When the Whitney Rose Garden was moved from the corner of Cumberland Street and Harnois Avenue to its Route 25 location, it was meant to be viewed as a “gateway” into the community, but Ellie Conant Sanders and other members of the Conant family have become frustrated with the lack of upkeep provided by the city.

Sanders said seven years ago the garden was flowering, but now it’s full of weeds and far from reaching its potential. The garden is a memorial to the Whitney family, who lived in Westbrook for many years. Sanders said she has tried to work with the city to improve the garden, but it is now a “disgrace” to drive by and see it filled with weeds.

“Ellie is right to be concerned,” said Bill Baker, Westbrook’s assistant city administrator for business and community relations. “We want everyone to take pride in this great city and maintaining public property is part of that process.”

Jerre Bryant, city administrator, said the public services staff was working on the rose garden on Wednesday morning.

“It was in very poor condition,” said Bryant.

Bryant said the city was looking in to another way to take care of the garden, possibly by outsourcing the responsibility to a third party.

– Suzanne Hodgson

The Whitney Rose Garden as it appeared in 2006
The Whitney Rose Garden as it looked earlier this week.