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HomeMy Public PortalAboutOSRP Section 2 Draft Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 1 June 5, 2020 SECTION 2. INTRODUCTION A. Statement of Purpose "Like so many Massachusetts communities, especially those near water, Brewster has experienced overwhelming development pressures. These pressures threaten to erode the basic environmental systems and very essence of this rural coastal community. We either have to secure essential and ecologically significant tracts of land to preserve our natural heritage and communal well-being, or suffer the environmental consequences and social costs of excessive, uncontrolled and inappropriate growth” (Brewster Open Space Committee, 1985) Written in the Foreword to the 1985 Open Space Plan, these words are as accurate and appropriate today as they were then. The purpose of this Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is to provide a framework and guide for continued conservation and recreation planning in the Town of Brewster. Major objectives are the conservation of Brewster's natural resources, protection of open spaces, and the provision of public recreational opportunities. The 2020 OSRP is an update of the 2014 OSRP. By maintaining a current plan, Brewster remains eligible for state funding assistance for open space and recreation purchases and improvements. The 2020 OSRP builds on earlier plans and incorporates existing and new goals of protecting natural resources, conserving open space, and providing a recreation program that meets the needs of Brewster’s current and future population. The Plan also updates the 2014 Action Plan, identifies new issues or changing conditions since its approval, and assesses future needs based on community trends. 1. Progress Since 2014 The Town has made progress implementing the Action Plan of the 2014 OSRP. Completed actions include: • Continued monitoring lands within the Town’s Zone II Areas and Water Protection District and consider opportunities for purchasing lands for open space protection. • Continued implementation of the recommendations of Brewster’s Integrated Water Resource Management Plan related to wastewater management with the completion of Phases II and III. • Purchased Quivett Marsh Vista open space preservation in partnership with the Brewster Conservation Trust. • Several municipally owned properties that are important for conservation were transferred to the custody and control of the Conservation Commission. • Continued support of local farmers markets, “buy local” programs, and other steps to support markets for locally grown produce, including the farmers market at the Brewster Historic Society. • Adopted the Fertilizer Nutrient Control bylaw to ensure best management practices in the use of fertilizers on managed turf areas to protect Brewster’s water resources. • Purchased land that was vulnerable to coastal erosion, storm event flooding, or sea level rise, which has led to reduced Flood Hazard Insurance rates for residents. • Continued to organize public education and stewardship events, such as spring clean-up events. Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 2 June 5, 2020 • Hired Natural Resource Department staff to support growing demands of the department. • Published trail maps and brochures of the Town’s conservation areas. • Continued to add new recreational activities and programs, including courts for pickleball and bocce ball. • Continued work with neighboring towns to protect shared groundwater resources and overlapping wellfield recharge areas, specifically participating in the Pleasant Bay Alliance with Orleans and Harwich as well as with Dennis. • Started an annual Family Fishing event with Massachusetts Wildlife and Fisheries • Brought back the annual bike rodeo. The work since 2014 emphasizes the importance of the OSRP in reaching natural resource protection goals and meeting the recreational needs of residents. B. Planning Process and Public Participation The planning process to update the OSRP involved: • Reviewing current, available data from local, regional, state, and federal sources. • Reviewing current reports and studies around open space and recreational issues for Brewster and the region. • Reviewing the 2014 OSRP to identify completed action items, where new data and information is needed, and other follow-up items. • Engaging the public to ensure stated goals and objectives are still relevant. • Engaging the public, including local nonprofits, community groups, and other stakeholders, to understand changes since 2014 in open space and recreation needs and preferences. • Engaging Town departments and decision makers to understand changes since 2014 in open space and recreation policies. A working group made up of Town staff, including the Natural Resources Department and Recreation Department, as well as representation from the Brewster Planning Board, Open Space Committee, and the Cape Cod Commission helped guide the update process. Other Town department staff and Town boards and commissions were also consulted. Stakeholders and members of the public were also asked to provide input and perspective through the public engagement process. These included: • Brewster Conservation Trust • Association to Preserve Cape Cod • Brewster Council on Aging • Brewster Chamber of Commerce • Nauset Public Schools As noted above, the planning process of the 2020 OSRP involved the review of existing and ongoing open space, recreation, natural resource, and resiliency planning initiatives to ensure consistency with these efforts. As community driven projects, these initiatives involved significant public engagement such as workshops, community surveys, and stakeholder meetings and represent the direction of residents. The Town uses the resulting plans to guide local policies and actions. The OSRP needs to be consistent with the documents, and it is also essential to not repeat what has already been asked and Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 3 June 5, 2020 reported. The OSRP provides an opportunity to explore areas of open space and recreation needs that may need more attention or expand on current efforts as appropriate. It is important to recognize that the OSRP will not list all the recommendations and strategies of these reports, plans, and strategies, but incorporates them by reference, and any updates that take place going forward. This ensures a succinct and focused OSRP. Below is a brief summary of planning initiatives and resources that the OSRP supports and references throughout the document, as needed. It is followed by public engagement that was conducted as part of the 2020 OSRP update process. 1. Previous Planning Initiatives Brewster Integrated Water Resource Management Plan In 2009, the Town of Brewster Comprehensive Water Planning Committee recognized that an integrated approach was needed to protect and restore the Town’s waters. Integrated water management recognizes that impacts to groundwater also affect surface waters and vice versa. Both water quality and quantity impacts are possible, so any evaluation of the Town’s water resources must consider both. The Brewster Integrated Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP)1 was implemented in three phases. Building on the work of Phases I and II, Phase III began in 2013 and assessed the challenges and proposed solutions to manage the Town’s water resources, specifically the evaluation of wastewater and nitrogen management alternatives, and the development and finalization of updated by-laws and regulations to implement the stormwater management recommendations developed during Phase II.2 Brewster Coastal Adaptation Strategy In 2016, the Brewster Coastal Access Advisory Group conducted a survey to gather opinions about accessibility, amenities, usage, water quality, and other issues around the Town’s beaches. Around 2,000 people completed the survey. Results were used to develop the Brewster Coastal Adaptation Strategy. The strategy is a framework for future decision-making about Brewster’s public coastal areas. It assists the Town in meeting the diverse access needs of the community and adapting to coastal change, sea level rise, storm surge, and shoreline erosion. Biking Brewster: A Strategy to Enhance Biking in Brewster Biking Brewster was drafted in 2016 by the Brewster Bikeways Committee. It is a plan to help inform local decision makers about improvements to the road network, upgrading public facilities, and building public awareness in ways that promote the safe use of bikes for recreation and as an alternative means of transportation in Brewster. It builds on the 2014 OSRP, where residents expressed the need for more bike trails and biking opportunities. 1 https://horsleywitten.com/brewsterIWRMP/ 2 https://horsleywitten.com/brewsterIWRMP/documents.html Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 4 June 5, 2020 Brewster Age-Friendly Action Plan In 2017, the Brewster Council on Aging worked with the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at the Gerontology Institute at UMASS Boston. The project included a needs assessment of the Town’s older residents, including recreational needs.3 Brewster Vision Plan In 2017, the Town designed a visioning process that engaged residents to understand the community’s values, key issues the Town will face in the future, and priority actions it should take to address these issues. Three deep-dive community workshops were held in late June of 2017 that asked residents what they value about Brewster, what are its challenges, and what are its assets. Approximately 135 citizens participated. The results led to the key issues, or building blocks: community character, open space, housing, local economy, coastal management, water resources, governance, and community infrastructure. Local experts worked together to draft summary papers for each building block that provided background information and summaries of issues in Brewster. A second round of workshops were held to review this information and produced a list of priority actions for the Town. In February 2018, the Town administered a survey asking citizens to rate the importance of each action, from “not important” to “extremely important.” The survey was available on-line and paper copies were available in locations throughout town. Over 1,200 people took the survey. Water resources and open space were the highest scoring building blocks. Because all the actions in these building blocks were rated as important or higher, all were incorporated into the final Vision Plan. From this input, the Town drafted the Brewster Vision Plan and conducted a final round of workshops that focused on implementation. Participants identified stakeholders for each building block, including Town government, community groups, and individuals. The final plan4 was presented to the Board of Selectmen, which it approved in July 2018. Brewster Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Workshop In 2019, the Town received funding from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program to complete climate change vulnerability assessments and resiliency planning. An MVP workshop was held in March 2019 to identify the natural hazards threatening the Town that are exacerbated by climate change. Mitigation actions that can be taken to reduce the adverse effects were discussed and prioritized. Twenty-two community members participated in the workshop, representing different areas of Town. Attendees recommended seven high priority action items to address vulnerabilities and build on existing strengths. The seven elements are highlighted in the MVP Workshop Summary Report.5 Following the workshop, the Town held a public information and listening session to provide an opportunity for residents to learn, ask questions, and provide feedback on the seven high priority items identified at the workshop. 3 http://records.brewster-ma.gov/weblink/0/doc/89079/Page1.aspx 4 http://records.brewster-ma.gov/weblink/DocView.aspx?dbid=0&id=90826&page=1&cr=1 5 http://records.brewster- ma.gov/weblink/0/edoc/107178/Brewster%20MVP%20Workshop%20Summary%20Report.pdf Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 5 June 5, 2020 Brewster Coastal Resources Management Plan In 2019, Phase 1 of the Town’s Coastal Resources Management Plan was released.6 Lead by the Brewster Coastal Committee, the plan articulates a vision and policy direction for managing the Town’s coastal resources. It identifies five priority issues and recommends management strategies for implementation. These include: • Increase resilience of public beaches and landings • Preserve ecosystem services provided by healthy coastal wetlands • Provide access for water dependent activities • Preserve peak-season access to public beaches and landings • Protect infrastructure, visual access, and sense of place threatened by changing conditions The plan builds on prior planning initiatives, including those listed above. It was developed with the consultation with topical experts and public input from five workshops. The plan will help the Town meet the diverse access needs of the community and adapt to coastal change. 2. Community Survey A community survey was administered between April 13 and May 11, 2020. It was available through the Town’s website, and municipal departments and local partners were asked to via email to their memberships, including the School Department, Recreation Department, Council on Aging, Brewster Land Trust, Association to Preserve Cape Cod, and others. It should be noted that the Town began the update of the OSRP at the onset of the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which greatly impacted how it was able to conduct public engagement. On March 10, 2020, Governor Charles Baker issued a State of Emergency, which was followed by Order No. 13 on March 23, ordering the closure of non-essential businesses and prohibiting the gathering of more than 10 people through April 7, which was extended to May 18, at which time select businesses were opened and under strict protocols to protect public health. In late April, the Governor announced that public schools would remain closed and virtual learning would continue through the end of the year. While Town government continued to provide services during this time, Town Hall and other municipal facilities were closed to the public. The Town was unable to make paper copies of the survey available at popular locations, and the mailing surveys was both cost prohibitive and administratively difficult given public health concerns. See Section 6. Community Vision and Appendix X for a summary of the community survey results. 3. Public Workshop Scheduled for June 18, 2020. 6 https://www.brewster-ma.gov/committees-mainmenu-29/coastal-committee/2588-final-phase-i-brewster- coastal-resource-management-plan Brewster Open Space and Recreation Plan DRAFT – SECTION 2 6 June 5, 2020 C. Enhanced Outreach and Public Participation for Environmental Justice Populations According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), “Environmental Justice (EJ) is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution, and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.” The Massachusetts Environmental Justice Policy defines EJ populations as “those segments of the population that EOEA has determined to be most at risk of being unaware of or unable to participate in environmental decision-making or to gain access to state environmental resources. They are defined as neighborhoods (U.S. Census Bureau census block groups) that meet one or more of the following criteria: • The median annual household income is at or below 65% of the statewide median income for Massachusetts; or • 25 percent of the residents are minority; or • 25 percent of the residents are foreign born; or • 25 percent of the residents are lacking English language proficiency.” The Massachusetts Office of Geographic Information (MassGIS) has mapped environmental justice populations for all communities in Massachusetts. According to the mapping provided by MassGIS, Brewster does not currently encompass any EJ populations according to the criteria summarized above. In addition, according to the U.S. Census, over 95% of the population speaks only English. Despite this, the Town of Brewster made every effort to include all citizens in the public participation component of the OSRP.