NORWICH – County officials agreed in committee this week to begin the process of selling 223 acres of surplus land it owns in the Town of Norwich.

The property, located on Upper Ravine Road northwest of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities’ Valley Ridge CIT, was declared surplus in 1999. It was originally given to the county by the Greater Norwich Foundation. According to an agreement, profits from the land’s sale would be split between the two entities.

Attorney Richard E. Breslin told members of the Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee Tuesday that he was asked recently to begin State Environmental Quality Review procedures.

Prior to a vote that ultimately passed the measure onto the full board of supervisors for consideration next month, Town of Oxford Supervisor Lawrence Wilcox told the committee he had “a problem” with selling land “because there’s never going to be anymore.”

“Do we know what we are going to need 100 years down the road?” he asked.