to Lozeau, should be protected from future development. Preliminary plans include improvements to the entrance of the nearby city dump, and building a buffer between the landfill and the adjacent neighborhoods.

The possibility of consolidating four Public Works facilities on the property has also been floated, but Lozeau asked officials to separate the two projects and focus solely on the acquisition Tuesday night.

Alderman Kathy Vitale of Ward 1 said the acquisition may not be an emergency, but said it is an opportunity that should not be overlooked.

It is unusual for three parcels of land to be sold at the same time, according to Vitale.

“The opportunity is right now,” she said.

Alderman Michael Tabacsko of Ward 5 agreed, describing the $650,000 price tag as a bargain.

Other aldermen said there are other projects more important to the city than land acquisitions.

“Why are we doing this? Why is this the city's top priority all of a sudden?” asked Alderman-at-Large Jim Donchess, saying there are probably 100 other things he would rather spend money on to improve Nashua.

The mayor is proposing that the land be acquired with $500,000 from the reimbursement funds available in the Pennichuck Acquisition Fund; the remaining $150,000 would be removed from the Fiscal Year 2012 General Contingency Account.

But Donchess argued that he can't separate the acquisition price from the estimated $15 million to build a consolidated Public Works facility at the site.

“We don't need a new public works garage,” he said. “ ... We need analysis. We need planning.”

Alderman-at-Large Mark Cookson said the entrance to the city dump could be reconfigured for less than $650,000.

He said he can't support the acquisition because it may not be the best site for a new Public Works facility.

Members of the public also voiced their opinion on the proposed land purchase.

“By the city purchasing this, it seems like a solution to a problem we don't have,” said Mike Gallagher of Old Coach Road, also a member of the Nashua Conservation Commission.

He said that residents in the West Hollis Street neighborhood are worried about this project.

Two committees, including the Nashua City Planning Board and the Board of Public Works, are recommending the purchase of the three parcels. The Committee on Infrastructure, however, voted to indefinitely postpone the matter.

Lozeau has already drafted a purchase-and-sale agreement with the Docos Family Revocable Trust of 2009 and Robert and Gail Brown to buy the properties. The purchase-and-sale agreement was written up in February, but has not yet been authorized by the Board of Aldermen.