I am writing in support of the proposed Stroudwater Place mixed-use
development in Westbrook. The project is in its early stages, and the
proposed mixed-use contract zone, recommended by the Planning Board and amended by the City Council on Monday, needs to be voted on.
At Monday’s council meeting, neighbors continued to voice concerns, some having to do with the impact of increased traffic, repeatedly drawing analogies to the Maine Mall, and others urging a slow and methodical approval process for the contract zone, as one resident said, “even if it takes six months.”
First, it is important to remember that the contract zone is only step
one. Once the zone is in place, the developers can work with neighbors
through the site plan process to create a situation that works for
everyone.
However, if we keep delaying this developer’s shot at the site-planning
process, Westbrook may well lose its opportunity to house a project that
is 100 percent privately funded, and when completed, will create 4,000 jobs and contribute over $4.5 million tax dollars per year, improving the quality of education, recreation and life in Westbrook.
Second, I would respectfully argue that this project is not designed to
replace or replicate the Maine Mall. The vision here is a master-planned, walkable, mixed-use town center anchored by high end retail but accentuated by dining, office space, and public gifts like ball fields and a farmer’s market, all in harmony with its residential
surroundings.
The project is large in scale, and it will require careful planning,
forward thinking, and the prospect of change, which can feel
uncomfortable. But it’s also a large-scale opportunity, in the spirit
of our little city’s future, we need to give it a chance.
Michelle Flaherty
Prudential Northeast Properties
Westbrook
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