Mystic Oral School Property Development

(This material is excerpted by Edward Johnson from a DAY article by David Collins. More details can be found at the New London Day 9/29 internet edition and (expected) 9/30 printed edition.)

A majority of Democrats on the Groton Town Council this week managed to shut down attempts by two independent-minded Democrats and one Republican councilor to possibly discuss putting the town officially on the record against the $1 sale (of the Oral School Property).

Neighbors of the oral school, appalled at the governor’s plans to give away the state property, are pressing on. There was a protest at the council meeting this week.

And a lawyer hired by the neighbors, Edward Moukawsher, on Wednesday sent a sharp letter to the governor and Attorney General William Tong, writing:
“The efforts to develop the property have recently taken an alarming and illegal turn. Neither the newly involved party nor the proposed development have been approved by the state entities required by statutes for the sale of surplus state property.”

In addition, retired Democrat Judge Steven Spellman of Groton, wrote an open letter to Lamont in a full-page ad published Sunday in The Day, explaining the legal reasons why the state is not bound by the sales contract.
“The alternative if the state does not terminate is the irreparable loss of 47 acres of prime Mystic real estate for $1 to a convicted (criminal) so that he can flip it and make enormous profit at the expense of the people of Connecticut....Please, Governor Lamont, don’t let this happen on your watch and under your leadership.”

Three Groton town councilors, Democrats Aundre Bumgardner and Portia Bordelon and Republican Scott Westervelt, tried to bring the topic up for a vote but were shut down by Mayor Juan Melendez and four other councilors.
The town attorney explained that the town is not a party to the sales agreement, but that councilors could express their opinion about it to the state. But the five councilors would not even allow Westervelt to raise a motion for a discussion about the town getting involved.

Both Bumgardner and Borderlon expressed their frustration that a sale by the state was imminent. That news came from a resident who did the research, that should have been done by the paid manager, and (the resident then) told The Day what was happening.

Bordelon made good points about how the town’s professional managers have left the community in the awkward position of having to honor a development agreement....with whomever the criminal developer that gets the property for $1.... flips it to.
Bordelon and Bumgardner both seem angry about the governor’s absurd giveaway, an insult to the Groton community. And are mad at town government’s complacency....Good for them.