Editor’s note: following is an opinion submitted by Westport native Chip Stephens, who served on the P&Z Commission from 2011 to 2019.

Westport’s next Planning & Zoning Commission will play a pivotal role in shaping the town’s future for the next decade. With many complex and high-impact projects underway from Long Lots School and municipal infrastructure, Longshore, downtown revitalization, and affordable housing – this new commission will be responsible for crafting a new 10-year Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) and updating affordable housing strategy. These decisions will affect every corner of Westport. The question is: What kind of commission do you want guiding that process?

I believe Westport needs a commission that truly listens and responds in kind to residents with transparency, accountability, and respect for the town’s zoning regulations and values.

Unfortunately, recent actions by incumbent majority candidates suggest a different approach. The current POCD reflects what Westporters care about most: preserving the town’s character, protecting scenic resources like river views, maintaining coastal integrity, and addressing quality-of-life issues such as traffic congestion and parking. It also emphasizes smart design, with the Architectural Review Board (ARB) serving as a key safeguard.

Yet in 2022, a zoning change for the Saugatuck area—that was approved by Michael Cammeyer and the majority incumbents—created a new district allowing an eightfold increase in density, a space for large-scale events, and reduced parking requirements. This change was approved in spite of hundreds of residents (and many not allowed to) voicing concerns about traffic, school drop-offs, commuter parking, and overall congestion. Their input was summarily dismissed, with the change contradicting both public sentiment and the POCD’s stated goals.

That Cammeyer text amendment paved the way for “The Hamlet”—a proposal that included a 57-room hotel, 57 luxury residences, 38 retail and restaurant spaces, a spa, a barn, and events hosting up to 500 people during peak commuting hours. It offered anything but a hamlet. Residents responded in force: hundreds wrote letters, packed town hall meetings, and over 1,600 signed a petition calling for a 40% reduction in density. The wise ARB formally denied the application, twice, citing a failure to meet zoning standards, the required architectural style of New England.

The Planning Board’s role is to apply zoning regulations objectively. Yet this project lacked several key elements:

• New England design
• Adequate public waterfront access
• A viable employee parking plan
• Safe hotel entrance design
• Adequate traffic impact analysis

Despite these shortcomings, a straw vote revealed support from both incumbent majority candidates Michael Cammeyer and Bre Injeski. But when the final vote came, with the outcome clear they pulled the political head fake; they abstained. That decision ignored the POCD, the ARB, and thousands of residents who had spoken up for months. It was cowardly and an insult to everyone involved in the process, including the applicant.

Westport deserves and NEEDS better. My hometown deserves a commission that respects the Architectural Review Board, keeps density low, follows longstanding regulations and puts residents first. Westport NEEDS to be looking for a change in the Planning & Zoning commission.

Michele Paquette will change the direction of the P&Z.

Just my humble opinion as a proud Westport ex-pat

Chip Stephens
Readfield, Maine