The Board of Education Thursday unanimously voted to oppose the proposed land swap near Mystic Middle School. The board decided that it is against the swap as it is currently being presented. Further, the board said the proposal does not serve an educational purpose.
One board member, Alisa Morrison, recused herself from the discussion and vote.
The land swap would exchange an acre of land on the west end of the Mystic Middle School property, land that has frontage on Mistuxet Avenue, for an acre of land located behind the school. The land exchange was proposed by the Putnams, who own property adjacent to the school site. In addition, town officials have said that the land the town stands to gain, when combined with more land that is currently part of the Mystic Middle School site and located to the immediate rear of the school, could be developed for affordable senior housing.
Among the board’s concerns about the land swap proposal, which is scheduled for a referendum vote on Aug. 19, are:
- If the swap is approved, a right of way to a second abutting property owner’s land to the rear of the school could continue to exist, in effect allowing two driveways at the site – one over school land and one immediately adjacent to school land.
- The proposed senior housing incorporates both the added acre behind the school with land already part of the Mystic Middle parcel. The Board of Education and school officials were never asked to consider this development, never informed of meetings and discussions about this potential and never concluded that the land behind the school was not now nor would ever be needed for school use.
- The Connecticut General Statutes give the responsibility for school property to the Board of Education, although school property is owned by the town.
Further points made by the Board Thursday:
- There is a definite need for affordable senior housing in Stonington.
- The decision to not take a stand on the proposed land swap, made by the board in September 2009, did not indicate a willingness by the Board to turn over all the Mystic Middle School parcel for alternate development and did not indicate the land might not be needed for educational uses in the future.
- During the months when the proposed land swap was before the Board, the only potential use discussed for the land the schools stood to gain in the swap was for added school parking. There has existed a plan to add parking at the existing school site for at least five years. That plan has not been funded.
- That the proposed land swap might be rewritten in a manner that could better protect the safety of the school community and ensure the land be retained for school use unless the Board of Education specifically decided it was no longer needed.
