HomeMy Public PortalAboutCoastal Management Summary Paper
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BREWSTER VISION PLANNING COMMITTEE
SUMMARY PAPER
COASTAL MANAGEMENT
July 2022
I. Background
Brewster’s residents recognize the importance of the Town’s coastal resources to both residents and
visitors. They provide access to a range of summer and year-round activities, including swimming, boating,
commercial and recreational shell fishing, walking on the flats, watching sunsets, and other recreational
activities. In the visioning process, the Town’s beaches were identified as the second most important
treasure, and directly linked to the highest ranked treasure, the overall character of the Town. Town
residents want to preserve and expand access to the shoreline while also preserving and protecting the
natural resources that make the coast so special.
The Town’s public access points are threatened by storms, which can damage both the beaches and their
access points, and by the increasing impacts of climate change. Northeasters have damaged parking areas
and eroded the coastal dunes and beaches in some of these locations, prompting improvements to the
Paine’s Creek, Ellis Landing, Breakwater Landing facilities over the last decade. Concerns over repetitive
storm damage and planning for these improvements led to the creation of the Brewster Coastal Advisory
Group and the development of the September 2016 Coastal Adaptation Strategy to address future
management of Brewster’s shoreline. Funded through a state grant, the Strategy includes guiding principles
for managing the coastline and planning scenarios for sea level rise and storm surge: sea level rise of one
foot in 20 years; two feet in 40 years and a four-foot rise in 60 years, with estimated storm surge levels of
two, four and eight feet.
Building on the Coastal Adaptation Strategy, the Brewster Coastal Committee completed the Brewster
Coastal Resource Management Plan (CMRP). Phase I has specific recommendations on improving and
protecting coastal access, incorporating the guiding principles, and a employing a robust public involvement
process to help refine specific plans. The Brewster Natural Resources Advisory Commission, established in
2021, is charged with overseeing the implementation of the CRMP.
Current Status of Brewster’s Beaches and Coastal Access
The Town owns 12 access points to the beach (landings): 10 beaches with public parking areas, one new
purchase (former Cape Cod Sea Camps bay parcel), and one additional public beach with no public parking
(Wing Island). Figure 1 shows the locations of the 12 Town landings along the 7 miles of Brewster
shoreline.
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Figure 1: Town of Brewster Public Landings
From an access standpoint, the Town maintains approximately 440 parking spots across all landings,
including dedicated handicap parking spaces. During the summer season the Town installs bike racks at all
landings with public parking, and small anchorages and kayak racks at some of the landings. Unfortunately,
during summer peak season, demand can be greater than the available access, and additional parking
opportunities are limited.
The beaches and their access points are vulnerable to erosion from coastal storms and require frequent
maintenance and investment by the Town. Impacts to the landings are expected to increase over time due
to rising sea levels and the potential for stronger, more frequent storms. In response, the Town is adapting
to recurring and increasing erosion and storm damage through retreat, such as at the Paine’s, Ellis, and
Breakwater Landing where pavement was moved further from the ocean edge.
Report on Trends
In February 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its Sea Level Rise
Technical Report. The conclusions of the analyses that form the basis of this report are:
Sea level along the U.S. coastline is projected to rise, on average, 10 - 12 inches in the next 30 years
(2020 – 2050). Sea level rise will vary regionally along U.S. coasts because of changes in both land
and ocean height
Sea level rise will create a profound shift in coastal flooding over the next 30 years by causing tide
and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland. By 2050, “moderate” (typically
damaging) flooding is expected to occur, on average, more than 10 times as often as it does today
and can be intensified by local factors.
Based on NOAA’s analysis, the Town’s planning scenario of 1 foot rise in sea level in 20 years for Brewster’s
coastline is quite possible. Extensive sections of the Town’s seven miles of coast have historically and
recently been exposed to storm surge impacts, including dune wash over, flooding, and significant erosion.
The Center for Coastal Studies’ 2015 Century Scale Sediment Budget indicates that sediment is transported
eastward from Dennis towards Orleans along the Brewster coastline, and that while within the Town of
Brewster overall, sediment deposition dominates over erosion, most of the sediment deposition has
Former Sea
Camps: First
Light Beach
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occurred offshore rather than along the shoreline. The study also demonstrated that not only have the
tidal flats largely kept pace with sea level rise from the 1930s to the present, but in some areas have been
increasing in size. However, with the projected significant acceleration of sea level rise in the next 30 years
it is not clear if the tidal flats will remain exposed at low tide under future sea level rise scenarios. Lacking
the buffering capacity of the tidal flats, Brewster’s beaches and dunes would likely experience significant
erosion and storm surge during serious weather events.
II. RECENT ACTIONS BY THE TOWN
As noted in the Background section, the Town developed a consensus-based coastal adaptation strategy to
identify priorities and principles for future action. A public survey and working sessions were used to
gather information on what taxpayers and visitors wanted with regard to beach access and coastal resource
protection, including its wetlands, which provide flooding and storm protection to the Town. Over 80% of
respondents rated their experience visiting Brewster’s coastal beaches as excellent or good. People value
the tidal flats, the natural setting of beaches and surrounding areas, the wildlife and untouched beauty, and
the lack of commercial development. Survey results confirmed broad support for the Town’s coastal
resources among all age groups and resident status. In parallel, the Town also sought public input on other
public amenities (e.g., bike ability), and coordinated with the Bikeways Committee in developing an
approach that could complement the Coastal Adaptation Strategy.
In addition to beaches, the Town seeks to protect all of its coastal resources. This includes the Namskaket
Salt Marsh where the Town sponsored a wetland restoration project designed to increase tidal flushing
currently restricted by a culvert crossing on Crosby Lane.
With regard to improving public access to the coast, the Town added 110 upland parking spaces for access
to Crosby Landing. In 2021 the Town received a grant from the Massachusetts Trail Grants Program to
assist with the design, public outreach and permitting of an elevated walkway to link Wing’s Island and its
coastal beach to Town conservation land and Drummer Boy Park. The design and permitting for the
walkway have been completed. The Town also replaced an unsafe footbridge over the Freeman’s Pond
creek to facilitate access to the large beach located between Mant’s Landing and Paines Creek. Finally, in
2021 the Town purchased the former Sea Camps bayside property, with 800 feet of shoreline that extends
to the Spruce Hills beach. Public access to this beach will be provided in 2022 using a temporary parking
area. Planning for permanent access to this beach is underway.
In 2021, Barnstable County and the Center for Coastal Studies completed a Stormtide Pathways assessment
for the Cape Cod Bay to identify areas that would be flooded under storm scenarios. The assessment of
Brewster used the known storm height water levels measured by the Sesuit Harbor tide station as well as
the landscape elevations. The results identified 12 locations where flooding is likely to occur in Brewster: an
estimated 49 acres of land, for example the section of 6A west of the crossing at Paines Creek.
At the end of 2021 the Town completed a Hazard Mitigation Plan that was submitted to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and was approved. Approved by the Select Board in
March 2022, the Town is eligible for funding for mitigation measures that reduce disaster losses, under
FEMA guidelines.
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In November 2021, Brewster Town Meeting approved a new stormwater by-law to bring the Town into
compliance with state and federal law. At this same Town Meeting, voters approved changes to the Town’s
floodplain district incorporating state guidance.
III. KEY ISSUES MOVING FORWARD
The existing and future coastal and climate processes indicate that Brewster’s coastal resources are under
threat. Therefore, the Town is faced with the challenge of accommodating access to its coastal resources
which is impacted and potentially reduced by coastal and climate processes such as erosion and increasing
sea levels. Ongoing development and redevelopment of existing properties along the shoreline is also a
concern. Climate impacts create increased pressure to armor the shoreline with seawalls, fences, and other
measures to prevent erosion of the coastal bank. While they may forestall erosion in the immediate area of
the property, they adversely impact other areas that rely on the movement of sand and sediments along
the coast.
Although sediment deposition dominates over erosion, most of the sediment deposition has occurred
offshore rather than along the shoreline. With the projected significant acceleration of sea level rise in the
next 30 years, it is not clear if the tidal flats will remain exposed at low tide under future sea level rise
scenarios. Lacking the buffering capacity of the tidal flats, Brewster’s beaches and dunes would likely
experience significant erosion and storm surge during serious weather events. The Town should update the
2015 Century Scale Sediment Budget in collaboration with Dennis, Orleans, and Eastham.
One of the recommendations in Brewster’s 2019 Municipal Vulnerability Assessment report is to review
and update Town bylaws and regulations to mitigate projected climate change impacts. Brewster is
participating in the Cape Cod Commission’s MVP grant to review current land use regulations and to
develop a model coastal resiliency by-law. This on-going project addresses recommendations in both the
CRMP and the MVP. Other recommendations in the Town’s MVP include development of a general public
Preparedness Plan to increase community resilience.
The Town is heavily involved in maintaining and increasing access to existing beach facilities. Impacts to the
landings are expected to increase over time due to rising sea levels and the potential for stronger, more
frequent storms. A number of these landings are important for access to private beaches and the Town’s
aquaculture sites as well as for emergency vehicles. Ongoing maintenance will be required. Permanent
access to the First Light beach at the former Sea Camps property is being addressed by the recently
appointed Bay Property Planning Committee.
With the grant from the Massachusetts Trail Grants Program, the Town has started work and will complete
the elevated walkway to link Wing’s Island and its coastal beach to Town conservation land and Drummer
Boy Park.
IV. BUILDING BLOCK GOAL
In the context of coastal change, preserve and protect Brewster’s coastal resources, expand public access,
and minimize the vulnerabilities from coastal hazards due to climate change.