The argument over the Millrace riverfront has become the loudest thing in town, and also the least useful. Both sides now speak almost entirely in slogans. One camp warns of a town paved over by developers; the other of a town frozen in amber by people afraid of change. Neither caricature helps.
Growth is not a yes-or-no question, and pretending it is has left Westbrook talking past itself for the better part of a year.
The questions worth asking
A serious conversation would set the slogans aside and deal with specifics. What does the valley actually need, and what is it willing to trade to get it?
- How much new housing does Westbrook need, and for whom?
- What infrastructure has to come first, and who pays for it?
- Which parts of the town’s character are genuinely non-negotiable?
None of these have easy answers, and that is exactly the point. A town that only argues in absolutes will keep making decisions by exhaustion rather than by judgment. We can do better than the loudest room wins.
Related: Opinion · the stalled riverfront redevelopment
Further reading: smart growth principles
