I urge the Groton Town Council to give serious consideration to the perspective of the Mystic Oral School neighbors, many of whom are understandably alarmed by the sheer size and scale of the project proposed by Respler Homes to develop the Oral School property, a project the council is promoting as “Smart Growth”, “Mystic River Bluffs is development Groton needs,” (March 1).

The local residents do not need a course in urban planning to know that placing an enormous mixed-use development with 931 apartments in their rural neighborhood is more nonsensical than smart. The cumulative impact is predictably terrible. Imagine an additional 1,500 cars using Oral School Road, where families live, and children play. Imagine the congestion on River Road and the Mystic River, which attract walkers, birdwatchers, bicyclists, and kayakers.

While there is considerable difference of opinion as to the highest and best use of the Oral School site, there is broad agreement that it should be responsibly redeveloped. Alternative proposals have included a park, a theater, and lower-density housing in line with the property's current RU-80 zoning designation. It would be appropriate for the Town Council to hold a public hearing and solicit public input.

Catherine Pratt

Groton