Oh the irony! If only the Saunders site remained zoned Industrial, or was designated business/office professional as recommended by the Ordinance Committee, Idexx may have the option to locate there! Instead the Forest Street neighborhood and surrounding areas still may be forced to live with a retail Supercenter and all that that has to offer. Idexx would be such a good match for that site. They don’t sell guns or alcohol, they don’t attract 20,000 vehicles a day, and their parking lots aren’t havens for crime and pollution.
Planning and appropriate placement of development helps us avoid the unending ramifications of inappropriately placed development; ramifications that everyone in the community will have to deal with! Locating Idexx on the Saunders site would have increased the viability of the business/office professional zone located just across the Westbrook Arterial, guaranteed some good paying jobs offering attainable and decent benefits, and made for a much more attractive gateway vista to visitors and residents.
But it isn’t good to be bitter. It is better to be proactive and involved. Life isn’t a spectator sport after all. So on goes the battle to save our neighborhoods, kick our hopes and expectations up a notch (yes, it is okay to do that), and expand our vision for the future. I’m glad that so many members of our community have connected with Westbrook Our Home, and hope they and others will engage in the ongoing development process because it is vital to all our futures.
Anne Bureau
Westbrook
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