There has been a great deal of discussion in Portland about the proposed redevelopment of the old Portland Co. site on the waterfront.

I’ve heard impassioned arguments for restricting building height to preserve harbor views, ensuring that historic structures are left intact to link us to our past, as well as ideas from the landowners about how their mixed-use development will benefit the city.

The concern for the future of Portland is evident in all those who are weighing in on this issue, and that is likely to result in a better project than we would have if the voices were silent.

At the same time, there is the catastrophic problem of climate change creeping up on us at ever-increasing speed.

If we ignore the political debate and focus on the science, it tells us quite clearly that the real question with this project is whether it makes sense to invest so much in a location that will be severely affected by rising sea levels in the next 50 years.

Our real challenge is not deciding how high the buildings should be, what types of uses should be permitted or what old structures to preserve.

Rather, we need to decide if we are going to continue to ignore the dire climate change predictions and plow ahead, or accept that Commercial Street will frequently be under water in the lifespan of these proposed buildings and act accordingly.

Jason Wentworth

Portland


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