Residents will have a final opportunity to air concerns over the proposed Phase 2 of the Blue Spruce Farm subdivision when the Westbrook Planning Board hosts a public hearing and final site plan review on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.
The second phase of the Risbara Bros. project proposes 110 market rate apartments in nine buildings, lying behind the existing Blue Spruce Farm development. Both phases have been heavily scrutinized by neighbors, and have led to calls for a development moratorium and changes to the city’s zoning ordinances.
Risbara has argued that the housing is meeting a need within the housing crunch of Greater Portland, evidenced by the pace in which the apartments and homes have been rented or sold.
Flynn Ross, who has been a vocal critic of the project, and a member of the citizen group Westbrook Forward, sent an email to Westbrook officials this week, thanking them for calling for the public hearing. In the email, she listed a number of concerns that the group hopes are addressed Tuesday, including the proposed project’s “compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods.”
Many from the group have questioned the size and scope of the 12-unit apartment buildings as they relate to the nearby neighborhoods made up of single-family homes.
During the site plan review on Nov. 11, Risbara unveiled a new design for its apartment buildings, which were met with mixed reviews, but also detailed plans for more outdoor green space, including a community garden.

Blue Spruce Farm, off Spring Street in Westbrook.
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