Preserving Recreational Space

​

The residential area originally developed as the Ocean View Heights subdivision exists in the Groton side of Mystic. It is within this subdivision that the former S.B. Butler school property resides.

​

The original master map for the subdivision was recorded in 1922. It divided 66 acres of what was previously the Walter Fish farm into numerous individual residential lots and roadways. A portion of the subdivision was later taken in 1952 for public use to build the former S.B. Butler Elementary School.

​

The quiet, single-family residential layout was originally built to allow children to easily walk to the elementary school and neighborhood playground. The former S.B. Butler School property was situated right in the center of the subdivision.

​

Although the school was closed in 2021, the SBB property is still being used as the recreational space for the neighborhood. There are some trails in the woods that border the 66 acre subdivision, but there are no spaces containing playgrounds, facilities for youth, or ballfields in the subdivision - except at SBB.

​

The 2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (the latest plan) designated the SB Butler school grounds as a recreational facility (page 87) stating:

“The campus grounds encompass approximately nine acres and feature multiple playgrounds, a couple of basketball courts, a baseball field and open play areas.”

 

The Master Plan recommendations (pages 103,104) were to convert the field into a multi sports field, adaptively reuse the building, and make enhancements to the North and South playgrounds and basketball court.

 

In addition to meeting current needs for recreational space, in this time of increased demand for housing, the town also needs to address the increased demand for recreational space that will follow.

 

One final note is that Traditional Subdivisions in Groton today require a minimum of 10% of the total subdivision area to be designated as protected open space; and for an Open Space Subdivision, the minimum open space requirement increases to 20% of the gross land area. The established neighborhood in Ocean Heights was using the 9 acres of SBB as its open space. By today’s standards, 6.6 acres of our subdivision would have been set aside as open space. Doesn’t this neighborhood deserve an open space for recreational use in our 66 acre Ocean Heights subdivision?

​

Elections

 

The midterm elections will be held on Nov 3, 2026.  Citizens in the SBB area will be voting for a Connecticut House of Representative for house District 41 and a CT Senator for Senate District 18.  These individuals will represent us in the Connecticut General Assembly in Connecticut for the next 2 years.

​

The candidates running for CT House of Representatives are:

Incumbent Aundré Bumgardner (D) (Aundre.Bumgardner@cga.ct.gov) and Thaler Hefel (R) (Thalerhefel@yahoo.com)

​

The candidates running CT Senate are:

Incumbent Heather Somers (R) (Heather.Somers@cga.ct.gov) and Joe de la Cruz (D) (https://www.joeforct.com/).

​

Where do the candidates stand on the issue of preserving recreational space at the former SB Butler school?  Contact them to find out and let them know that its important to you.