HomeMy Public PortalAboutPond Parcel Planning -- 2022-07-20 Minutes_Town of Brewster_
2198 Main Street
n = Brewster, MA 026314898
o Phone: (508) 896-3701
_ Fax: (508) 896-8089
MINUTES OF THE POND PROPERTY PLANNING COMMITTEE
DATE. July 20, 2022
TIME$ 4:OOpm
PLACE: Remote Participation
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
MEMBER PARTICIPANTS: Cindy Bingham, Kari Hoffmann, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Ruchinskas, Chris Williams,
Jan Crocker, Steve Ferris, Katie Gregoire, Doug Wilcock, Cynthia Baron
LIAISONS: Melissa Lowe, Brandon Rice, Anne Weirich, Seamus Woods, Amy Henderson
Call to Order, Declaration of a Quorum, Meeting Participation Statement, and Recording Statement:
Doug Wilcock called the meeting to order at 4:01pm, a quorum was declared, and each member present was
announced. Chair Wilcock read the meeting and recording statements.
Public Announcements and Comment:
None
Election of Officers: Vice Chair and Clerk
Ms. Hoffmann moved to nominate Steve Ferris as Vice Chair. Second by Paul Ruchinskas. Elizabeth Taylor
moved to nominate Cindy Baron as Vice Chair. Second by Chris Williams.
Both Mr. Ferris and Ms. Baran took a couple of moments to introduce themselves and provided background
information on their experiences.
A roll call vote was taken. C. Bingham- Baran, K. Hoffmann- Ferris, E. Taylor- Baran, P. Ruchinskas- Ferris, C.
Baran- Baran, C. Williams- Baran, J. Crocker- Baran, S. Ferris -Ferris, K. Gregoire -Baran, Chair Wilcock- Baran.
The Committee vote was 7 for Baran and 3 for Ferris. Cindy Baron has been elected as the Vice Chair.
Chair Wilcock reviewed the responsibilities of the Clerk position, it was noted that the Clerk would not be
resVonsible for completing meeting minutes.
Ms. Hoffmann moved to nominate Steve Ferris as Clerk. Second by Ms. Bingham. A roll call vote was taken.
C. Bingham -yes, K. Hoffman -yes, E. Taylor -yes, P. Ruchinskas-yes, C. Baran -yes, C. Williams -yes, J.
yes, S. S. Ferris -yes, K. Gregoire -yes, Chair Wilcock- yes. The Committee vote was 10 -Yes, 0 -No.
Review of Committee Charge and Update on Plans for Technical Assistance
The Committee Charge has been added to the packet for the Committee's review to understand the focus of
the committee and what the tasks ahead of committee are.
Ms. Hoffmann added that it is also important to understand the technical assistance that will be provided
and the role of the consultant. Adding that in review of the charge, one of the strategies includes considering
Brewster's key strategic planning documents.
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Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 026314898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
The committee agreed that a review of the relevant town documents would be helpful at the next meeting,
specific members will present an overview of the Town's planning documents.
Ms. Kalinick reminded that proposals for request for interest were due on July 14, 2022. We received one
proposal from Reed Hilderbrand, the next step is for the Review Committee to individually review and
evaluate the proposal and interview Reed Hildebrand the second week of August. If all criteria are met and a
score of advantageous or highly advantageous is meet, the Town hopes to have a contract in place in mid-
August. Two documents are included in the packet, the scope of services and the project brief, which help to
develop the vision of the work of the two committees.
Discussion of plans for video
Ms. Gregoire presented a slide deck of the proposed Pond Property Video, an on-site guided tour for the
public. The slide deck included:
• Purpose- an educational tool for the general public reviewing the layout of the land, trails and beach
fronts.
• Cast- Katie Gregoire and subject matter expert Ed Barber
• Look & Feel — "documentary style" informational tour, speaking directly to the residents of Brewster.
• Graphics- on-screen graphics and text -on-screen to highlight important features or facts.
• Mood Board- examples of what the footage may look like, aerial footage and point of view footage.
• Talking Points
o How the property came to be acquired
o 66 acres of land, 1200 feet of shoreline, 1.2 acres of wooded swamp, 2 acres shrub swamp
o Largest freshwater pond on the Cape
o Parcel is largely undeveloped
o Geography of the pond -adjacent area and the access drive and walking paths
o History of use, local flora and fauna
o Residential neighbors and members of the pond planning committee
• Plan of Capture- reviewed the plan for shoot day
• Draft Timeline- proposed timeline on creation of the video, proposed final product in early October
Members then took turns providing feedback on the proposed slide deck and asked questions regarding,
natural resources maps, walking trails, expected length of the video, inclusion of the committees work and
future community input. There was also discussion about including MA Audubon to appear in the video. The
committee spoke about options to distribute the finished product to capture as many residents as possible.
Question was raised about engagement with the Wampanoag tribe for this parcel, Ms. Kalinick commented
that through the beach naming contest several names were submitted that were historic in nature and/or
related to indigenous people. The Town reached out to local historians, local tribal council, and local leaders
to help review the history of the Bay Parcel and seek guidance. Ms. Kalinick noted that outreach had been
centered around the Bay parcel.
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Town of
..
Main Street
ZIS
Brewster, MA 026314898
Fax: (508) 89&8089
Office of.
Select Board
Town Administrator
Discussion of short-term uses of the Property
Chris Williams reviewed the memo that the subgroup provided in the packet that outlines their ideas for
short-term uses for the property. The committee provided feedback for the ideas:
• "Wayside" exhibits- includes map of the property and adjacent conservation lands with trails, history
of the parcel, natural history, and the planning process.
o There was discussion regarding the location to place these exhibits for the public.
• Development of informal video tour.
• Town sponsored guided walking tours/woods hikes in partnership with Mass Audubon and Brewster
Conservation Trust. These would be by reservation only.
o Ms. Kalinick commented that any parking ideas would need to be vetted through professional
town staff, including Police and Fire. Ms. Hoffmann directed attention to the scope of services
that is included in the packet for use of the property, a helpful document to review in detail.
• "Open House"
o Ms. Kalinick noted that the discovery around access and parking will be an important piece of
any future decisions that are made. At this time, there is no timeline for when the discovery
phase will be completed.
• Planned group use such as Recreation Department field trips, Mass Audubon educational outings,
and others.
• Guided paddle board trip to the property from the Long Pond board ramp.
o Mr. Woods added that there could possibilities for a mountain bike or off trail runs to access
this property with parking at another location.
Once the Pond Parcel video is released, in which the intention is to introduce the property, people are going
tV want to access the property. The committee will need to manage the expectations and be realistic.
Discussion on potential bus tours and interim parking
Chair Wilcock referred to the document in the packet in which the logistics of the Bay Property tours was
conducted last fall and the feedback provided by Ms. Kalinick. Chair Wilcock noted that interim parking plans
will need to be placed on hold until the discovery phase is completed, and the committee can work with the
consultant.
Report on contact with Fred Dunford and other sources re: historical use of site
Contact with Fred Dunford, a local archeologist has not been made at this time. Ms. Taylor noted that the
Town has an archeological resources map that may be helpful.
Discuss Future Meeting Agenda Items
1. Review each of the Town's strategic plans (K. Hoffmann —Vision Plan, D. Kalinick- Housing Production
Plan, E. Taylor- Open Space and Recreation Plan, C. Bingham - Select Board Strategic Plan).
2. Discussion of the distribution of the video.
3. Further discussion regarding short-term uses.
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4. Consultant update.
5. Future meeting dates.
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 026314898
Phones (508)896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
Discuss Upcoming Meeting Schedule &Format
Chair Wilcock noted that the committee will continue to meet in virtual format.
Approval of Minutes from June 15, 2022
No draft meeting minutes to review.
Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair:
None
Next Meetings:
August 17 at 4:OOPM, September 7, and September 21, 2022
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
Adjournment
Elizabeth Taylor moved to adjourned at 5:39pm, seconded by member Cindy Bingham. A roll call vote was
taken. C. Bingham -yes, K. Hoffmann- yes, E. Taylor -yes, P. Ruchinskas-yes, C. Baran -yes, C. Williams -yes, J.
Crocker- yes, S. Ferris -yes, K. Gregoire -yes, Chair D. Wilcock- yes. The Committee vote was 10 -Yes, 0 -No.
Respectfully submitted by
Erika Mawn, Executive Assistant to Town Administration
Approved on: August 17, 2022
Accompanying Documents in the Public Packet: Agenda, Sea Camps Planning Committee Charges, Scope of Services, Pond Property Video
slide deck, Short-term programming memo, Remote meeting extension.
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