(a)

(1) The planning commission, in preparing a land use or comprehensive plan for the municipality or county, may designate upon such plan areas that it recommends for preservation as areas of open space land, other than lands currently in agricultural and forestry uses.

(2) Land included in any area so designated upon such plan as finally adopted may be classified as open space land for purposes of property taxation, if there has been no change in the use of such area that has adversely affected its essential character as an area of open space land between the date of the adoption of such plan and the date of such classification.

(b)

(1) Any owner of land may apply for its classification as open space land by filing a written application with the assessor of property. The application must be filed by March 1. Reapplication thereafter is not required so long as the ownership as of the assessment date remains unchanged. Property that qualified as open space land the year before under different ownership is disqualified if the new owner does not timely apply. The assessor shall send a notice of disqualification to these owners, but shall accept a late application if filed within thirty (30) days of the notice of disqualification and accompanied by a late application fee of fifty dollars ($50.00).

(2) Such assessor shall determine whether there has been any change in the area designated as an area of open space land upon the plan of such municipality or county and, if the assessor determines that there has been no such change, the assessor shall classify such land as open space land and include it as such upon the tax rolls of the county.

(3) An application for classification of land as open space land shall be made upon a form prescribed by the state board of equalization and shall set forth a description of the land, a general description of the use to which it is being put, and such other information as the assessor may require to aid the assessor in determining whether such land qualifies for such classification.

(c) Any person aggrieved by the denial by an assessor of any application for the classification of land as open space land shall have the same rights and remedies for appeal and relief as are provided in the general statutes for taxpayers claiming to be aggrieved by the actions of assessors or boards of equalization.