Portland is not the center of the universe, in spite of what many readers of this newspaper may feel. I do not think you will find in the Maine Constitution a measure that creates the sovereign entity of the Grand Duchy of Portland.

And yet, after reading this newspaper every day, many people apparently believe Portland has such an exalted status.

What’s to be proud of? Certainly not Portland’s unbridled growth.

The last town I lived in before returning to Maine was Weymouth, Massachusetts. It has a population similar to Portland’s and an almost identical population density, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: Portland, 3,106.5 persons per square mile vs. Weymouth, 3,200.5 persons per square mile. It was like living in an ant colony.

I have vivid memories of standing in front of a house in Weymouth that had been built on a 5,000-square-foot lot; it was a two-story house with only 2 or 3 feet of land between it and the adjacent property.

And yet, enough is not enough.

A recent letter decries zoning changes in Portland that have decreased the minimum lot size from 4,500 to 2,500 square feet (“Zone changes will destroy Munjoy Hill’s character,” June 11).

On a recent trip to Portland it took me 23 minutes to drive from Munjoy Hill (Sheridan Street) to the Westbrook city line (Presumpscot River) on Route 302, a distance of 5.4 miles, during rush hour, which is just about any time.

If this wasn’t enough, we now have this clamor for more and more immigrants to compensate for an aging population (“Our View: Anti-immigrant stance stalls Maine’s growth,” June 29).

Will the nabobs of Portland ever say: “Enough is enough”?

Bob Casimiro

Bridgton