WESTBROOK — Westbrook residents may wonder why Saccarappa Park has fencing around it or why the Frog & Turtle Pub is closed and for how long. The city’s new “Seeing Orange” program aims to answer those questions and prevent the spread of misinformation.

With all of the development going on, officials decided a one-stop shop for information on projects was the best way to keep residents accurately up to date. Now up and running, Seeing Orange features updates on the Frog & Turtle expansion and Sappi’s work on the dam removal and fish ladder construction on the Presumpscot. It will feature Department of Transportation projects when more projects are added.

“It’s a clearinghouse where people can go and see what’s going on,” city Economic Development Director Dan Stevenson said. “This will be regularly updated with information right from the source. It’s a simple idea, but it works well, and what we don’t want is all of those rumors running on social media.”

For example, the city has been getting calls asking when blasting will take place to remove the Sappi dams, City Administrator Jerre Bryant said. There will be no blasting because it’s not necessary for the work.

Other residents have asked what’s up at the Frog & Turtle Pub – it’s renovating and adding a second floor – or they want to make sure the project is moving forward and the restaurant will reopen, which is slated for sometime this August.

“Things are progressing with the construction. There was a brief alleyway closure for the foundation work. The water line construction has not happened yet and a date to begin the water line has not been set,” the website says about the work at the pub.

The website, which is in partnership and hosted by Discover Downtown Westbrook,  will have weekly updates on both private and public projects. More information can be found at downtownwestbrook.com/seeingorange.

“Even if there is no update, they will let us know that, so we always have an idea of what is going on,” Stevenson said.

Seeing Orange is just looking at projects in the downtown area, but depending on its success, the program could expand to include projects all over the city.

“It’s simple bites of information, just information, right from the source. It’s not just for downtown, but for everyone else, too, who is curious,” Stevenson said.

 

A crew works on the spillway on the Presumpscot River. Chance Viles/ American Journal

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