Amid significant growth in the region and a major housing shortage, the town is looking at how to decide the fate of more than 50 unused town-owned properties that have been vacant for years, while involving community members more. They have created a Property Re-Use Committee and stopped issuing requests for proposals for the properties, even as developers show strong interest. Electric Boat, planning to hire thousands of new employees over the next two to three years, is a major driver of the demand, along with decades of slow housing construction. Some residents have pushed back against what they see as over-development of the town and want to be more involved as the properties are redeveloped. The committee found that the town owns nearly 190 acres of unused property housed in 54 land parcels, from .03 acres to 36.7 acres, across Groton, according to a presentation to the Town Council in March. However, the majority of the land — 89% — is in 12 parcels. Paige Bronk, the town’s economic and community development manager, said once the council adopts a policy and gives the green light to advance Requests for Proposals, the private sector is definitely interested in jumping in.
https://www.theday.com/local-news/20230527/a-look-at-grotons-unused-town-owned-properties/