Blue Note Park in Westbrook, the often unnoticed and underutilized urban park within Westbrook Commons, has received a facelift.
As part of a beautification project put together by the Downtown Westbrook Coalition, planters in the park are now filled with a variety of plants and flowers, with a picnic table and bike rack also added to the landscape.
The project was funded by the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp. at a cost of $6,288, and was approved by the Westbrook City Council in early July.
According to Guy Cote, who serves on the board of the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corp., the project is aimed at making the park more welcoming to pedestrians or residents coming from nearby eateries such as the Baker’s Bench or Catbird Creamery.
The recent upgrades were officially completed Tuesday when Westbrook Public Services topped off the various planters with fresh mulch. The next order of business, Cote said, is changing signs in the park to reflect the project’s intentions.
Signs posted in the space now read, “No Loitering, No Skateboarding, Police Take Notice.”
Cote said he’s heard comments from residents that the signs give the opposite impression of the intended welcoming atmosphere.
“These few simple updates like the flowers planted by the city, the seating and bike rack have made it more welcoming,” Cote said this week. “However, a simple sign posted in the park that said ‘No Loitering’ was taken literally. After hearing from several friends and business owners, I asked for the city to change the sign to include ‘Sunset to Sunrise.’”
Westbrook Police Chief Janine Roberts said Tuesday that the police department worked with public services to design the new sign, which stipulates no loitering between sunset and sunrise (the hours the park is closed by city ordinance). She said skateboarding is still prohibited.
Blue Note Park, named for the large sculpture depicting music notes, with an unused fountain, was designed during urban renewal in the 1970s. The area was designed to be a public gathering space, but hasn’t been widely used. The American Journal reported in 2013 that the fountain last worked in 2000.
Roberts said small efforts such as the changed sign add to the the city’s overall work on revitalizing the downtown area.
“It’s important to provide public spaces that are clean, safe, and inviting for people to visit,” she said. “The theory being that as people visit the public spaces, they will likely visit the local shops, offices, and businesses, thus positively impacting our local economy.”
She added that during her time in Westbrook, she has not heard of any specific complaints related to the park.
Cote believes a better image could even help spur more interest in the Westbrook Commons offices. In 2013, the city tweaked a land use ordinance to allow the businesses in Westbrook Commons to expand onto the stone hardscape. No businesses have taken advantage of the opportunity.
There are three buildings that are part of the Westbrook Common park – 1 Westbrook Common, 850 Main St., and 12 Westbrook Common. Each building hosts businesses, but also has vacancies.
“I do believe that Blue Note Park has the potential to be a destination just like the boardwalk along the river,” Cote said, mentioning use by employees of downtown businesses. “People need a place to relax and enjoy their food. Hopefully by attracting people, this will spur an interest in filling the vacant commercial spaces surrounding the park.”
Westbrook Public Services employees put the finishing touches on upgrades to Blue Note Park off Main Street Tuesday, part of an effort to make the space more inviting for public use. The sign will soon be amended to stipulate sunset to sunrise. Staff photos by Andrew Rice
Westbrook Public Services employees put the finishing touches on upgrades to Blue Note Park off Main Street Tuesday, part of an effort to make the space more inviting for public use. Staff photos by Andrew Rice
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