HomeMy Public PortalAboutPlanning Board Packet 02/24/21Examples of stakeholders
• Old King’s Highway Historic District, Historical Commission,
Brewster Historical Society
• Building Department, Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Department
and Planning Board
• Chamber of Commerce
• Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
• Council on Aging, Friends of Brewster Elders, Churches
• Brewster Ladies Library
• Business and community group leaders (hospitality, arts, retail,
aqua and agriculture, Brewster Ponds Coalition, Coastal Committee)
• Brewster Conservation Trust, Conservation Department
• Recreation Department, School Department
Community Character
G OAL: Sustain and foster Brewster’s historic
setting, rural nature, small-town feel, and
socially inclusive spirit.
PURPOSE 1
Provide social opportunities and services for all
1.Provide a Community Center for all ages for social and recreational
activities and include meeting rooms.
2.Create social gathering activities (town suppers, meet and greet) for all
ages; expand recreational activities for all and communicate to all via town
website and social media.
3. Provide services and infrastructure for an “age friendly” community
including transportation especially for the elderly and those living alone.
PURPOSE 2
Maintain the Town’s historic heritage and style
1.Review, strengthen and enforce zoning for 6A to ensure historic
preservation and standards; define “appropriate development” with
input by all.
2. Create more opportunities (historic markers, walking trails,
Brewster history app) for current and new residents and tourists to
learn about the history of Brewster.
3. Explore ways to maintain and improve the appearance of properties
along Route 6A.
PURPOSE 3
Maintain the Town’s small-town feel and scale through appropriate
development
1.Create a "town center" including housing (for example, apartments
above businesses), businesses and recreational outdoor space.
2. Allow for the building of intergenerational co-housing that includes
social activities.
4 TOWN OF BREWSTER VISION PLAN • 2018
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BREWSTER VISION ADVISORY GROUP
SUMMARY PAPER
COMMUNITY CHARACTER
OCTOBER 2017
I.Background
The Brewster Vision workshops identified the preservation of community character as an
important issue, with responses like ‘small town feel,’ ‘historic charm,’ ‘scenic Route 6A,’ and
the landmark ‘Grist Mill herring run’ appearing in 36% of comments about town “Treasures.”
Community Character also played a big role in comments relating to the vision for Brewster’s
future. While community character was primarily interpreted to mean the physical fabric of the
community—its buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods—workshop participants also
acknowledged the town’s diverse residents, social challenges, and a desire to be more
connected with each other, part of the social character.
The concern voiced most often was the potential for inappropriate new development to
negatively impact the town. Brewster has a distinctively small-town feel with a consistently
modest scale of development that many would like to see preserved. Greater development
scale in commercial areas was a particular concern, along with the potential for new
development to harm the town’s historic buildings. People also commented about the lack of a
town center and adequate social infrastructure.
The community character building block encompasses both Brewster’s physical and social
character. As such is it closely inter-related to several other vision building blocks including
open space, economy, housing, and infrastructure. Positive actions on those building blocks will
also have a positive impact on community character.
Current Status
Physical character
Brewster has a large collection of significant historic properties, with the great majority located
along Route 6A and Stony Brook Road. The town has two large National Register Historic
Districts: one includes approximately 375 historic buildings along Route 6A and Lower Road,
roughly from Paine’s Creek to Sea Pines Drive; the other includes almost 70 structures along
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Stony Brook Road in the vicinity of the Grist Mill. Most of Brewster’s historic resources are
within the Old Kings Highway Historic District, which includes all properties along the town’s old
roadways of Route 6A, Lower Road, Stony Brook Road, Satucket Road, Route 137/Long Pond
Road, Tubman Road and several smaller connecting roads. The Historic District Commission has
authority to review and approve all exterior alterations and demolition proposals.
The majority of Brewster is developed residentially, but the town has two types of commercial
zone: Village Business and Commercial. The four small Village Business zones are located along
Route 6A near Betty’s Curve, Underpass Road, Villages Drive, and at the Orleans town line. The
larger Commercial zone is centered along Underpass Road. Many of the town’s distinctive
antique shops, inns, galleries and other small businesses along Route 6A are outside of the
commercial zones and operate as home occupations within residentially zoned areas.
The town’s existing zoning regulations guide the size and shape of development through
dimensional regulations: a height limit of 30 feet, a limit on the amount of lot area that can be
covered by buildings, and a set back from the front property line. In terms of design review, all
Village Business areas and home occupations along Route 6A require review by the Old Kings
Highway Historic District Committee. The Commercial district on Underpass Road is outside the
historic district, but is instead governed by Planning Board Site Plan Review. Certain uses such
as multi-family dwellings, outdoor commercial, and hotel/motel are allowed only in the
Commercial district and by Special Permit, which requires specific development criteria to be
met. Restaurants and drive-through financial structures are allowed by Special Permit in both
the Village Business and Commercial district.
The town’s zoning regulations acknowledge that many areas related to the Town’s character
(like Route 6A) are subject to design review per the Historic District. The town also has well-
developed Site Plan Review standards dealing with transportation and access for commercial,
multi-family and industrial uses. Site Plan Review standards could be evaluated to provide
enhanced landscaping, architecture and building design. Special Permit criteria could be
enhanced to address pre-existing non-conforming uses and structures that seek to alter or
expand. While the town’s current dimensional regulations will limit building size and scale on
most small to medium size lots, they still allow large buildings on large lots.
The town has walkable clusters of commercial development in each of the Village Business
zones, but no focused town center or downtown. The town’s institutions are located along
Route 6A—the Library, Senior Center, Town Hall, and the Eddy Elementary School.
Brewster’s character is heavily influenced by the amount of open space and natural resources
that it protects and that are accessible to the public. Places like the Punkhorn, Drummer Boy
Park, Nickerson State Park, and Stony Brook help define the distinctly open community
character of the town.
Formula retail businesses are expanding in many communities on the Cape, submitting
proposals to expand existing structures or rebuild. Chains such as CVS, Cumberland Farms, and
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various gas stations have sought to increase building size and expand the range of products
they offer. In other parts of the Cape, retail square footage appears to be overbuilt, with a
significant amount of vacant space partly due to the increase in on-line purchasing.
Social character
Brewster’s population is changing in ways that are similar to the Cape in general. Currently,
49% of the population is over 55 years old and this segment of the population is increasing. On
the other hand, the age groups from 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 significantly declined since
2005. In past years, Brewster has been known as a community that attracted young families
because of affordable housing and high quality schools. These demographic trends indicate
those attributes may now be less of an influence. At the same time, the desire to maintain
demographic diversity was clearly stated at the vision workshops.
While not always visible to the general population, the Town provides a variety of social
services to families and individuals in distress. Most of these services are provided through not-
for-profit service organizations such as Cape Cod Children’s Place, the Alzheimer’s Support
Center, Gosnold, the Homeless Prevention Council, Independence House, and Lower Cape
Outreach. The opioid crisis is also present: the Brewster Police Department reports 7 suspected
opiate overdoses with one fatality in 2015, 6 suspected overdoses in 2016 with two fatalities,
and 12 suspected overdoses with two fatalities to date in 2017.
Recent Actions by Brewster:
Physical Character
The Town has long been committed to purchasing open space for both the inherent value in
open space (habitat, passive recreation, preservation of scenic views and vistas, etc.), as well as
to protect the Town’s drinking water and surface water quality. Recent Town investments in
open space include the Boehm Conservation Project, the expansion of the Drummer Boy Park
complex, and the purchase of a proposed subdivision on Freeman’s Way to protect drinking
water supply.
The Brewster Historical Commission is currently documenting the history of houses older than
75 years within the historic district.
Social character
In 2016 the Brewster Council on Aging presented its needs assessment: The Future of Aging in
Brewster. The assessment process included a survey of over 3,000 Brewster residents age 45
and older, a survey of seasonal residents and focus groups. The survey found that the typical
senior wants to stay in Brewster and is aging with sufficient resources and social support.
However, there are segments that struggle financially, experience isolation, have limited access
to transportation and services, and for whom health events may challenge their ability to age in
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place. Transportation, caregiving services, and health and wellness programs were seen as
priorities. The survey also found that most seniors feel the current COA building is inadequate
for community needs. Many felt that the creation of a community center in which the COA
would be located was the preferred solution. This finding mirrors many statements in the
visioning workshops about the value of a community center to meet the needs of Brewster’s
diverse population and a place that would bring all age groups together.
II.Key Issues Moving Forward
Challenges:
•Maintain Rural Character
•Protect Historic Resources
•Guide New Development Appropriately
•Expand services to meet the needs of the town’s changing demographic profile
•Provide Community Gathering Spaces
•
Opportunities:
1) Adjust regulations and zoning to direct new development—some towns (Wellfleet,
Provincetown) are exploring ways to improve formula business bylaws that can hold up in
court, and considering clearly defined exclusion districts like the one on Nantucket. Falmouth
uses a numerical grading system to categorize and limit formula restaurants from certain village
areas. Towns like Chatham are considering changes to dimensional standards such as setting
minimum and maximum front setbacks to better match historic streetscape patterns and
require more pedestrian-friendly small building setbacks in designated village commercial
areas. In 2017, Truro voters approved a restriction on house size for residential properties in
the Cape Cod National Seashore zoning district, but rejected restrictions on house sizes in other
districts. Chatham and several off-Cape towns are offering incentives to reuse historic buildings
by granting relief from dimensional standards, reduced parking requirements, or allowing
additional residential units within historic structures. Other towns have incorporated more
detailed Special Permit standards to address key concerns such as building scale and design,
location of gas pumps, development adjacent to historic areas, and expansion of existing uses.
2) Support more land acquisition efforts to provide pocket parks and to maintain rural
character in key locations, such as Brewster’s previous acquisitions at Betty’s Curve and the
Quivett Marsh Vista.
3) Engage civic and private institutions in the community to leverage their services and provide
more multi-generational opportunities for community gathering places and social interaction,
including the Council on Aging, Brewster Ladies Library and several churches that are all in close
proximity along Route 6A. Non-profits like the Museum of Natural History, the Brewster
Historical Society Museum, the Grist Mill and others could also play a role. A recurring theme by
workshop participants was creating a Community Center where programming for all ages could
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bring residents together and foster the goal for a more socially inclusive community. The Eddy
School was consistently referenced as a location the Town should consider for this purpose.
III.Discussion and Draft Goal
Discussion Items:
•How much additional commercial development does the town want and what scale is
appropriate?
•Does the town want to limit formula retail businesses?
•Are additional zoning regulations or design standards needed to direct the style of new
development?
•Does the Town of Brewster have adequate strength and guidelines to protect historic
resources in the community?
•What are the elements of a town center that people want? Does a town center need to
include commercial uses or can it be focused on a concentration of institutions and civic
buildings? What area lends itself to a town center?
•What types of social programs are needed? How can the Town be both more senior
friendly and young family friendly?
Vision Goal:
Sustain and foster Brewster’s historic setting, rural nature, small town feel, and socially
inclusive spirit.
Purposes:
1) Provide social opportunities and services for all.
2) Maintain the Town’s historic heritage and style.
3) Protect the Town’s small town feel and scale through appropriate development.
Stakeholder Outreach
Vision Plan Implementation Progress
The Vision Planning Committee is tracking what has been done to achieve the goals of the Vision plan.
We are interested in identifying actions that have been taken that will help achieve the goals and
purposes including but not limited to the actions that are identified in the Vision Plan. This interview
will help the Committee start to track actions that have been taken or are in progress and we will ask for
another interview in about six months. From this, we will produce an annual Vision Plan implementation
report that will be presented to the Select Board and broader Brewster community.
At the same time, the Vision Planning Committee is working on the development of a Local
Comprehensive Plan which will build on the Vision Plan and include a targeted action plan.
The goal and purposes of the each building block have been provided to help facilitate the following
Q&A conversation.
Question 1: Since adoption of the Brewster Vision Plan in 2018, has your (organization/department)
seen specific progress on the goals of the Vision Plan for (insert Building Block, i.e Water Resources).
What specific actions have been taken or are in progress?
Question 2: What do you attribute to the successful implementation of specific goals and actions? For
goals and actions that have seen less progress, what have been the barriers to implementation?
Question 3: Since the adoption of the Vision Plan, has there been a shift in the priority of specific
actions from the Vision Plan? What kind of shift? Are there actions or items that were not in the Vison
Plan but that should be included in a Local Comprehensive Plan to achieve the same or similar goals
Question 4: How have Climate Change considerations altered or been integrated into what your
(organization/department) does? To what extent should Climate Change related goals and actions
receive priority status in the Comprehensive Plan’s targeted action plan?
Question 5: Do you have any specific recommendations for the Vision Planning Committee as they work
toward Vision Plan implementation and development of the Local Comprehensive Plan for Brewster?
TOWN OF BREWSTER VISION PLAN • 2018 5
Water Resources
GOAL: Protect Brewster’s fresh water system to preserve high quality drinking
water and maintain or improve the health of our ponds and marine watersheds.
PURPOSE 1
Protect town wellfields by expanding
open space acquisition and other measures
1. Identify and purchase more open space in critical areas
around town wellfields and pursue other land preservation
actions, such as promoting conservation restrictions and tax
incentives for individual property owners and placing conser-
vation restriction protections on town-owned land such as the
golf course, to protect groundwater.
2. Develop and/or expand public education and outreach by the
town and by individual town boards and committees regarding
threats to drinking water supplies, such as hazardous materials,
“contaminants of emerging concern”and other pollutants.
3. Pursue improvements to residential and industrial zon-
ing/regulations in Zone II areas that will strengthen groundwater
protection.
4. Examine and, where needed, improve coordination between
town committees on water quality protection issues and actions.
PURPOSE 2
Improve pond water quality through public education, regulation,
and mitigation activities
1. Encourage and promote a comprehensive public education program targeting
homeowners, schoolchildren and visitors. This pond protection program would
address issues such as fertilizer use, landscaping best practices, septic systems,
storm water management and contaminants of emerging concern.
2. Implement existing town stormwater management requirements and up-date
the stormwater management program to mandated standards to eliminate road
runoff to ponds.
3.Consider adopting more effective septic regulations around ponds. Explore fund-
ing options for individual property owners for more restrictive and costly regulatory
requirements for septic treatment/placement due to their proximity to ponds.
PURPOSE 3
Protect the water quality of the town’s marine watersheds
1.Expand requirements for advanced wastewater treatment systems for commer-
cial and residential development in sensitive marine watersheds; the town should
set an example by proactively upgrading all municipally-owned structures/proper-
ties to include advanced wastewater treatment systems.
2.Identify and preserve land within marine watersheds as well as protect/restore
beneficial coastal resource areas such as salt marshes in order to protect marine
water resources.
3.Study possible improvements to existing regulations, such as stormwater
regulations, and adopt and enforce stricter regulations on coastal development
that will help reduce impacts to marine water quality.
Examples of stakeholders
• Water Department and Board of Health
• Conservation Commission and Department of Natural Resources
• Department of Public Works
• Planning Department and Town Planner • Brewster Ponds Coalition
• Pleasant Bay Alliance • Brewster Conservation Trust
• Barnstable County Health Dept. and Cooperative Extension
• Neighborhood Associations • Brewster Assoc. of Part Time Residents
• Protect Our Cape Cod Aquifer
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BREWSTER VISION ADVISORY GROUP
SUMMARY PAPER
WATER RESOURCES
OCTOBER 2017
I.Background
Brewster residents value the Town’s water resources and recognize that they are an integral
part of the community’s character. In the visioning workshops, residents especially identified
Brewster’s fresh water ponds as important assets to the Town for their aesthetic and
recreational values. Residents also recognized the importance of clean drinking water and the
relationships between protecting open space and preserving water quality throughout the
town.
Over the last 40 years, the Town has made a concerted effort to protect groundwater quality.
The Town has purchased significant areas of open space to protect the Town’s ponds and
drinking water, particularly in the zones of contribution to its six municipal wells. The Town has
also developed land use management policies and regulations to prevent development
activities from harming water resources. In particular, in 2008 the Brewster Water Protection
District of Critical Planning Concern was designated for the town’s Zone II areas—the areas
from which town wells potentially draw groundwater—and the town’s portion of the Pleasant
Bay watershed, which resulted in the adoption of water protection regulations in 2009,
including the Natural Resource Protection District. In 2015, the Town completed an Integrated
Water Resource Management Plan (IWRMP), and since that time has been working to
implement the recommendations from that plan related to ponds, coastal estuaries and
stormwater.
Current Status of Brewster’s Water Resources
The Town’s drinking water is consistently excellent and has won two awards from the New
England Water Works Association as the best tasting water in New England. Approximately
forty percent of the land area that contributes water to the Town’s drinking water wells is
protected open space. Nitrogen concentrations in the Town’s water supplies are consistently
below 0.5 mg/L, well below the federal standard of 10 mg/L and a direct result of the limited
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development in the vicinity of the wells. However, developed land uses (housing, industrial
uses) without proper management may threaten the quality of drinking water.
There are about 80 fresh water ponds in Brewster. Five of these ponds have excellent water
quality while approximately 15 are classified as impaired (See Figure 1). The impairments relate
to nutrient inputs, predominantly phosphorus, which contribute to excess algae growth in the
ponds. Phosphorus enters the ponds from septic systems, stormwater runoff, and fertilizers
applied to lawns, gardens, and agricultural areas.
Portions of Brewster lie within the watersheds to Pleasant Bay and Herring River. Nitrogen
inputs from septic systems, stormwater, and fertilizers within Brewster have contributed to
water quality impairments in these estuaries. While the Town has little or no access to these
coastal resources, the Town has an obligation to reduce nitrogen inputs to support the
restoration of the estuaries. Brewster needs to reduce its nitrogen load to the bay by
approximately 4,800 pounds per year. Approximately forty percent of that load reduction has
been accomplished by changes in fertilization practices at the Captains Golf Course. The
IWRMP states:
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“The level of nitrogen reduction required within Brewster can most likely be managed without
the need for a full-scale centralized treatment facility. Second, the management of the Captains
Golf Course over the last 6-8 years has significantly reduced the amount of fertilizers applied to
the course, and this action will minimize the extent of nitrogen treatment needed for
wastewater systems within the watershed. “
For Herring River, there is no need to reduce the current nitrogen inputs, but future inputs from
increased development will need to be managed.
Recent Actions by the Town
The Town continues to actively manage its water resources. Specific actions related to the
implementation of the IWRMP and other Town initiatives are summarized below:
Drinking Water Protection
The Town, in collaboration with the Brewster Conservation Trust, continues to actively pursue
open space preservation in the wellhead protection areas that contribute water to the Town’s
wells. In addition, the Town worked with the Cape Cod Commission to adopt a District of
Critical Planning Concern and developed implementation regulations, including the Water
Quality Protection Bylaw designed to minimize the impacts of development on groundwater
quality. The Town’s Water Quality Review Committee is charged with implementing this Bylaw
as well as overseeing other water quality issues that impact groundwater.
Fresh Water Ponds
The Town developed a Water Resource Atlas for 43 of the fresh water ponds in Brewster. The
atlas highlights the sensitive areas around each pond, including the surface watershed, the area
contributing groundwater to each pond, and the septic system buffer around each pond
http://www.horsleywitten.com/brewsterIWRMP/maps.html. The atlas allows residents to
understand the land use around each pond that affects water quality.
The Mill Ponds Management Plan developed by the University of Massachusetts School for
Marine Science and Technology (2014) provides an overall strategy for the restoration of
Walker’s Pond, Upper Mill Pond, and Lower Mill Pond, including recommendations for weed
harvesting in Walker’s Pond and an alum treatment in Upper Mill Pond to trap phosphorus in
the sediments on the pond bottom. In July, 2017, the Town purchased a weed harvester for
Walker’s Pond that was used for the first time in August, removing approximately 5,000 lbs. of
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weeds. The harvester will be used each year in Walker’s Pond, and is available for use in other
Town ponds. A Notice of Intent for an alum treatment in Upper Mill Pond was granted in
September, 2017, with the treatment possibly planned for 2018 or 2019. There continues to be
public discussion about treatment options.
The Town is working to develop a regulation to require the upgrade of septic systems in close
proximity to ponds in Brewster; those within 300 feet of the pond on the upgradient side and
100 feet on the downgradient side of each pond. The Ponds Atlas has been invaluable to
developing this watershed-specific management strategy. A pilot test of shallow, soil-based
leaching fields is currently underway to confirm the phosphorus removal that they provide. The
pilot test will be used to finalize the design requirements in the proposed regulation.
Coastal Estuaries
Brewster is working with Orleans, Chatham, and Harwich to develop a watershed permit to
manage the restoration of Pleasant Bay. Brewster plans to take advantage of a new septic
system leachfield design to reduce nitrogen inputs to the Bay and meet the Town’s restoration
goal. The leachfield is currently being tested at the Massachusetts Septic System Test Center
and uses sawdust or wood chips in the soil below the leachfield to remove nitrogen. A general
bylaw or health regulation will be developed to require the use of these systems in the Pleasant
Bay and Herring River Watersheds, likely for both existing and future development.
Stormwater Management
The Planning Board has developed a draft stormwater management bylaw and associated
regulations to improve how stormwater is managed across Brewster. These regulations will
help insure that stormwater is treated prior to discharge, using best management practices to
treat for nitrogen and phosphorus as well as minimized sediments that could drain into nearby
surface waters. The Town plans to work towards revising and implementing these regulations
over the next year.
II.Key Issues Moving Forward
Continued implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan includes the
following actions:
•Continued implementation of the Mill Ponds Management Plan including ongoing weed
harvesting, completion of the Upper Mill Pond alum treatment and ongoing water
quality monitoring;
•Completion of the septic system pilot test for phosphorus treatment and
implementation of the proposed regulation for pond-side properties;
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•Additional pond specific studies to identify appropriate restoration plans;
•Coordination with the Brewster Ponds Coalition to increase the public’s understanding
of the solutions to protect and restore ponds;
•Implementation of stormwater management regulations to minimize water quality
impacts to groundwater, ponds and coastal waters;
•Coordination with the Pleasant Bay Alliance on the restoration of Pleasant Bay; and
•Development of a financing plan to support these actions.
Discussion and Draft Goals
Discussion items:
•Water protection strategies support the Town as a whole but often impact specific
property owners adjacent to a pond or within a coastal watershed. Who should pay for
necessary actions to protect water quality? Should the Town finance these options,
should the homeowner, or a combination of both?
•What other water resource issues or concerns should the Town address?
III.Draft Vision Goal
Goal: Protect Brewster’s fresh water system to preserve high quality drinking water and
maintain or improve the health of our ponds and marine watersheds
Purposes:
1. Expand the open space protection around the Town well-fields
2. Improve pond water quality through public education, regulation, and mitigation activities
3. Protect the water quality of the town’s marine watersheds
Stakeholder Outreach
Vision Plan Implementation Progress
The Vision Planning Committee is tracking what has been done to achieve the goals of the Vision plan.
We are interested in identifying actions that have been taken that will help achieve the goals and
purposes including but not limited to the actions that are identified in the Vision Plan. This interview
will help the Committee start to track actions that have been taken or are in progress and we will ask for
another interview in about six months. From this, we will produce an annual Vision Plan implementation
report that will be presented to the Select Board and broader Brewster community.
At the same time, the Vision Planning Committee is working on the development of a Local
Comprehensive Plan which will build on the Vision Plan and include a targeted action plan.
The goal and purposes of the each building block have been provided to help facilitate the following
Q&A conversation.
Question 1: Since adoption of the Brewster Vision Plan in 2018, has your (organization/department)
seen specific progress on the goals of the Vision Plan for (insert Building Block, i.e Water Resources).
What specific actions have been taken or are in progress?
Question 2: What do you attribute to the successful implementation of specific goals and actions? For
goals and actions that have seen less progress, what have been the barriers to implementation?
Question 3: Since the adoption of the Vision Plan, has there been a shift in the priority of specific
actions from the Vision Plan? What kind of shift? Are there actions or items that were not in the Vison
Plan but that should be included in a Local Comprehensive Plan to achieve the same or similar goals
Question 4: How have Climate Change considerations altered or been integrated into what your
(organization/department) does? To what extent should Climate Change related goals and actions
receive priority status in the Comprehensive Plan’s targeted action plan?
Question 5: Do you have any specific recommendations for the Vision Planning Committee as they work
toward Vision Plan implementation and development of the Local Comprehensive Plan for Brewster?
Local Economy
GOAL: Promote a sustainable economy
that builds on Brewster’s natural and
human assets, addresses the needs of
small businesses, and provides year-round
employment for Brewster’s young families.
PURPOSE 1
Build a “green” economy based on the Town’s natural beauty
and resources
1. Develop a brand and market Brewster as a green community.
2. Provide incentives for “green” businesses to locate and grow in
Brewster.
3. Sponsor/support outreach activities (forums, walks, festivals) that
celebrate the Town’s natural resources and green businesses.
PURPOSE 2
Foster small businesses compatible with the Town’s character
and promote year-round employment
1.Develop a community consensus regarding the types of businesses
and design standards that are appropriate for Brewster.
2. Modify zoning to make it less restrictive and to streamline the
permitting process, especially for small businesses, and revise the use
table to allow businesses, including home occupations that are
compatible with town character.
3. Modify zoning to encourage a small downtown area of mixed
uses that is walking- and biking-friendly.
4.Make the town more business-friendly by actions such as providing
a liaison in Town Hall, suppor ting a mentoring program, and creating
an innovation center for start-up businesses.
Examples of stakeholders
• Town Planner, Planning Board, Housing Coordinator
• Chambers of Commerce (Cape and Brewster)
• Small and large business leaders
• Old King’s Highway Historic District • Historical Commission
• Department of Natural Resources
• Conservation Department
• Brewster Conservation Trust
• Building Department, Zoning Board of Appeals, Health Department
• Consumers
• Select Board, Board of Health, Finance Committee
TOWN OF BREWSTER VISION PLAN • 2018 9
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BREWSTER VISION ADVISORY GROUP
SUMMARY PAPER
LOCAL ECONOMY
OCTOBER 2017
I.Background
The Brewster Vision workshops defined a sustainable local economy as one that builds on
Brewster’s natural and human assets, addresses the needs of small businesses, and provides
year round employment for Brewster’s young families. Specifically, the workshops participants
wanted to see:
•A greater focus on building a “green economy” based on the Town’s natural beauty and
resources;
•An economy that fosters the growth of small business that are compatible with the
Town’s character; and,
•Growth of a more sustainable year-round economy that encourages small businesses
and better supports Brewster’s workforce.
Regional Economy
Based on our region’s unique resources, demographic mix, and economic drivers and
challenges, the Cape Cod Commission defines economic development as public policies and
investments that create an environment in which individuals and businesses may prosper over
the long-term without depleting or destroying natural and built assets that make Cape Cod a
desirable place to live and work. This more formal, regional definition is not unlike what
Brewster residents have envisioned for our town, however; it is important to note that
economic development is one element of a much larger interdependent system. A healthy
local economy cannot be considered as separate from the town’s land use policies, community
design and character decisions, housing incentives and regulation, management of natural
assets, resources and infrastructure, and its level of community engagement. An economy that
is considered sustainable – one that creates wealth and opportunity without destroying natural
and cultural assets – can only be achieved in communities that recognize and understand that
no decision, no policy, and no investment exists in isolation.
Local Demographics
Brewster, like much of Cape Cod, is populated by a mixture of working families, retirees,
summer residents, and visitors. In 1960, Brewster had a population of just over 1,000 year-
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round residents and 72% of the homes in town were seasonal. Today, the population is close to
10,000 and seasonal homes are 40% of the over 8,000 housing units in town. Thirty percent of
the year-round residents in Brewster are over 65 years old while 49% are working age adults
(between 25-64 years old).
Typically, the share of the population within the working age bracket is over 50%, however, in a
resort/retirement area like Cape Cod, it is common to see a distribution like that in Brewster.
Of those in the workforce, over 50% are in sales and service occupations and 43% are in
management or profession occupations. Just over 9% of the working residents have
construction related occupations. This occupational distribution mirrors that of the Cape as a
whole.
Brewster has many defining elements that make it an attractive place for retirees, seasonal
residents, and visitors as well as the working residents that support them. Like the Cape, the
business and job mix in town is heavily influenced by the non-working populations. Economic
growth and new opportunities depend in part on bringing resources/money from outside the
area, into the area; which is what retirees, second-home owners, and tourists do for the region.
Other types of places export goods or services to grow but in the Cape economy it is the place
that is valued, which cannot be exported, and must be visited. Defining Brewster as a place, and
investing in the elements that define that place, is essential to building a strong local economy.
Recognizing that much of Brewster’s economy is based on its natural assets, the Chamber of
Commerce’s Sustainability Strategy promotes the Town as an eco-tourism center and builds on
“green” opportunities such as recycling and biking.
II.Key Issues Moving Forward
The visioning workshops identified a number of treasures/assets that are highly valued by the
community, including; open space and recreational opportunities, beaches and healthy
waterbodies, the historic character and the sense of community that is rural in nature, and the
small local businesses consistent with a rural feel. The challenges identified had to do with the
high cost of housing and low wages, the need to protect natural resources, from drinking water
to beaches, and the desire to retain the unique historic and rural character of the town. The
workshop participants also identified the challenge of creating and paying for the appropriate
infrastructure needed to meet the town’s goals.
There is value in considering these local challenges and assets in the larger context of national
trends and their economic consequences, both good and bad. As a relatively remote region
with a leisure driven economy, we are greatly impacted by policies and actions that effect the
distribution of wealth and disposable income, the means and allocation public investment in
education and infrastructure, business regulation and natural resource use policies, and rules
governing the allocation of utility services such as telecommunications and energy. In plain
terms:
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•Fewer people with more wealth who can and will come to Cape Cod, their buying power
and the ways they may spend their money;
•Greater reliance on local tax revenues to support education and infrastructure will
increase the already high cost of entry into the local housing market as well as the on-
going cost of living for those already here;
•The concentration of business activity into multinational companies, particularly in retail
and banking, changes the ability of small enterprises with local ties in Brewster to
compete with national chains in a high cost environment like Cape Cod;
•Expectations that public utilities and transit pay for themselves means that providers are
unwilling, and often not required by law, to offer high caliber services affordably to Cape
towns where small populations, dispersed development, and high land costs make
expenses high and profits unlikely.
By accounting for these external trends when local decisions are made, Brewster can tailor our
policies and investments to either take advantage of or counter these outside influences in
order to reach our local economy goals.
Opportunities: Public Policy and Investment
Brewster has an opportunity to review and revise local by-laws and investment strategies to
meet its economic and community development goals. With clear vision for a sustainable
economy, the town can align its public policies, public investments, and private efforts to build
on and protect its assets. The following are ways in which other communities have addressed
economic development through policy change and investment.
Zoning
•Review Zoning Bylaw use regulations by district to ensure the land uses desired by the
community are appropriate and in the desired locations.
•Focus new residential and business development potential in Village Business and
Commercial zones; relax redevelopment standards for existing commercial businesses
outside these zones.
•Review Zoning Bylaw to ensure mixed-use buildings, multi-family homes and a mixture
of uses are allowed within and proximate to village centers
•Discuss form based approaches to increase residential density limits in appropriate
areas.
Permitting
•Make training for volunteer board members mandatory
•Create permitting handbook/e-book/web-page for all Regulatory Boards (ZBA and
Planning Board have adopted a handbook)
•Adopt an E-permitting system
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•Simplify special permit process (i.e. fee waivers for certain uses)
•Allow highly desired uses by-right
Public Facilities
•Use public facilities that draw the community together such as schools, community
centers, town halls and libraries to anchor village centers.
•Coordinate infrastructure planning and investment (i.e. identify a policy to ensure
interdepartmental and multijurisdictional coordination).
•Identify and build infrastructure necessary to support vibrant mixed-use village centers;
limit investments that could encourage dispersed low-density development.
•Identify opportunities and invest in green infrastructure alternatives to help improve
water and air quality.
•Plan for sea-level rise and storm recovery and resiliency.
•Develop a long-term systems map of desired transit, bicycle and walking connections in
order to invest over time in non-auto transportation infrastructure.
Community Development
•Adopt and fund programs to help owners of historic structures and other community
assets to maintain and preserve them.
•Involve residents directly in projects serving the community – everything from beach
clean-up to creating a community e-bulletin-board or list-serve.
•Coordinate inter-generational work projects, internships, visiting teachers.
Business Development
•Identify underutilized business assets, identify and rectify impediments to
improvements.
•Visit existing businesses to understand owners’ and workers’ hopes for the future and
current challenges - develop a questionnaire to guide and record the discussion.
•Encourage businesses that provide basic necessities for residents to locate in village
centers along with non-essential/tourism based businesses.
•Encourage use of businesses assistance services that help with marketing, accounting,
finance, and possibly provide low-interest loans to small businesses.
III.Discussion and Draft Vision Goal
1.What types of business does the community most value in terms of products and services
sold as well as the ownership structure of businesses?
2.How does Brewster define “Inclusive Community”?
3.Are existing local businesses struggling? If so, why? How do town investments or lack of
investment in infrastructure impact the cost of doing business?
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4.Are there types of businesses and forms of development that are desired but cannot be
built due to existing policies or the need for infrastructure not currently provided?
5.Are community facilities currently located in or near village-like business clusters? Are
community facilities located near each other?
6.How does zoning impact the kinds of businesses and business ownership found in
Brewster?
7.How do town policies impact the cost of land, construction, and rents/mortgages?
8.Can developers afford to build the kinds of housing desired at the prices desired?
9.Does zoning allow the types of residential units desired at a concentration that makes it
affordable to build and rent/buy?
Goal: Promote a sustainable economy the builds on Brewster’s natural and human assets,
addresses the needs of small businesses, and provides year round employment for Brewster’s
young families
Purposes:
1.Focus on building a “green economy” based on the Town’s natural beauty and resources
2.Foster the growth of small businesses and businesses that are compatible with the Town’s
character
3.Promote the growth of a sustainable year round economy that stimulates the entry of small
businesses and supports Brewster’s workforce
Stakeholder Outreach
Vision Plan Implementation Progress
The Vision Planning Committee is tracking what has been done to achieve the goals of the Vision plan.
We are interested in identifying actions that have been taken that will help achieve the goals and
purposes including but not limited to the actions that are identified in the Vision Plan. This interview
will help the Committee start to track actions that have been taken or are in progress and we will ask for
another interview in about six months. From this, we will produce an annual Vision Plan implementation
report that will be presented to the Select Board and broader Brewster community.
At the same time, the Vision Planning Committee is working on the development of a Local
Comprehensive Plan which will build on the Vision Plan and include a targeted action plan.
The goal and purposes of the each building block have been provided to help facilitate the following
Q&A conversation.
Question 1: Since adoption of the Brewster Vision Plan in 2018, has your (organization/department)
seen specific progress on the goals of the Vision Plan for (insert Building Block, i.e Water Resources).
What specific actions have been taken or are in progress?
Question 2: What do you attribute to the successful implementation of specific goals and actions? For
goals and actions that have seen less progress, what have been the barriers to implementation?
Question 3: Since the adoption of the Vision Plan, has there been a shift in the priority of specific
actions from the Vision Plan? What kind of shift? Are there actions or items that were not in the Vison
Plan but that should be included in a Local Comprehensive Plan to achieve the same or similar goals
Question 4: How have Climate Change considerations altered or been integrated into what your
(organization/department) does? To what extent should Climate Change related goals and actions
receive priority status in the Comprehensive Plan’s targeted action plan?
Question 5: Do you have any specific recommendations for the Vision Planning Committee as they work
toward Vision Plan implementation and development of the Local Comprehensive Plan for Brewster?