Westbrook Planning Board Backs Data Center Ban, Reviews Stroudwater Meadows

The Westbrook Planning Board voted to recommend banning data centers as a principal use in the city and approved two subdivision items, including a 90-day extension for the Rock Row South Campus subdivision. The board also held a workshop on the revised Stroudwater Meadows proposal, now at 306 units, where most public comment focused on traffic and access onto Stroudwater Street.

Key points

• The board voted unanimously to recommend an ordinance amendment to the City Council defining and prohibiting data centers as a principal use, removing them from the Rock Row Contract Zone; they would still be allowed as an accessory use.
• The board approved a 90-day extension for the Rock Row South Campus subdivision, pushing the recording deadline to January 28, 2027, because the applicant is still working with Portland on a cross-city boundary signing.
• The board approved a subdivision amendment for Wormell Farms LLC transferring about 10.02 acres from Lot 2 to Lot 3 to support a future 108-unit apartment project; a board member asked for clearer, more legible plans in future submissions.
• The board continued the Rock Row South Campus site plan for Buildings SG and SR (a 277-unit residential building and a 700-space parking garage) to allow the applicant to finalize design and obtain state permits.
• During the Stroudwater Meadows workshop, residents from Westbrook and Portland raised concerns about traffic on Stroudwater Street and access to the arterial, and asked about protecting the abutting Randall Farm.
• City staff said the arterial's control-of-access designation and 45 mph speed limit make a new curb cut there infeasible without a grade-separated crossing, which they estimated at $5 million to $10 million.

Next steps

• The data center ordinance recommendation goes to the City Council for a first reading on October 19, with a second reading expected in early November.
• The Rock Row South Campus site plan will return to the board after state permits are secured.
• The Stroudwater Meadows team plans to submit state permits, meet with neighborhood groups, and return to the board in the spring for approvals.
• Staff offered to help facilitate coordination between the developer and the Stroudwater neighborhood associations.

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