As the city contemplates its future, I hope that local officials will consider our economic future. There are long-term, full-time job opportunities today inside the Five Star Park. At least 25 new jobs are listed on the Idexx Web site, in a time of recession.

If we want jobs to come to Westbrook, we should focus on the facts. Growth is more likely to come to Westbrook if we re-zone the Five Star Park to allow the existing businesses to expand. We should support our existing taxpayers such as Artel, Creative Office Pavilion, Calpine, Idexx and others so that these companies can grow and offer us hundreds of full-time jobs with benefits.

I hope that our city officials will also consider sustainability of our city. Do we want positive economic development that doesn’t pollute our air and our state? Do we really want another enormous hole in the ground for our children and grandchildren to deal with when we’re gone?

Maine has plenty of rock to mine for asphalt. The location of Pike’s proposed expansion on Spring Street is not an appropriate place for an active quarry, with blasting, truck traffic, poor air quality and another pit. That determination was made 40 years ago when Blue Rock owned the property. As a close neighbor to this quarry site, I know all too well what it is like to live with the noise, trucks and blasting and their negative effect on my quality of life.

Today and looking ahead, we must provide our city’s residential and business citizens with a well-deserved, excellent quality of life and a promising economic future.

Laura Casparius

Westbrook