The neighborhood surrounding SB Butler, as well as the 9-acre SB Butler school site and building, are part of these discussions as we saw recently on a map shared by ToG showing a draft of a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) that depicts our neighborhood and SBB as an "opportunity site" for denser housing. While there is nothing imminent in the works, it seems the ToG is lining up its planning, zoning, and Town Council goals to make it possible to build on this site. The term "higher density" gets used often in these discussions. 

This is a call to action for our neighborhood. Perhaps you believe that all nine acres should be left open as a public recreation/park, green  space or playground (or some combination) area. Maybe you're in the "some development/more open space" camp. You might even think that given the need for housing in Groton and Mystic, the majority of the land should be sold to a developer who builds on, say, 3/4 of it. Regardless of your current perspective--we hope you'll respond to this call, because I think we can all agree that the residents who will be most impacted by the future use of SBB should have a say in what happens. We are asking you to become more involved by doing one or some or all of these things:

• Think about local organizations and businesses who might see the school building or land as a potential site for some sort of activity. Do you know anyone in the area looking for space? Ideally, it would be for a use that would not disrupt the neighborhood and would be in keeping with our support of Mystic's citizens and businesses.

• Follow the ToG's "Missing Middle Housing" website and learn about the approach currently driving much of the discussion. 

• Put up a "Keep SB Butler Green" sign in your yard. Need a new one? We have them. Need just a new stake? We've got them too. These are free, but we appreciate a suggested donation of $10 to help defray the cost to print them. Signs matter! They demonstrate that the neighborhood is paying attention and is united in its determination to have a say.

• Do you have new neighbors? Sign them up for our Facebook group, or our Google mailing list (email me to do either). Talk with them about what's happening, and what could happen.

• Consider making a donation. Your dollars help us pay for an attorney who is assisting us with the legal efforts needed to engage with the ToG. You can donate using PayPal or Venmo, which you'll find at our website (sbbutlergreen.org). Or a check or cash, which I can collect (yes, we have a checking account and a volunteer accountant who keeps track of our money).

• Consider becoming a "block captain" or "street boss" (you can call yourself whatever you'd like) who serves as a conduit to your nearby neighbors, keeping them informed and motivated. 

• We would love to have some folks join our too-small core group to help us do this important work. We meet every few weeks on a weeknight evening for about 90 minutes tops, and do other work in between.

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