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Hello, neighbors!

It’s been a busy November here in our neighborhood and in Groton. Our 9-acre heart of the neighborhood continues to be vulnerable. What is our Town Council doing, and how’s their progress? Here’s what I think is their checklist and the progress they’ve made.

• Respond to dozens of letters from citizens concerned about plans for SB Butler by all saying the same thing:  SB Butler hasn’t even been discussed! There’s nothing to see here!

  • Status:  Done.

• Keep fingers crossed for the Governor to pass HB 8002 that will allow the state to override local decisions about housing development.

  • Status:  Done.

• Reduce, or better yet, eliminate, the opportunity for public comment at Town Council meetings.

  • Status:  Done.

• Get re-elected to maintain a majority of pro-development Councilors and keep those with different opinions from having a voice on the Council. 

  • Status:  Done.

• Ignore the voting results that might indicate which Councilors are most supported by voters (Bordelon and McBride) and name a mayor who received fewer votes, but consistently votes with the majority.

  • Status:  Under discussion (to be voted on 12/2).

• Double the town’s budget for legal fees to make sure we have enough money to hire all the attorneys we might need to deal with the complaints citizens keep making.

  • Status:  Done.

• Remove or don’t reappoint citizens to the commissions who might not agree with projects like Triton Square (former location of Seely School, now the location of 300+ apartments in the middle of a neighborhood of small houses) and Pleasant Valley (just sold to a developer, Spinnaker, to build high-density housing)

  • Status:  Done.

• Speaking of Pleasant Valley, be sure to keep proposals from other developers under wraps so no one can question our decision.

  • Status:  Done.

• Change the language in the Town’s procedures to make sure we don’t have to appoint citizens similar to the ones we just got rid of, but say it’s to bring new members and new perspectives onto those boards. 

  • Status:  Done.

• Support, and listen to, our Director of Planning and Development as he travels elsewhere and does presentations about the need for housing in towns like Groton, referring to the Keep SB Butler Green group as an organization acting before any decisions are made (how dare we?), and accusing the group and others of NIMBYism for not wanting any new housing in the neighborhood.

  • Status:  Done

As you can see from the above checklist, the deck has been stacked against us. We need your help! Please consider joining our small group of SBB neighbors who are closely watching our town and state representatives in order to stay on top of what they have planned for SBB. We particularly need expertise in town governance, development and law. And we need people willing to attend or watch meetings, read minutes, write to local papers and PAY ATTENTION! Please don’t let the day the flatbed trailers carrying backhoes down Ocean View Avenue be the first you’ve heard that SB Butler is about to be demolished and those 9 acres sited for high density housing. 

Contact us to help! Email us to join!  sb.butler.green@gmail.com

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