Dear Editor:

To those that are concerned about the future of the former Boothbay Region Greenhouses property, I hope the following points will relieve any anxiety, as the last thing the residents of Squirrel Island want to do is cause any upset within the Harbor community, believe me.

1. The property was offered for sale to anyone interested, for at least the past two years.

2. The business was already closed before I approached Bob and Kitty Boyd.

3. Utilizing the property for parking is not new; public parking has been available on the property for many years.

4. Squirrel Island only plans to use the area where the greenhouses presently sit. The home and former flower shop are not being removed and will be offered for sale as a great opportunity for another family or family/business (flower shop?) to become part of the community.

5. The Island does not plan to disrupt or apply pavement or lighting to the existing grounds. We will, of course, meet all town parking requirements which include landscape screening.

6. The greenhouses are being given to Ben and Tim Stover to help them grow their Conley’s Garden Center business on Route 96. I have been contacted by two other young organizations interested in some of the former business’s remaining equipment and supplies and we hope to be able to help them out as well.

7. Boothbay Harbor has continually expressed the need for more parking. The way I see it is that by taking 50+ cars belonging to the Islanders out of the other lots, that’s 50+ spaces available to help relieve the apparent needs of the Harbor during the busy summer months.

Please know that Islanders love the Harbor and will miss the Boothbay Region Greenhouses business as much as anyone. Islanders are very appreciative and recognize their blessings to be part of the community and would never do anything to harm it and in fact, have contributed financially as well as other ways year after year.

Stay calm, this isn’t a crisis and I suspect this will turn out to be a good thing for everyone.

Rob Hopkins

Squirrel Island manager