My name is Vicki Brown, and I own Lot 5 in the Five Star Industrial Park on Eisenhower Drive in Westbrook. I have had this land for sale for more than two years. Unfortunately, due to its proximity to a quarry and the recent plans to expand, I continue to lose the chance to close the sale. I bought this land well before the current owner of the quarry purchased this property from the previous owner. The previous owner had an inactive quarry, with little or no activity on that land for years.
One very real potential buyer was interested in buying in order to build a high-end day care facility. This buyer produced a written offer, which I accepted. However, the uncertainty of the plans by Pike Industries and the question as to whether the city was going to move ahead with its rezoning plans for the park ended with this potential buyer retracting his offer. The truth is, if the quarry operator is allowed to expand in this area of the city, I do not see any potential for office or business prospects, and I have been told by my real estate broker that even industrial operators will be difficult to find.
This is a beautiful, 3.35-acre parcel that is close to the entrance of the park. It could be a wonderful site for a business to build up to 39,000 square feet of high-quality space (pending approvals). In my opinion, allowing a quarry to expand not only affects my property, but also most of the other parcels of land in the Five Star Park.
This business park has shown positive growth over the years and its buildings have been well designed and filled with solid tenant and owner occupants. A quarry operation will only bring a stigma to this part of the city and reduce property values. An active quarry on Spring Street is sure to slow down future development, limit the types of uses that will consider operating in this part of Westbrook, limit the city’s efforts to create a gateway to the city, and significantly impact the area’s aesthetics and quality of life.
It would truly be a shame if the abutter is allowed to expand to include a much larger blasting operation, rock crusher and asphalt plant.
Vicki Brown
CEO, DPI Labs Inc.
La Verne, Calif.
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