Portland’s mayor, Kate Snyder, and each City Council member just received a letter from me expressing my views on the proposed soccer stadium. I said that news that the group USL to Portland wishes to bring professional soccer to Portland is exciting. It’s great news for the city and, I sincerely hope, our immigrant community.
I am, however, adamantly opposed to putting the stadium on Back Cove (the Preble Street Field option).
I live on Back Cove and although I normally look askance at people whose positions smack of NIMBY, I don’t want our neighborhood ruined. The noise from fans, concerts, festivals and the lights will make this area undesirable. Why would anyone consider making an area undesirable when there is an option to add it to an area (Fitzpatrick Stadium) that already has athletic sites and all of the attendant features?
It is interesting that the Back Cove site rendering provided by the group does not include the parking lot or lots required for the United Soccer League’s required capacity of 3,500 people and potentially many more for festivals or concerts. The area does not have space for the lots; and, more importantly, natural areas surrounding the site would be replaced with concrete.
I asked that the City Council quickly determine that Back Cove is not an appropriate site.
Eileen Purdy
Portland
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