Water Talk - Community Engagement

Westbrook Water Talk - Your Voice Matters!

The City of Westbrook is excited to announce a new opportunity for community involvement. We launched a three-part public engagement series called Westbrook Water Talk to gather your input on the future of our public outdoor aquatic amenities.

Overview

Following the decommissioning of the Cornelia Warren Outdoor Pool in 2020 due to significant structural, code, and safety issues, there has been much discussion about the possibility of creating a new, replacement, or enhanced outdoor water facility. An initial feasibility study for a new outdoor pool adjacent to the Community Center estimated costs ranging from $3 million to $14 million, depending on the project's scope, scale, and location. Given the complexity of such a project and the investment required, we need your feedback on what type of outdoor water amenity, if any, Westbrook should pursue.

Although discussions have focused on an outdoor pool at the Community Center, we recognize that the community might prefer a different type of aquatic facility or even a delay in the investment altogether. Quality feedback from a professionally-led public engagement process is crucial before City Council and staff move forward. All opinions are welcome, including those who may not prioritize a new public pool at this time.

To ensure a thorough and unbiased outreach process, the City has partnered with Craig Freshley of  Good Group Decisions, a third-party facilitator. The public outreach includes: three sessions (described below), a community-wide survey starting August 28^th, and a report summarizing the findings of the outreach process. 

Session #1 - Where are we now? A retrospective on Westbrook's water amenities

Date/Time: Thursday, August 15th at 6pm
Location: Westbrook Community Center (426 Bridge Street), Spruce Room

This was an informational session to set the stage for community participation in the community-wide survey. Ensuring that our community is presented with an overview of decisions made in the past and the information we have thus far is critical to collecting informed opinions and feedback. This session will cover Westbrook’s past outdoor public water amenities (including outdoor pools over the years and the use of the Presumpscot River for recreational swimming), the circumstances that led to the decommissioning of the Cornelia Warren Outdoor Pool, an overview of citizen-led initiatives, available grant funding and limitations on how it can be used, and options and estimates that have been gathered thus far. 

Did you miss this meeting? Check out the following links to catch up!

• Video Recording, Water Talk Session #1 - Where are we now?
• Slides from Water Talk Session #1 (PDF)
• Facilitator Notes from Water Talk Session #1 (PDF)

Session #2: What do you think? Launch of a community-wide public survey

Date/Time: Wednesday, August 28^th at 6pm
Location: Westbrook Community Center, Gym

The second session marked the introduction of our community-wide survey, designed to gather initial ideas from residents and to assess the needs and priorities of our community. This survey was available until September 29, 2024.

We want to know how Westbrook residents would prioritize the range of possible options for an outdoor public water amenity, including (but not limited to) facility features, accessibility, programming, swimmable v. non-swimmable options, and feedback on the most appropriate timing for an investment of this nature.

Did you miss this meeting? Check out the following links to catch up!

• Video Recording, Water Talk Session #2 - What do you think?
• Slides from Water Talk Session #2 (PDF)
• Facilitator Notes from Water Talk Session #2 (PDF)

Session #3: Where do we go from here? Identifying themes & priorities

Date/Time: Thursday, November 14 at 6pm
Location: Westbrook Community Center, Gym

The third session will include a presentation of survey results, identifying any major themes and top priorities that may have emerged.

Did you miss this meeting? Check out the following links to catch up! 

• Video Recording, Water Talk Session #3 - Where do we go from here?
• Slides from Water Talk Session #3 (PDF)
• Facilitator Notes from Water Talk Session #3 (PDF)

Final Report

The Final Report of the Water Talk engagement series and survey was delivered to Westbrook City Council on February 3, 2024. City Council referred this report to the Recreation & Conservation Commission for next-step recommendations. View the report below: 

• Final Report - Water Talk Engagement Series & Survey (PDF)

Any Council action following the receipt of next-step recommendations from the Recreation & Conservation Commission will include the opportunity for public input, so please stay connected!

Stay Connected!

Contact communitydev@westbrook.me.us for more information.