Bringing an integrated sewer and water system to the Route 6 corridor has been discussed for years among Westport town officials concerned about the contamination of well water by cesspools and failed septic systems, and subsequent nitrogen and bacterial infiltration into the Westport River. Water and sewer would also allow for more commercial enterprise in the area, something advocates maintain would bolster town revenue, and improve a scruffy thoroughfare dominated by used-car lots.

As someone who cares deeply about the health of the river and who, before moving to Westport, had always lived in houses that had municipal water and sewer, it seemed like a great idea to me. In fact, I was irked that the system wouldn’t be extended further south.

Over the years, however, I came to understand that one of the reasons Westport had not been overrun with people and big-box commerce was because we all had individual wells and wastewater treatment, which effectively curtailed development density. Yet, at the same time, I annually witnessed gelatinous algae blooms blanketing much of the river’s west branch with an eel grass and benthic animal smothering green mucous.

Proposed zoning by-law changes that accompany the construction of the water/sewer system include “promot[ing] the creation” of multi-family (three or more dwelling units) and “inclusionary” housing (10 or more units) — with up to 15 dwelling units allowed per acre. By-law changes also allow for computing data centers, and warehouse distribution and “fulfillment” centers. Additionally, the Planning Board is authorized to reduce the required buffer area between abutters and new construction “when it determines such reduction will not cause adverse impact to the abutting uses.” (Note that proposed front, side, and rear minimum setbacks would already be reduced by 40-50% from current by-law requirements.)

The average size of an Amazon fulfillment center is 800,000 square feet (over 18 acres), with more than 1,500 full-time people boxing and sending out stuff so we can all be fulfilled as fast as possible. But they are getting larger. The Amazon warehouse on “Innovation Way” in Fall River is 1.3 million square feet. The main building covers 23 acres; the “distribution site” takes up 67 acres. I remember when I first drove past it and thought, Egads! So glad that monster isn’t in Westport! No thanks to that kind of “innovation!”

Do we really want to encourage computing data centers to come to Westport? Would that also include cryptocurrency mining? Data centers are voracious users of electricity, consuming up to 50 times as much energy per floor space of a typical commercial office building. They also require enormous amounts of water for cooling, and land for construction.

I very much want a clean river, but I also love the small-town feel of Westport. I don’t want to see our north end become Fall River or be inundated with the commercial enterprise and traffic of north Dartmouth. I’m pretty sure folks who live up near Route 6 don’t want that either.

Constance Gee

Westport