I have lived on Spring Street for 37 years, just a short distance from the Five Star Industrial Park and the Pike quarry on Spring Street. Over the past year, Pike has significantly increased the amount of blasting and rock crushing they are doing. I feel the ground shake when they blast and hear the crusher for days on end. This blasting and rock crushing has a negative impact on my daily life, and I suspect has already reduced the value and desirability of my property.
Today there are signs planted in the ground on Spring Street that say Pike=Jobs. The fact is, an active quarry in this location is going to prevent job growth in this part of the city. Who is going to want to open or expand a business here with all that blasting noise, truck traffic and vibration? Or, if an asphalt plant is allowed on that site, who would want to smell those factories?
Westbrook has done a good job moving away from its paper mill and heavy industry past. The businesses in the Five Star park are good neighbors. They are quiet. I don’t hear them or even know they’re there. These companies employ all kinds of people – thousands of them – in all types of jobs and pay a lot of money to the city in taxes. I’d rather have this type of clean manufacturing business as a neighbor any day.
Mike Daley
Westbrook
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