I am writing to support the woman who wrote the letter about Westbrook becoming the next Portland (Jan. 4).

I have lived in Westbrook most of my life. I don’t want to say I am old, but I remember when Westbrook Hospital was on Main Street. Our city officials always compare us to other cities. They take the monkey-see monkey-do approach. Our zoning laws change like the wind, to accommodate people wanting to build. There is no protection for existing neighborhoods, if you are in a RGAI (residential) zone your property will have a huge target on it.

Westbrook’s zoning laws allow building houses on 50-by-100-foot lots. Very small, when you consider the average house is at least 25 feet wide or more. This causes houses to be jammed together, so people who own these lots can make a few bucks.

It’s harder to build a shed on your property than it is to build a house. I know, I went through the whole ugly process myself on Tolman Street. Just take a drive-by on the upper end if you want to see a mess. You can’t miss it – it has a huge porta-potty out front, where a house once stood.

Now our planning department wants to push through another zoning change, allowing businesses to be in RGAI zones. Another slap in the face for most of the residents of Westbrook, to take care of a few. It’s time to take our city back from the people who don’t have a clue what they are doing to some of our oldest and dearest neighborhoods.

Yes, we will become just like Portland on our present path. Anyone listening?

Richard Nelson

Westbrook