SOUTH PORTLAND – On Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., Hardypond Development will host a public forum to discuss the best use of a 6.5-acre parcel it owns on Summit Terrace in South Portland.

The forum will be held in the community room at the Betsy Ross House, located at 99 Preble St. Extension. Anyone who would like to provide input, but cannot attend the meeting, should contact Frank Carr, director of business development at Hardypond, at 252-4881 or Frank@HardyPond.com.

Carr said Hardypond does not yet have any specific development proposal in mind, adding, “This is a long journey and we intend to understand the community before we begin drawing plans or approaching the city of South Portland for approval.”

He said the reason Hardypond is holding the public forum, in conjunction with the Willard Neighborhood Association, is because the company doesn’t “want to plan nor design in a vacuum.”

Carr added, “The neighborhood knows best what (would work for) them. We need to hear the neighbors as they tell us their interests.” In the end, he said, “We hope the community (will) feel that we listened and heard what they said.”

– Kate Irish Collins