Westbrook City Planner Molly Just has resigned from her position effective Dec. 4, citing family needs.
In a press release Monday, the city administration said Just has “provided the city with outstanding planning and leadership in the areas of land use, growth management and community development for the past eight years.”
During her tenure, Just oversaw a number of significant projects, zoning issues and initiatives. In the last few years, Just has led the department through a boom in development, with many of those projects under construction now.
According to City Administrator Jerre Bryant, the job is being temporarily filled by Jennie Franceschi, under contract through the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, until the city hires a full-time replacement.
Bryant said Tuesday that Just has been an integral part of many changes in the city, including her ongoing work on the city’s comprehensive plan – creating public policy regarding transportation, utilities, land use, recreation and housing.
But beyond that, he said, Just had dozens of projects under her belt. These include a few recent projects that are in progress, such as the city’s contributions to the Bridge Street bridge work. That project includes a pedestrian bridge and other streetscape changes downtown. She also recently worked on creating the Riverwalk North project, which will extend the city’s riverwalk to the northern side of the Presumpscot River.
“It’s very integral to the downtown and its viability, and it’s seizing an opportunity with the bridge project to give downtown Westbrook a booster shot as far as amenities and make it pedestrian friendly,” Bryant said about Just’s work on the bridge project.
The most significant project that Just is leaving in its formative stages is long-range planning for development in the northern portion of the city. Just had been in discussions with multiple landowners who are seeking to sell or develop property in the most rural area of Westbrook, and was working on a plan to bring development to the neighborhoods in a way that would bring traffic away from Route 302.
In addition to the large projects, Just also worked on hundreds of site and subdivision reviews, zone changes and other projects. Bryant mentioned her work on the land-use issues regarding Pike Industries, which helped resolve tensions between major employers in Westbrook.
“It’s an extremely long list,” he said about Just’s accomplishments in Westbrook.
Just grew up in Asheville, N.C., and earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Salem College in North Carolina and her master’s degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia.
In the city’s press release, Just, who has been on leave, said she would miss her fellow city employees.
“Westbrook is very fortunate to have great people, both inside and outside of city government, and I’m sad that I will no longer be part of that team,” she said.
City Planner Molly Just during her first day on the job in Westbrook in 2007. File photo
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