HomeMy Public PortalAbout10.05.22 FinCom PacketTown of Brewster Finance Committee
2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
fincommeeting@brewster-ma.gov
(508) 896-3701
MEETING AGENDA
Brewster Town Hall
2198 Main Street
October 5, 2022 at 6:00 PM
Pursuant to Chapter 107 of the Acts of 2022, this meeting will be conducted in person and via remote means, in accordance
with applicable law. This means that members of the public body may access this meeting in person, or via virtual means.
In person attendance will be at the meeting location listed above, and it is possible that any or all members of the public
body may attend remotely. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, and public participation
in any public hearing conducted during this meeting shall be by remote means only.
Members of the public who wish to access the meeting may do so in the following manner:
Phone: Call (929) 436-2866 or (301) 715-8592. Webinar ID: 862 2956 9696 Passcode: 565167
To request to speak: Press *9 and wait to be recognized.
Zoom Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86229569696?pwd=MUhJNGpoU3VocTZ0cTU0VGpYcWdVQT09
Passcode: 565167
To request to speak: Tap Zoom “Raise Hand”, then wait to be recognized.
When required by law or allowed by the Chair, persons wishing to provide public comment or otherwise participate in the
meeting, may do so by accessing the meeting remotely, as noted above.
Additionally, the meeting will be broadcast live, in real time, via Live broadcast (Brewster Government TV Channel 18),
Livestream (livestream.brewster-ma.gov), or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma.gov).
Finance
Committee
Harvey (Pete) Dahl
Chair
Frank Bridges
Vice Chair
William Meehan
Clerk
Andrew Evans
William Henchy
Alex Hopper
Honey Pivirotto
Robert Tobias
Robert Young
Town
Administrator
Peter Lombardi
Finance Director
Mimi Bernardo
1.Call to Order
2.Declaration of a Quorum
3.Meeting Participation Statement
4.Recording Statement
5.Public Announcements and Comment: Members of the public may address the Finance Committee on
matters not on the meeting’s agenda for a maximum 3-5 minutes at the Chair’s discretion. Under the Open Meeting
Law, the Finance Committee is unable to reply but may add items presented to a future agenda.
6.Town Administrator/Finance Director Report
7.Update – Nauset Regional HS Building Project – Update from SBC Chair Greg Levasseur
8.Discussion and Vote on Town Meeting Warrant Articles
Art. 12 and 13 – Private Road Engineering Services – Conor Kenny
Art. XX – Local Election Deadline – Colette Williams
Art. 2 – Capital and Special Projects
Art. 9 – Town Meeting Warrant deadline – re-vote if necessary
Art 10 – Local Comprehensive Plan
9.Liaison Reports and Assignments
10.Approval of Minutes – Aug 24, 2022
11.Request for agenda items for future meetings
12.Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
13.Next Finance Committee Meeting
14.Adjournment
Date Posted:Date Revised:Received by Town Clerk:
10/3/22 10/4/22
Town of Brewster
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
WARRANT
for
NOVEMBER 14, 2022
at
6:00 PM
STONY BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
384 UNDERPASS ROAD
Please bring this copy of the warrant to Town Meeting
Large print copies of the warrant are available at the Brewster Town Offices
TOWN OF BREWSTER
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
NOVEMBER 14, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A INDEX
B INFORMATION
C 2022 SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
ARTICLES
ARTICLE DESCRIPTION SPONSOR PAGE
1 Outstanding Obligations Select Board
2 Capital and Special Projects Expenditures Select Board
3 Community Preservation Act Funding Select Board
4 Conservation Restriction: 0 Holly Ave (Rear) Community
Preservation
Committee
5 Town Code Amendment to Community
Preservation Act Bylaw (§ 17)
Community
Preservation
Committee
6 Town Bylaw Amendment: Limits of Debate Select Board
7 Town Bylaw Amendment: Quorum
Requirement
Select Board
8 New Town Bylaw: Reconsideration Select Board
9 Town Bylaw Amendment: Special Town
Meeting Warrant Deadline
Select Board
10 Local Comprehensive Plan Select Board &
Planning Board
11 Temporary Easements: Millstone Road
Improvement Project
Select Board
12 Private Road Engineering Services:
Vesper Pond Drive
Select Board
13 Creation of New Revolving Fund: Bay
Property Pool
Select Board
14 Bay Property Pool Funding Select Board
15 Rescind Debt Authorization Select Board
16 Local Adoption of State Statute: Local Election
Deadlines
Select Board
D TOWN MODERATOR’S RULES
E GLOSSARY OF FINANCIAL TERMS
INFORMATION FOR NOVEMBER 14, 2022
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
Services Available to the Public During Town Meeting
TRANSPORTATION:
The Council on Aging offers rides to and/or from Town Meeting. For information or to schedule
a ride to and/or from Town Meeting please call the Council on Aging at 508-896-2737 by noon
on Wednesday, November 9th. Rides are available during the entirety of Town Meeting.
CHILD CARE SERVICES:
Nauset Youth Alliance provides free childcare services for children ages 5 – 14, from
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm, in the Stony Brook School Library during Town Meeting. If you would like to
take advantage of this service, please call or email the NYA before 4:00 pm on Friday,
November 11th; 508-896-7900 or drost@nausetyouthalliance.org
TOWN OF BREWSTER SPECIAL TOWN MEETING NOVEMBER 14, 2022
Barnstable, ss
To: Roland W. Bassett, Jr. Constable of the Town of Brewster
Greetings:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and
inform the Town of Brewster inhabitants qualified to vote in Town affairs to meet in the
Cafeterium at the Stony Brook Elementary School, 384 Underpass Road, on Monday,
November 14, 2022, next, at 6:00 p.m. o’clock in the evening, then and there to act upon the
following articles:
OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS
ARTICLE NO. 1: To see what sums the Town will vote to appropriate from available funds for
the payment of unpaid obligations from previous fiscal years, including any bills now on
overdraft:
Department Outstanding Obligations Amount
a. Brewster Elementary
Schools
Wages $1,777.00
b. Utilities Eversource $304.50
c. Employee Benefits Department of Unemployment
Assistance
$2,450.93
d. Building Department WB Mason $127.99
Total
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Nine-tenths Vote Required)
COMMENT
This article will authorize the payment of outstanding bills from a previous fiscal year.
According to Massachusetts General Laws, a Town cannot pay a bill from a previous fiscal year
with the current year’s appropriation. Therefore, Town Meeting authorization is required.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 9, No 0, Abs 0
CAPITAL AND SPECIAL PROJECTS EXPENDITURES
ARTICLE NO. 2: To see what sums the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from
available funds, or authorize the Town Treasurer to borrow under and pursuant to
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Sections 7, 7(1), or 8, or any other enabling authority,
for the capital outlay expenditures listed below, including, in each case, all incidental and
related costs, to be expended by the Town Administrator with the approval of the Board of
Selectmen, except School expenditures to be made by the School Superintendent with the
approval of the School Committee; authorize leases and lease purchase agreements for more
than three but not more than five years for those items to be leased or lease purchased, and
further that the Town Administrator with the approval of the Select Board or School
Superintendent with the approval of the School Committee for school items, be authorized to
sell, convey, trade-in or otherwise dispose of equipment being replaced, all as set forth below:
Department Item Funding Source(s) /
Appropriation or
Transfer
Amount
1 Select Board
a. DBP Master Plan Update
- Phase 1 Construction
Professional services
and construction costs
of park improvements
Free Cash $255,000
b. Sea Camps
Comprehensive
Planning
Professional services
associated with
developing a
comprehensive plan
regarding future uses
of the former Sea
Camps properties
Free Cash $175,000
c. Updated Ponds Water
Quality Report
(IWRMP)
Professional services
associated with
creating a pond water
quality database and
reviewing data to
identify future needs
Water Quality
Stabilization
$50,000
d. Sea Camps Interim Uses Costs for events,
programming, and
increasing public
access/awareness of
both properties
Free Cash $50,000
e. Integrated Water
Resource Planning/
Implementation
Professional services
associated with
resident education,
and technical
Free Cash $35,000
assistance regarding
water quality planning
and initiatives
Sub-Total $565,000
2 Department of Public Works
a. Sea Camps Pool Parking
Lot
Professional services
for engineering,
permitting, and
construction of new
parking area,
including but not
limited to paving,
installation of
stormwater
infrastructure, and
landscaping
Free Cash $250,000
b. Drainage/Road
Maintenance
Professional services
for engineering,
permitting, and
construction
associated with road
maintenance and
drainage
Free Cash $225,000
c. Loader/Backhoe Purchase and outfit
(1) backhoe/loader,
including but not
limited to plow
package, emergency
lighting, and radio
Free Cash $200,000
d. Pick-up Truck Purchase and outfit
(1) 4x4 pick-up truck,
including but not
limited to plow
package, emergency
lighting, and radio
Free Cash $60,000
Sub-Total $735,000
Department Item Funding Source(s) /
Appropriation or
Transfer
Amount
3. Police Department
a. Vehicle Replacement Purchase and outfit (2)
Police vehicles
Free Cash $115,000
b. Security Pen/Fencing Purchase and install
fencing and traffic
direction
signage/devices at the
Police facility
Free Cash $50,000
c. Live Scan Data Sharing Purchase and install an
electronic fingerprint
and booking
photograph system
Free Cash $42,500
Sub-Total $207,500
4. Fire Department
a. Department Staffing and
Organization Study
Professional services
associated with staffing
and organizational
analysis to determine
current and future
departmental needs
Free Cash/
Ambulance Fund
$35,000
b. Assistance to Firefighter
Grant Program Expenses
Costs associated with
providing the Town’s
required 5% local
match to accept and
expend grant funding
Ambulance Fund $20,000
Sub-Total $55,000
5. Natural Resources
a. Freemans Pond Culvert
Wing Walls Permitting
Professional services
associated with design,
permitting and any
other related costs
Free Cash $39,000
b. Stony Brook Mill
Retaining Wall & Fishway
Improvements Permitting
Professional services
associated with design,
permitting and any
other related costs
Free Cash $40,000
c. Walkers Pond Water
Quality Improvements
Professional services
associated with design,
permitting, and any
other related costs
Water Quality
Stabilization Fund
$32,000
Sub-Total $111,000
6. Facilities
a. Town Hall Window
Replacement
Purchase and install
replacement windows
and related costs
Free Cash $150,000
b. Town Hall and Library
Elevator Upgrades
Costs associated with
software and panel
upgrades to meet new
state safety
requirements
Free Cash $10,000
c. Crosby Mansion Function
Room HVAC
Purchase and install
mini-split units in
mansion function room
and any other related
costs
Free Cash $25,000
Sub-Total $185,000
7. Library
a. Library Elevator
Replacement
Purchase and install a
new elevator including
any other related costs
Free Cash $300,000
Sub-Total $300,000
8. Information Technology
a. Technology
Upgrades/Replacement
Ongoing information
system & equipment
improvements,
including but not
limited to the purchase
of computers,
software, servers, and
other hardware/
software throughout
the Town, including
new cloud-based
assessing software
Overlay / Free Cash $35,000
Sub-Total $35,000
9. Assessors
a. Valuation Services Professional services
for new growth and
cyclical inspections as
required by the
Department of
Revenue
Overlay $80,000
Sub-Total $80,000
Department Item Funding Source(s) /
Appropriation or
Transfer
Amount
10. Water Department
a. Tanks Exterior Painting
Engineering
Professional services
including engineering,
oversight, and
construction for
interior and exterior
repairs on Tanks 1 & 2
Water Retained
Earnings
$110,000
b. Land Acquisition for Water
Protection
Funding to assist with
acquisition costs of
former Sea Camps
Long Pond parcel
Water Retained
Earnings
$35,000
Sub-Total $145,000
11. Golf Department
a. Maintenance Equipment
Replacement
Purchase (3) three
spray rigs and any golf
maintenance
equipment
Golf Reserves $380,000
b. Cart Path Improvements Costs associated with
paving and repairing
cart paths
Golf Reserves $120,000
c. Additional HVAC/Boiler
Upgrades
Additional funding for
the replacement of the
HVAC/Boiler system
and any other related
costs
Golf Reserves $75,000
d. Irrigation Replacement
Design
Professional services
associated with the
design of a new 36-
hole irrigation system
Golf Reserves $75,000
e. Clubhouse Surroundings
& Theme Enhancements
Purchase and install
materials and supplies
to upgrade area
around clubhouse
Golf Reserves $30,000
f. Sink Hole Repairs Purchase of materials
to fill and repair sink
holes throughout the
property
Golf Reserves $20,000
g. Kitchen Equipment
Replacement
Purchase and install
replacement kitchen
equipment and other
related costs
Golf Reserves $15,000
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (2/3 Vote Required)
COMMENT
The Town certified $4,641,154 in Fiscal Year 22 Free Cash, which amount is now available for
appropriation. If all capital and special project requests included in this article are approved by
Town Meeting, a balance of $2,584,654 in Free Cash will remain. The Town anticipates a
minimum of $xxx,xxx in additional capital needs that will likely require appropriation from FY22
Free Cash at Town Meeting next spring, leaving an expected close out balance consistent with
the Select Board’s financial reserves policy.
1. Select Board
1a. DBP Master Plan Update - Phase 1 Construction – These funds will be used to complete
construction activities associated with the Drummer Boy Park Master Plan Update approved by
Town Meeting in November 2021, including parking, walkway, and stormwater improvements.
A majority of this project is planned to be funded with the Town's allocation of American
Rescue Plan Act funds from Barnstable County.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
1b. Sea Camps Comprehensive Planning – These funds will be used to assist the Town in the
comprehensive planning process for the former Cape Cod Sea Camps Bay and Pond Parcels. The
Town will use the professional services of an interdisciplinary team to assist with the
comprehensive planning. These plans will identify recommended future uses of both Sea Camp
properties as well as estimated capital & operating costs, project phasing, financing, and
partnerships. A key part of this planning will be community outreach and resident input. The
comprehensive plans will be brought to a future Town Meeting for adoption. The Town has
applied for $125,000 in grant funding to help cover these costs and any grant award will
decrease the amount of Town funding need to help complete this work.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
1c. Updated Ponds Water Quality Report (IWRMP) – The Town last prepared a comprehensive
review of pond water quality data on the 27 ponds sampled annually in 2009. This article would
h. Replace Forward Tees Purchase and install
materials to create
new forward tees
Golf Reserves $15,000
Sub-Total $730,000
Grand Total $3,148,500
engage a water quality professional to organize and synthesize the water quality data collected
since then from Brewster ponds through the Pond and Lake Stewards (PALS) bi-annual sampling
efforts. This update will include creating a water quality database of PALS water quality data
and review of this data to identify trends for key factors for each pond. The results will help
inform future Town water quality planning and initiatives.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
1d. Sea Camps Interim Uses & Site Improvements – As the Town works through developing
long-range comprehensive plans for both former Sea Camps properties, the Bay and Pond
Property Planning Committees continue to work with Town Administration and the Select
Board to identify opportunities for interim uses of the properties. These funds will help support
these efforts to host events and programming and increase public access to both properties
during this transition period.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
1e. Integrated Water Resource Planning/Implementation – These funds are additional to funds
requested at the May 2022 Annual Town Meeting. In addition to implementation of the
Pleasant Bay Watershed permit and support for other water quality improvement projects
related to coastal waters and freshwater ponds, the funds will be used to provide resident
education about the new stormwater bylaw, to provide support and technical assistance to the
Water Resources Task Force, and to work with MA DEP on new regulations and SRF eligible
projects, including but not limited to I/A septic systems.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
2. Department of Public Works
2a. Engineer/Design & Construction of Sea Camps Parking – These funds will be used for
engineering design, permitting, and construction of a parking lot to accommodate visitors to
the pool at the former Cape Cod Sea Camps Bay Parcel. This new parking lot is expected to be
located where the existing (2) tennis courts and basketball court are, adjacent to the pool and
Arts Center. The project will include installation of stormwater infrastructure and landscaping.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
2b. Drainage/Road Maintenance – This request provides funding for professional services,
including but not limited to engineering, permitting, and construction costs, and in-house
construction costs associated with road maintenance and drainage on various public roadways
throughout Town.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
2c. Machinery & Equipment – These funds will be used to purchase and equip one L-3
Loader/Backhoe (current model is 2006), including but not limited to plow package, emergency
lighting and radio.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
2d. Pick-up Truck – These funds will be used to purchase and equip one 4x4 pick-up truck,
including but not limited to plow package, emergency lighting and radio.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
3. Police Department
3a. Vehicle Replacement – These funds will be used to purchase, outfit, and equip police
cruisers. The Police Department relies on these cruisers for patrol and emergency response.
Included in the cost, is outfitting the vehicle with emergency lights/siren, and equipping the
vehicle with the tools necessary for responding to a variety of emergencies. The purchased
vehicles will be replacing outgoing vehicles, which will either be repurposed for other Town use,
or sold via auction.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
3b. Security Pen/Fencing – These funds will be used to purchase and install fencing and traffic
direction signage/devices for the rear of the police facility. With the department driveway being
shared with people accessing the cemetery, Cape Cod Rail Trail, and Brewster Dog Park, there is
a lot of traffic through the area on a daily basis. Currently, there is temporary signage to
delineate public access from employee-only access. Fencing, signage, etc. will provide better
security for the rear of the building to include Police Department vehicles. These funds will also
be used to build a secure pen for the housing of a seized vehicle or other oversized items that
cannot be stored in the building.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
3c. Live Scan Data Sharing – These funds will be used to replace the existing fingerprint and
booking photograph systems. This new electronic unit will allow the current records
management system to share data directly with the fingerprint system, assuring accuracy of
reporting data to the Criminal Justice Information System, as required by state and federal law.
This system is also used for non-criminal fingerprinting for things such as firearms licensing,
Town issued permits, professional licensing, etc.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
4. Fire
4a. Department Staffing and Organization Study – These funds will be used to conduct a staffing
and organizational study to determine current and future staffing needs, organization and
delivery of fire suppression, emergency medical, and fire prevention services, identify strengths
and weaknesses, and present potential recommendations, options, strategies, and associated
costs for viable improvements in these core services.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
4b. Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program Expenses – These funds will be to meet our 5% local
match requirements for any grant funds the Town receives through this program. Due to
several recent successful AFG grant awards, the current balance of the articles funding the
Town’s 5% cost sharing match have been reduced to a level that will no longer support future
AFG awards.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
5. Natural Resources
5a. Freemans Pond Culvert Wing Walls – This funding will be used to undertake the required
permitting for an adaptive management strategy to address tide and storm issues related to the
sand path over the culvert. The Natural Resources Department has engaged state and federal
partners to assist with the project, and they have funded design and 75% of the anticipated
construction costs. The project would add an articulating concrete block mat over the culvert,
which will lessen ongoing sand nourishment and maintenance requirements, and provide
better protection against overtopping at the culvert. The required match for construction
would be presented at Fall Town Meeting in 2023.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
5b. Stony Brook Mill Retaining Wall & Fish Way Improvements – This funding will be used to
repair the historic retaining wall supporting the headrace pond for the mill. The base of the wall
is the fish run. Additionally, the fish weirs north of the street need modifications to provide safe
passage for migratory herring and alewife. Grants have been secured for 75% of the estimated
construction costs, and funds will be needed to undertake the required permitting for this
work. A Community Preservation Act grant has been secured for a portion of the required
match, and the remainder of the match will likely be presented at Spring 2023 Town Meeting,
with a goal of construction beginning in Fall 2023.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
5c. Walkers Pond Water Quality Improvements – These funds will be used to undertake the
required permitting for the Walkers Pond Water Quality project. The School of Marine Science
and Technology (SMAST) at UMASS Dartmouth has prepared a technical report documenting
the causes of declining water quality in Walkers Pond. They compared various options for
remediation and recommend an alum treatment followed by use of the Town's aquatic weed
harvester in following years to help reduce the nutrient content in the sediments at the pond.
The alum treatment would be funded through a Spring 2023 Town Meeting article.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
6. Facilities
6a. Town Hall Window Replacement – This funding will be used to complete the second phase
of the Town Hall Window Replacement Project, aimed to greatly reduce energy loss. These
windows are roughly 25 years old and have broken seals and obsolete replacement parts.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
6b. Town Hall and Library Elevator Upgrades – This funding will be used for a software and
panel upgrade for both the Town Hall and Brewster Ladies Library public elevators, identified
during a recent State Elevator Inspection. These repairs must be made before the end of the
calendar year to maintain compliance.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
7. Library
7a. Library Elevator Replacement – These funds will be used to install a new elevator at the
Ladies Library. This equipment has exceeded its useful life and requires frequent repairs,
limiting resident access to the facility. Town Meeting previously appropriated funds for project
design.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
8. Information Technology
8a. Technology Upgrades/Replacement – This request provides funding for the purchase of
upgraded desktop computers, servers, productivity and office software, backup systems, and
other hardware and software for departments throughout the Town. Computers and servers
are replaced on a 3-5 year rotating schedule, and older machines are issued to users with less
intensive computer needs. $10,000 of these funds will provide for the one-time cost of
upgrading our assessing software to the cloud.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
9. Assessors
9a. Valuation Services – This article seeks funding for a contract with a private firm for property
valuation services required to annually set assessed value, collect new growth, and perform
property inspections. The funding comes from the Overlay Reserve Account, which in turn is
funded from a transfer from the balance in the Overlay Accounts of funds that are no longer
needed to cover abatements and exemptions.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
10. Water Department
10a. Tanks Exterior Painting – These funds will be used for the engineering, procurement, and
construction administration services associated with painting two water storage tanks. The
engineering consists of three phases: design, bid, and construction. This project is intended to
extend the life of the existing coating at far less cost than a full coat rehabilitation. The
intended coating system is a rust inhibitive acrylic overcoat that will provide additional
protection of the steel structure. Construction funds will be requested at the 2023 Annual Town
Meeting.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
10b. Land Acquisition for Water Protection – These funds will help cover a portion of the
acquisition costs of former Sea Camps property on Long Pond parcel (500 W.H. Besse Cartway)
for several potential public purposes, consistent with Water Commission financial
commitments when the Town purchased the property in 2021.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11. Golf Department
11a. Maintenance Equipment Replacement – This funding will be used to replace three spray
rigs, which apply chemicals to the turf. The current sprayers are beyond their useful life and are
beginning to malfunction. The new sprayers will have a GPS system to allow for more precise
dispersion.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11b. Cart Path Improvements – These funds will be used to repave and repair the cart paths at
Captains Golf Course. Many cart paths at the golf course are currently in disrepair and detract
from the overall golfing experience for customers.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11c. Additional HVAC/Boiler Upgrades – This funding will be added to the already approved
funds for the replacement of the HVAC system in the restaurant/clubhouse area of the
property. This additional funding will cover the full cost of the project.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11d. Irrigation Replacement Design – These funds will be used to hire an irrigation firm to
design a new 36-hole irrigation system for Captains Golf Course. Currently, two irrigation
systems exist at the golf course that are 23 and 17 years old. The replacement of the entire
irrigation system would create a more energy efficient system and would reduce the amount of
water needed to properly maintain the golf courses.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11e. Clubhouse Surroundings & Theme Enhancements – These funds will be used to make
improvements to the areas of the golf course nearest to the clubhouse. These areas have
become worn and unsightly, and do not project a good image of Captains Golf Course. These
areas include the bag drop, the starters shed, fencing, signage, and lanscaping Many of these
will need replacing, or, in the case of the starters shed, have major repairs performed.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11f. Sink Hole Repairs – These funds will be used to repair sink holes on the golf course that
have formed over a number of years. These repairs will result in safer conditions and a more
enjoyable playing experience.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11g. Kitchen Equipment Replacement – These funds will be used to replace kitchen equipment
that is at the end of its useful life. The kitchen equipment is owned by the Town, and, in order
to maintain a fully functioning restaurant at the golf course, it is necessary to replace this
equipment.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
11h. Replace Forward Tees – These funds will be used to create new forward tees on the golf
course, as recommended by the National Golf Foundation, and to provide an additional option
for players.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDING
ARTICLE NO. 3: To see if the Town will vote to act upon the recommendations of the
Community Preservation Committee; to appropriate from Fund Balances Reserved for future
expenditure, the amounts shown below, for the purpose of future expenditures, operating and
administration expenses, and reserve funds related to Community Preservation, Historic
Preservation, Open Space, Community Housing and/or Recreation; and to authorize the Town
Administrator to enter into contracts for operating and administration related to Community
Preservation, Historic Preservation, Community Housing and Open Space and/or Recreation, all
as follows:
Purpose Item Funding Source(s) Amount
1
a. Brewster Historical
Society
Relocation and
restoration of Brewster
Schoolhouse #3
Transfer $332,200
from Historic
Preservation Fund
balance
$332,200
Sub-total $332,200
Grand Total $332,200
For Fiscal Year 2023 Community Preservation purposes, each item is considered a separate
appropriation to be spent by the Community Preservation Committee; provided however, that
the above expenditures may be conditional on the grant or acceptance of appropriate historic
preservation restrictions for historic resources, open space restrictions for open space reserves,
and housing restrictions for community housing, running in favor of an entity authorized by the
Commonwealth to hold such restrictions for such expenditures, meeting the requirements of
MGL Ch. 184 and MGL Ch. 44B Sec. 12, and to authorize the Select Board to convey or accept
such restrictions;
And further, any revenues received in excess of the estimated receipts are transferred to their
respective reserve fund balance(s) for future appropriation using the allocation formula of 50%
Open Space, 10% Housing, 10% Historical and 30% for Budgeted Reserve for CPA.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Community Preservation Committee) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
In May of 2005, Brewster voters approved a ballot question which allowed for the adoption of
the modified Community Preservation Act. The act appropriates a 3% surcharge on the town’s
real estate tax revenues, which are reserved in a special fund in order to finance projects and
programs for the purposes of preservation of open space, recreation, community housing, and
historic preservation. Brewster is also eligible to receive up to 100% in matching funds from the
State, although we anticipate a reduced reimbursement rate from the State for Fiscal Year
2022, which is projected at 15%. Brewster established, through a local bylaw, a distribution
schedule for the CPA funds according to the following: 50% of the funds for open space, 10%
for community housing, 10% for historic preservation, and 30% balance is available for housing,
historic preservation and/or active or passive recreation projects.
1. Historic Preservation:
a. Brewster Historical Society – Relocation and Restoration of Schoolhouse #3: The Brewster
Historical Society proposes to flake Schoolhouse #3 at 2342 Main Street and move it to
Windmill Village at Drummer Boy Park. The structure is the last remaining of the town’s 5 19th
Century schoolhouses. It will be re-assembled and restored as a schoolhouse and will also
include a cranberry history display, as this was also part of its history. The funding request
includes an additional $10,000 set aside to pay for CPC expenses for historical consulting
services related to the project.
Total Project Cost: $322,200 CPC Request: $332,200 CPC Vote: 0-0-0
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
CONSERVATION RESTRICTION ACQUISITION: 0 HOLLY AVE (REAR)
ARTICLE NO. 4: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to acquire a perpetual
conservation restriction under MGL Ch. 184, Secs. 31 through 33, on a parcel of land designated
on Brewster Assessors’ Map 137 as Parcel 1, located at 0 Holly Ave (Rear), in Brewster,
Barnstable County, Massachusetts, consisting of 4.925 acres as shown on a plan of land entitled
“Plan of Land in Brewster (East), Mass. as claimed by Richard O. Staff, Scale 1 in = 50 ft.
October 1967, Schofield Brothers Registered Civil Engineers & Land Surveyors, Orleans &
Framingham, Mass.” and recorded in the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds as Plan Book 219,
Page 79, a copy of which is on file with the Brewster Town Clerk; to acquire interests in said
parcel by gift, purchase and/or eminent domain taking under MGL Ch. 79, or any other enabling
authority; to acquire said conservation restriction for conservation and passive recreation
purposes for the general public, consistent with the provisions of MGL Ch. 40 Sec. 8C and
Article 97 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and
in compliance with MGL Ch. 44B, Sec. 12(a), protecting the property for the purposes for which
it is acquired; to appropriate the sum of Two Hundred Sixty-four Thousand and 00/100 Dollars
($264,000.00) to pay costs of this acquisition, and all other costs incidental and related thereto;
to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, to borrow up to the
sum of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($250,000.00) pursuant to the
provisions of MGL Ch. 44 Sec. 7(3) and Sec. 8C, and/or any other enabling authority, and to
issue bonds and/or notes of the Town therefor; to authorize the Town Treasurer to transfer
from available sums the sum of Fourteen Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($14,000.00) for the
purpose of paying incidental and related costs, including the preparation, issuance and
marketing of notes and bonds issued hereunder and for paying interest on temporary notes
issued in anticipation thereof; further, to authorize the Select Board and/or the Conservation
Commission to apply for, accept and expend any funds that may be provided by the
Commonwealth or other public or private sources to defray all or a portion of the costs of said
acquisition, including, but not limited to, grants and/or reimbursement from the
Commonwealth under the Self-Help Act, MGL Ch. 132A Sec. 11 (now, so-called LAND grants),
and the Federal Land and Water Fund grants, which grants and/or funds so received shall be
used to repay all or a portion of the sum transferred from the Community Preservation Fund
hereunder; to authorize the Conservation Commission to assume the monitoring and
enforcement authority of the conservation restriction on the property; and to authorize the
Select Board and Conservation Commission to enter into all agreements and execute any and
all instruments as may be necessary on behalf of the municipality to effect this purchase and
obtain reimbursement funding; or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Community Preservation Committee) (2/3 Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
This article would enable the Town to continue its partnership with Brewster Conservation
Trust (BCT), working together to preserve critical open space; in this case, 4.925 acres abutting
the Town’s Baker’s Pond Conservation Area. This acquisition would preserve a walking trail
that connects existing Town trails with Nickerson State Park.
The Towns of Brewster and Orleans, along with the Brewster Conservation Trust, own 140 acres
of conservation land east and south of this proposed land acquisition. These entities jointly
manage the two-mile public walking loop trail there, with parking on Baker’s Pond Road. BCT
will purchase the land for $360,000. This article seeks to appropriate $250,000 in CPA funds to
place a conservation restriction on the property, which will be held by the Town. To offset
these expenses, the Town has applied for a State LAND grant that would reimburse the Town
for up to $130,000. Sketch map of locus attached hereto - Tax Map 137, Parcel 1, 4.925 acres.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
TOWN CODE AMENDMENT TO COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT BYLAW
ARTICLE NO. 5: To see if the Town will vote to amend the General Bylaws, Section 17, to delete
Sections 17-4 and 17-5 in their entirety, as shown below, with deletions shown in strikethrough,
with such revision to take effect on July 1, 2023:
Section 17-1. Membership of the Committee – There is hereby established a Community
Preservation Committee, consisting of nine (9) voting members. pursuant to the provisions of
Section 298 of Chapter 149 of the Acts of 2004, as amended by Sections 129-133 of Chapter
352 of the Acts of 2004. The composition of the Committee, the appointing authority and the
term of office for the committee members shall be as follows; one member of the Conservation
Commission, as designated by said Commission; one member of the Historical Commission, as
designated by said Commission; one member of the Planning Board, designated by the said
Board; one member of the Recreation Commission, as designated by the Commission; one
member of the Brewster Housing Authority, as designated by said Authority; and four
individuals to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Each member of the Committee shall
serve a term of three years or until the person no longer serves in the position or on the board
or on the committee as set forth above, whichever is earlier. Should any of the officers and
commissions, boards or committees who have appointing authority under this bylaw be no
longer in existence for whatever reason, the Board of Selectmen shall appoint a suitable person
to serve in their place. Any member of the committee may be removed by the Selectmen, with
prior notice to the member and a hearing, for good cause.
Section 17-2. Duties – The Community Preservation Committee shall study the needs,
possibilities and resources of the town regarding community preservation. The Committee shall
consult with existing municipal boards, including the Conservation Commission, the Recreation
Commission, the Historical Commission, the Planning Board, the Department of Public Works,
and the Housing Authority, or persons acting in those capacities or performing like duties, in
conducting such studies. As part of its study, the committee shall hold one or more public
informational hearings, at its discretion, on the needs, possibilities, and resources of the town
regarding community preservation possibilities and resources, notice of which shall be posted
publicly and published for each of two weeks preceding a hearing in a newspaper of general
circulation in the town.
Section 17-3. The Community Preservation Committee shall make recommendations to the
Town Meeting for the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, for the acquisition
and preservation of historic resources, for the acquisition, creation and preservation of land for
recreational use, for the creation, preservation and support of community housing and for
rehabilitation or restoration of such open space, historic resources, land for recreational use
and community housing that is acquired or created as provided in this section.
Section 17-4. In every fiscal year, the Community Preservation Committee shall recommend
that Town Meeting spend, or set aside for future spending, the fixed figure of fifty (50%)
percent of the net annual revenues in the Community Preservation Fund for open space
purposes, not less than ten (10%) percent of the net annual revenues for community housing
purposes, and not less than ten (10%) percent of the net annual revenues for historic resources
purposes. In every fiscal year, the Community Preservation Committee shall recommend that
Town Meeting spend or set aside for future spending the remaining thirty (30%) percent of the
net annual revenues for community housing, recreation and historic resources purposes, but
not for open space purposes.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the net annual revenues paid into the Community Preservation
Fund shall be dedicated to open space purposes until such time as prior appropriations made
pursuant to the so-called Land Bank Act have been fully expended, even if the aggregate
amount of such expenditures exceeds 80% of the annual revenues.
Section 17-5. Provided that the Community Preservation Act is accepted at the 2005 Annual
Town Election, this section shall take effect upon approval by the Attorney General of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and after all the requirements of Mass. Gen. Laws, ch. 40, §
32 have been met. Each appointing authority shall have thirty (30) days after the effective date
to make its appointments.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
In May of 2005, Brewster voters adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The Act
appropriates a 3% surcharge on the Town’s real estate tax revenues, which are reserved in a
special fund to finance projects and programs for the purposes of preservation of open space,
recreation, community housing, and historic preservation. The state distributes matching funds,
which vary from year-to-year. Since 2005, CPA funds have supported about 70 community
preservation projects in Brewster. These initiatives have included capital improvements, land
acquisitions, assistance programs, as well as various plans and studies.
At the time of adoption, Brewster established a unique allocation formula for these funds, as
outlined in Section 17 of the Town bylaw: 50% for open space, 10% for community housing, and
10% for historic preservation. The 30% balance has been available for housing, historic
preservation, and/or active or passive recreation projects. The primary reason for this
customized approach was that Brewster, like many other Cape towns at the time, was
converting funding balances and financial obligations from the Cape Cod Land Bank and wanted
to maintain its capacity to finance open space purchases.
As required by statute, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) annually holds a public
hearing to identify and discuss upcoming community needs and planned projects. In recent
years, it became increasingly apparent that anticipated CPA requests would outpace available
funds. In May 2021, Town Meeting approved funding to develop a 5 Year Community
Preservation Plan (CPP). Since then, the CPC has worked with a consultant to study existing
Town plans, quantify anticipated funding requests, and solicit stakeholder and resident input.
As a result of this analysis, the CPC recommends modification of the Town’s bylaw to follow the
statutory distribution formula that all but one other municipality currently have in place: 10%
for open space and recreation, 10% for community housing, and 10% for historic preservation.
The CPC determined that the statutory formula allowed the most flexibility to respond to
expected funding requests and any new requests that may emerge from the former Sea Camps
properties planning processes in the next few years. If approved, this change would take effect
in July 2023. At the same time, the CPC has developed and adopted a CPP that establishes
target allocations for each of the eligible uses of CPA funds beyond the baseline statutory
disbursements that will inform their policy decisions in vetting projects in the next five years
(add more detail about targets here – 30/30/10/10). Town Meeting will continue to have final
approval authority over expenditure of all CPA funds.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
TOWN BYLAW AMENDMENT: LIMITS OF DEBATE
ARTICLE NO. 6: To see if the Town will vote to amend the General Bylaws, Section 48-11B, by
striking the word “three” and replacing it with “one and a half”, as shown below, with additions
shown in bold and deletions shown in strikethrough:
§ 48-11 Limit of debate.
A. presenter of a motion may speak up to five minutes when presenting the motion except for
motions that the Moderator has given specific permission for more time.
B. Following speakers may have up to three one and a half minutes to speak on a motion.
C. Speakers to each motion may speak no more than twice, except for the presenter of a
motion who may speak to comments or questions made by voters with respect to the motion
presented.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
See related memo to Select Board dated June 3, 2022.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 7, Abs 0
TOWN BYLAW AMENDMENT: QUORUM REQUIREMENT
ARTICLE NO. 7: To see if the Town will vote to amend the General Bylaws, Section 48-5, by
inserting the following new sentence to the end of the section: “Once quorum has been
attained and Town Meeting has been called to order, minimum quorum requirements no
longer apply.” as shown below, with additions shown in bold:
§ 48-5 Requirement.
The quorum for Annual Town Meetings and for Special Town Meetings is hereby set at 200
registered voters. Once quorum has been attained and Town Meeting has been called to
order, minimum quorum requirements no longer apply.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
See related memo to Select Board dated June 3, 2022.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 7, Abs 0
NEW TOWN BYLAW/RECONSIDERATION
ARTICLE NO. 8: To see if the Town will vote to establish a new General Bylaw, as shown below,
with additions shown in bold, and further to authorize the Town Clerk to assign the proper
chapter and section numbers to said by-law, consistent with the current numbering system:
§XX-XX Motions for Reconsideration
A motion to reconsider an article previously voted on by Town Meeting must be made within
one (1) hour of the conclusion of the relevant vote and shall require a 2/3 majority vote for
approval. If a Town Meeting is continued from one date to another, a motion to reconsider
any article must be made on the same day as the original vote.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
See related memo to Select Board dated June 3, 2022.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 6, No 1, Abs 0
TOWN BYLAW AMENDMENT: SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT DEADLINE
ARTICLE NO. 9: To see if the Town will vote to amend the General Bylaws, Section 48-3, by
inserting the following new sentence to the end of the section to establish a deadline for
closing warrants to petitioned articles, as shown below, with additions in bold:
§ 48-3 Closing of warrant.
The warrant for the Annual Town Meeting will be closed to citizen petitioned articles 75 days
before each Annual Town Meeting and be in the hands of the Finance Committee by 60 days
before each Annual Town Meeting, commencing in 1980. The warrant for any special town
meeting will be closed to citizen petitioned articles 45 days before each special town
meeting; provided, however, that the Select Board may close the warrant for a special town
meeting at any time prior to the 15th day before such meeting if it determines that the 45 day
deadline is impractical under the circumstances of a particular meeting.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
Per Town bylaws, the deadline to submit citizens petitions for inclusion on the Annual Town
Meeting warrant is 75 days in advance of the meeting. Town bylaws are currently silent on
deadlines for citizens petitions for inclusion on Special Town Meeting warrants but
longstanding past practice has been to close the warrant 45 days in advance of those meetings.
However, this deadline requires a vote of the Select Board in each instance and could change
year to year. Codifying this deadline will enhance consistency and transparency for residents
interested in bringing a petition to Special Town Meeting.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 3 (re-vote?)
Finance Committee: Yes 6, No 3, Abs 0
Oct 5 (re-vote?)
LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
ARTICLE NO. 10: To see if the Town vote to adopt a Master Plan for Brewster which has been
developed by the Vision Planning Committee, a copy of which plan is on file at the Town Clerk's
office and posted on the Town's website, and which plan if approved by the Town Meeting
would constitute Brewster’s Local Comprehensive Plan as defined in Section 9 of the Cape Cod
Commission Act (Chapter 716 of the Acts of 1989), or take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board & Planning Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 5?
TEMPORARY EASEMENTS: MILLSTONE ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
ARTICLE NO. 11: To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to acquire, by
purchase, gift, and/or eminent domain, permanent and/or temporary right of way, utility,
drainage, access, construction and other easements in, on, under, and across the parcels of
land shown on a plan entitled “___________________,” dated ______________, prepared by
__________, as said plan may be amended from time to time and/or replaced by an easement
plan, and land within 100 feet of said parcels, for the purpose of improving Millstone Road and
for any and all purposes and uses incidental or related thereto, and, further, to raise and
appropriate, transfer from available funds, and/or borrow a sum of money for the foregoing
purposes.
Or to take any other action related thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
PRIVATE ROAD BETTERMENT: VESPER POND DRIVE
ARTICLE NO. 12: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available
funds, and/or borrow a sum of money pursuant to MGL Ch. 40, Secs. 7 and 8, Chapter 297 of
the Acts of 2002, Chapter 373 of the Acts of 2006, and/or any other enabling authority, said
sum to be spent by the Town Administrator with the approval of the Select Board, to finance
temporary road repairs to the private way known as Vesper Pond Drive, including, without
limitation, costs associated with engineering, construction, and reconstruction of said way, and
costs incidental or related thereto, which costs shall be assessed by the Select Board as a
betterment under MGL Ch. 80 Sec. 1 on each parcel within the area benefiting from the
improvement, all in compliance Brewster General Bylaws, Section 157-20.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Two-Thirds Vote Required)
COMMENT
The Town adopted a general bylaw at the 1996 Annual Town Meeting, which allows for citizens
to petition town meeting to obtain funding assistance to undertake repairs to private ways.
The Town, along with the private road organization, will contract out for the repair work. The
abutting property owners will then be required to reimburse the Town for the full project costs,
plus interest and administrative expenses, by means of a betterment assessment over a period
of time. There will be no tax rate impact related to this project. The abutters will incur all costs
associated with this project through a betterment assessment.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 3 Oct 5
CREATION OF NEW REVOLVING FUND: BAY PROPERTY POOL
ARTICLE NO. 13: To see if the Town will vote to amend the General Bylaws, Section 21-8, to
create a new revolving fund, consistent with MGL Ch. 44 Sec 53E½, for the purposes of
managing a recreational pool located at 3057 Main Street, in a manner as follows:
Revolving
Fund
Department,
Board,
Committee,
Agency, or
Officer
Authorized
to Spend
from Fund
Fees, charges
or Other
Receipts
Credited to
Fund
Program or
Activity
Expenses
Payable
from Fund
Restrictions or
Conditions on
Expenses Payable
from Fund
Fiscal Years
Bay
Property
Pool
Department
Head -
Recreation
Fees received
for pool
memberships,
programs,
and events
Pay for
Salaries,
Benefits,
Operating
Expenses,
and
Contracted
Services
Expenses shall be
related to salaries
and operations of
the Bay Property
Pool and not used
for any other
purposes
Fiscal Year
2023 and
subsequent
years
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
This article will create a new revolving fund which will separately account for fees collected to
support operations of the new pool at the former Sea Camps property at 3057 Main Street.
The Town is seeking to open the pool for resident use by Summer 2023 and requires this fund
to be established in advance.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
BAY PROPERTY POOL FUNDING
ARTICLE NO. 14: To see what sums the Town will vote to appropriate from available funds for
the initial start-up costs for the operation and maintenance of a community pool at the
property located at 3057 Main Street, including the purchase of equipment and supplies, and
anything incidental or related thereto, or take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Majority Vote Required)
COMMENT
This article will appropriate $150,000 from Free Cash to cover initial start-up expenses and Year
1 operational costs for the new pool at the former Sea Camps property on Cape Cod Bay,
planned to open to residents in Summer 2023. It is expected that revenues collected from fees
will help support future year operating expenses.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 17
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 12
RESCIND DEBT AUTHORIZATION
ARTICLE NO. 15: To see if the Town will vote to repeal or rescind unused borrowing authority
authorized by previous Town Meetings, as follows:
DEPARTMENT ITEM ARTICLE / TOWN
MEETING
AMOUNT TO BE
RESCINDED
DPW Dump Truck Article 10 (2A) of the
May 2018 Annual
Town Meeting
$33,305
Fire Fire Station Article 1 of the
November 2015
Special Town
Meeting
$548,503
Debt North Pond Drive
Private Road
Betterment
Article 16 of the May
2018 Annual Town
Meeting
$21,276
Debt WH Besse Cartway
Land Acquisition
(Robinson Property)
Article 29 of the May
2018 Annual Town
Meeting
$155,100
Debt Tri-Town Septic
Demolition
Article 5 of the
December 2018
Special Town
Meeting
$33,131
DPW Fuel Depot Article 3 of the May
2019 Special Town
Meeting
$100,000
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
COMMENT
This routine article serves to rescind authorized but unissued debt for certain capital
equipment, facilities, and/or projects that have all been fully completed.
Select Board: Yes 4, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 7, No 0, Abs 0
LOCAL ELECTION DEADLINES
ARTICLE NO. 16: To see if the Town will vote, in accordance with MGL Ch. 41 Sec. 110A, to
authorize the Town Clerk’s office to remain closed on all Saturdays and to treat Saturdays as a
legal holiday for purposes of calculating the time frame for filing matters in that office; or take
any other action relative thereto.
COMMENT
Acceptance of this local option statute would allow the Town Clerk’s Office to adjust voter
registration and nomination/petition paper deadlines for local elections to avoid the need to
open Town Hall on Saturdays or holidays. If adopted, relevant voter registration deadlines
could shift to the business day prior and nomination/petition papers could fall to the next
business day.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 3
Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 5
And you are hereby directed to serve this Warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk
at the time and place of said meeting as aforesaid.
Given under our hand and Seal of the Town of Brewster affixed this __th day of October 2022.
___________________________________
David Whitney, Chair
___________________________________
Ned Chatelain, Vice-Chair
___________________________________
Kari Hoffmann, Clerk
___________________________________
Mary Chaffee
___________________________________
Cynthia A. Bingham
I, Roland W. Bassett Jr, duly qualified Constable for the Town of Brewster, hereby certify that I
served the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting of November 14, 2022 by posting attested
copies thereof, in the following locations in the Town on the __th day of October, 2022.
Brewster Town Offices
Café Alfresco
Brewster Ladies Library Brewster Pizza House
The Brewster General Store Millstone Liquors
U. S. Post Office
_________________________________
Roland W. Bassett, Jr. Constable
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
MEMORANDUM
TO: Select Board, Finance Committee
FROM: Conor Kenny
RE: Article No. 12 Summary – Private Road Betterment: Vesper Pond Drive
DATE: September 27, 2022
A private road betterment occurs when the Town facilitates the repair of a private road
in Town, financed through an assessment on the tax bills of the residents on that road
for a specified number of years. The private road has to have been open for public use
for at least 5 years.
The Select Board received a petition from residents in the Vesper Pond neighborhood in
June of this year. The Vesper Pond Neighborhood project concerns the following roads:
Vesper Pond Road, Mayflower Circle, Cranberry Lane, Deer Path Circle, Jam Lane, and
Bay View Road. The proposed project consists of drainage installation and reconstruction
of the roadways in the neighborhood.
The Planning Board approved the plan on August 10th, and the Select Board then sent
out proxy voting forms to all abutters. 50% plus one of the proxies had to be returned at
least 45 days prior to Town Meeting, indicating support for the project. This threshold
was reached on September 14th, well in advance of the deadline. This article has now
been placed on the upcoming Town Meeting Warrant.
If Town Meeting votes to endorse and finance the project, the Town will put the contract
out to bid. The contract for doing the work will be awarded to the lowest responsible
bidder. The engineer will provide the DPW with regular updates throughout each phase
of the project. Once the repairs are completed, the road remains a private way.
By signing the petition, the property owners have agreed to repay the Town, through the
mechanism of a betterment added to each owner’s real estate tax bill, his or her share of
the total amount to be financed plus interest and administrative costs. Upon the
completion of the repairs to the roadway, the Select Board will assess the actual costs to
the property owners. Residents will then receive notification from the Town
Treasurer/Collector of their actual pro rata share and, at that time, they can determine
their method of payment.
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
The property owner may elect to repay his or her share in one lump sum or over, up to,
a fifteen-year period. If a payment plan is selected, the Town will add this expense as a
betterment to the property tax bill. Based upon the scope of work, which was provided
to the Town within the petition, the total project cost is estimated at $723,711, including
administrative expenses (Town administrative costs cannot exceed 4% of the project).
Individual estimated share of this total project cost is $12,697. If residents choose a
multiyear payment plan additional interest fees will apply.
PRIVATE ROAD BETTERMENT: VESPER POND DRIVE
ARTICLE NO. 12: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available
funds, and/or borrow a sum of money pursuant to MGL Ch. 40, §§7 and 8, Chapter 297 of the
Acts of 2002, Chapter 373 of the Acts of 2006, and/or any other enabling authority, said sum to
be spent by the Town Administrator with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to finance
temporary road repairs to the private way known as Vesper Pond Drive, including, without
limitation, costs associated with engineering, construction, and reconstruction of said way, and
costs incidental or related thereto, which costs shall be assessed by the Board of Selectmen as a
betterment under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 80, Section 1 on each parcel within the
area benefiting from the improvement, all in compliance the Brewster Town Code, Chapter 157,
Article VIII, Section 157-20.
Or to take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board) (Two-Thirds Vote Required)
COMMENT
The Town adopted a general bylaw at the 1996 Annual Town Meeting, which allows for citizens
to petition town meeting to obtain funding assistance to undertake repairs to private ways.
The Town, along with the private road organization, will contract out for the repair work. The
abutting property owners will then be required to reimburse the Town for the full project costs,
plus interest and administrative expenses, by means of a betterment assessment over a period
of time. There will be no tax rate impact related to this project. The abutters will incur all costs
associated with this project through a betterment assessment.
Select Board: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0 Finance Committee: Yes 0, No 0, Abs 0
Oct 3 Oct 5
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
GENERAL BYLAW/Private Road Betterment
§ 157-20 Repair by Town.
A.
In the event that a group of property owners who own property on a private road which has been
open for public use for at least five years wish the Town of Brewster to finance the repair of their
private way, they shall engage an engineer experienced in road construction and repair who shall
survey the road in question to develop a plan for the repair of that private road which shall take into
consideration the need for additional drainage, new berms, driveway aprons to protect the edges of
the repaired road, the filling of existing cracks and the application of one or more layers of
bituminous concrete.
B.
The plan shall specify the projected useful life of the repaired private way, and in no event sh all the
projected useful life be less than 15 years. All costs of preparing the plan, obtaining cost estimates
and preparing the petition described below shall be the exclusive responsibility of the petitioners.
C.
After the plan has been prepared, the property owners' engineer shall secure at least three bids from
established contractors to complete the work outlined in the engineer's plan. After receipt of the
bids, the property owners shall prepare a petition to the Select Board for the Town of Brewster to
finance the work in an amount certain, including a ten -percent contingency amount. The petition
shall list the parcels by lot number and map number together with the owners' names of record with
a space for each owner to place his or her signature. The petition must state that each signature
represents an irrevocable agreement by each signatory to repay to the Town of Brewster, through
the mechanism of a betterment added to each owner's real estate tax bill, his or her pro-rata share of
the total amount to be financed plus interest and administrative costs, which Tow n administrative
costs shall not exceed 4% of the project. The petition shall not be presented to the Selectmen unl ess
50% of all the abutters to the road plus one more abutter shall have agreed to the project and its
financial commitment by having signed it.
D.
The petition, accompanied by the engineer's plan, a map of the private way to be repaired and
backup for the cost estimates shall be submitted to the Selectmen's Office. The Selectmen shall refer
every such petition to the Assessor's Office for verification of signatures and confirmation that more
than 50% of abutters have signed. The Selectmen shall consider all submitted petitions that pass the
Assessor's examination. If the Selectmen determine that the proposed repairs are in the public
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
interest and if the Selectmen determine that these repairs are within the financial capability of the
Town, the Select Board shall refer each petition so determined to the Planning Board which shall
conduct a public hearing on each petition to evaluate the plan, examine the cost estimates and hear
from both the abutters and the general public. The Planning Board shall either en dorse the plan by a
simple majority vote and return it to the Selectmen, recommend changes in costs or scope of the
plan or disapprove the plan by a simple majority vote.
E.
If the Planning Board approves any such plan, the Select Board may place the plan on the warrant for
any special or annual Town Meeting. The Select Board shall thereafter send out proxies to the
abutters noting scope and cost changes, if any. The proxies must be returned at least 45 days prior to
the Town Meeting at which they are to be considered. If the proxies are returned within such time,
the Selectmen may place the project on the Town Meeting Warrant, provided that more than 50% of
the abutters approve the plan as approved by the Planning Board . Long-term financing may be issued
for said project by the Town for up to a fifteen -year period.
F.
If the Town Meeting votes to endorse and finance the project, the engineer who did the original plan
shall be named "Project Manager." He shall prepare a new request for quotations with the b ids to be
directed to the Town Administrator. The Project Manager and the Town Administrator shall select the
best bid to do the work. The Project Manager shall advise the Superintendent of Public Works 48
hours in advance of each phase of the project and certify, in writing, to the Superintendent of Public
Works that each phase of the work has been completed to the Project Manager's satisfaction. The
Superintendent of Public Works shall inspect the completed work and certify to the Town Accountant
that the work is completed so that payment can be made.
G. For a group of private roads within a subdivision, the same procedure shall be used for any petition
filed on or after July 1, 2019, provided that a majority of the owners of the lots abutting the group of
private ways to be repaired signs the petition required by Subsection B above. Where a lot has
frontage on, and derives access from, more than one group of roads, the owner of such lot shall be
entitled to only one vote. Owners of lots that are assessed as unbuildable and lots that may not be
built upon pursuant to a deed restriction, conservation restriction or other re corded instrument shall
not be entitled to vote, and such lots shall not be subject to betterment assessments hereunder .
H.
The Town of Brewster shall incur no liability for any damages of any nature whatsoever arising from
the project by virtue of the Town's agreeing to finance any repair of a private subdivision wa y. The
abutters who accept Town financing shall be deemed to have indemnified and held the Town
harmless against any and all such claims.
I.
Any private way improved under the provisions of this bylaw need not be brought up to full Town
road standards. Any private way improved under the provisio ns of this bylaw shall continue to remain
a private way.
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
What is a “Private Road Betterment”?
• “Private road betterment” refers to the Town facilitating the repair/paving of the private road
that you reside on. The construction costs of road and/or drainage repairs are then f inanced
through an assessment on your Brewster property tax bills for a specified number of years.
• If you own property on a private road in Brewster which has been open for public use for at
least five years, it may be possible for the Town to assist with the repair. See Private Road
Betterment Bylaw (attached to this email), as amended by Town Meeting in May 2021, for more
details.
Engaging an Engineer
• The Town of Brewster does not determine the scope of work for each project – this is done by
property owners on the roads in question. The Town is a facilitator of the betterment process.
• To initiate this process, you must first contact an engineer experienced in road construction and
repair who can survey the road in question to develop a plan.
• The plan must note the predicted useful life of the private way after repairs (at least 15 years).
• After the plan has been prepared, the engineer must secure at least three (3) cost estimates
from established contractors to complete the work. The cost estimate averages the three (3)
quote amounts, anticipated legal and construction management expenses, a 10% contingency,
a 4% administrative fee, and estimated interest costs (3-5%).
• The costs of preparing the plan, obtaining cost estimates, and preparing the petition described
in the next section is the responsibility of the petitioners.
• The survey work and initial plan development are upfront costs that will not be included in the
betterment calculations even if the project is ultimately approved.
Preparing the Petition
• After receipt of the bids, the petitioners must circulate a petition form to all eligible residents
on the private way (see Section G of the Town bylaw for details on eligibility standards).
• Please contact Conor Kenny in the Town Administrator’s Office at ckenny@brewster-ma.gov to
obtain the petition forms.
• The petition must be signed by more than 50% of all the abutters on the road (simple majority
vote) as verified by the Assessor’s Office.
• You must then submit the completed petition, engineer's plan, map of the private way to be
repaired, and supporting documentation for the cost estimates to the Select Board.
• The Select Board will then refer the petition to the Planning Board if they determine that the
proposed repairs are in the public interest and are within the financial capabilities of the Town.
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
Planning Board Review
• The Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on the petition to examine the plan and hear
from abutters and the general public, before voting to approve, modify, or disapprove the plan.
• Please note the filing deadlines below for review of the petition by the Planning Board. Because
the Planning Board is required to advertise public hearings on betterment petitions, the filing
deadline is approximately a month and a half before the actual hearing date.
2022 Planning Board Schedule
Filing Deadline Hearing Date* Advertisement Dates
December 1 January 12 December 24, 31
December 15 January 26 January 7, 14
December 29 February 9 January 21, 28
January 12 February 23 February 4, 11
January 26 March 9 February 18, 25
February 9 March 23 March 4, 11
March 2 April 13 March 25, April 1
March 16 April 27 April 8, 15
March 30 May 11 April 22, 29
April 13 May 25 May 6, 13
April 27 June 8 May 20, 27
May 11 June 22 June 3, 10
June 1 July 13 June 24, July 1
June 15 July 27 July 8, 15
June 29 August 10 July 22, 29
July 13 August 24 August 5, 12
August 3 September 14 August 26, September 2
August 17 September 28 September 9, 16
August 31 October 12 September 23, 30
September 14 October 26 October 7, 14
September 28 November 9 October 21, 28
November 2 December 14 November 25, December 2
*Planning Board meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month unless noted due to Town Meeting or a
Holiday.
Returning Proxy Votes Before Town Meeting
• If the Planning Board approves the plan, the Select Board will then send out proxy voting forms
to all abutters, noting scope and cost changes (if any).
• Please not that should the Planning Board decide to continue the hearing, the window to return
proxy votes will be shorter.
• The proxies must be returned at least 45 days prior to the Town Meeting at which they are to
be considered.
• If more than 50% of the proxy votes are returned within this timeframe indicating support for
the project, the Select Board will place the article on the next available Town Meeting Warrant.
Financing
• Long-term financing may be issued by the Town for up to fifteen-years (see example below).
• Residents can choose to finance their share of the assessment in 1, 5, 10, or 15 year increments.
Bid and Project Completion
• If Town Meeting votes to endorse and finance the project, the engineer who did the original
plan must prepare a new invitation to bid, with the bids to be directed to the Town
Administrator.
• The engineer and the Town Administrator will award the bid to the contractor who provides
the lowest cost quotation and demonstrates that they are responsible and responsive,
consistent with state procurement requirements.
• The engineer will provide the Superintendent of Public Works with regular updates throughout
each phase of the project.
• Once the repairs are completed, the road remains a private way.
Next Steps
• If, after reviewing this process, you and your neighbors remain interested in pursuing a private
road betterment, please contact Conor Kenny in the Town Administrator’s Office at
ckenny@brewster-ma.gov to arrange an introductory meeting. We also ask that you identify
a primary contact to communicate with the Town of Brewster throughout the process.
NORTH POND DRIVE- ROAD BETTERMENT
BETTERMENT APPORTIONMENT
15 YEAR EXAMPLE
TOTAL BETTERMENT ASSESSMENT:10,561.00$
1ST YEAR 2ND YEAR 3RD YEAR 4TH YEAR 5TH YEAR
APPORTIONMENT BALANCE 10,561.00$ 9,856.93$ 9,152.87$ 8,448.80$ 7,744.73$
YEARLY APPORTIONMENT 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$
YEARLY COMMITTED INTEREST (5%)528.05$ 492.85$ 457.64$ 422.44$ 387.24$
PAYMENT PER FISCAL YEAR 1,232.12$ 1,196.91$ 1,161.71$ 1,126.51$ 1,091.30$
6TH YEAR 7TH YEAR 8TH YEAR 9TH YEAR 10TH YEAR
APPORTIONMENT BALANCE 7,040.67$ 6,336.60$ 5,632.53$ 4,928.47$ 4,224.40$
YEARLY APPORTIONMENT 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$
YEARLY COMMITTED INTEREST (5%)352.03$ 316.83$ 281.63$ 246.42$ 211.22$
PAYMENT PER FISCAL YEAR 1,056.10$ 1,020.90$ 985.69$ 950.49$ 915.29$
11TH YEAR 12TH YEAR 13TH YEAR 14TH YEAR 15TH YEAR
APPORTIONMENT BALANCE 3,520.33$ 2,816.27$ 2,112.20$ 1,408.13$ 704.07$
YEARLY APPORTIONMENT 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$ 704.07$
YEARLY COMMITTED INTEREST (5%)176.02$ 140.81$ 105.61$ 70.41$ 35.20$
PAYMENT PER FISCAL YEAR 880.08$ 844.88$ 809.68$ 774.47$ 739.27$
4.00$ RELEASE FEE
743.27$
**EXAMPLE** 15 YEARS APPORTIONMENT
TOTAL COST OF BETTERMENT APPORTIONED 15 YRS $14,789.40 + COST OF RELEASING LIEN AT REGISTRY OF DEEDS
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
TO: VESPER POND DR, BAY VIEW DR, CRANBERRY LANE, MAYFLOWER CIRCLE,
DEER PATH CIRCLE, JAM LANE RESIDENTS
FROM: Brewster Select Board
As you know, the Town of Brewster received a citizen’s petition to place an article on the
2022 Special Town Meeting Warrant to authorize the Town to undertake a series of repairs
to the roadway network consisting of the following roads:
VESPER POND DR, BAY VIEW DR, CRANBERRY LANE, MAYFLOWER CIRCLE, DEER
PATH CIRCLE, JAM LANE
This request was made pursuant to Article VIII, Section 20 of Chapter 157 of the Town
Code, which authorizes the Town to undertake the financing necessary to carry out repairs to
a private way and to conduct those repairs. Pursuant to the Bylaw, the petition shall not be
presented to Town Meeting unless 50% of the abutters to the roads, plus one more abutter,
have signed it. If approved at Town Meeting, by signing the petition, the property owner is
agreeing to repay the Town, through the mechanism of a betterment added to each owner’s
real estate tax bill, his or her share of the total amount to be financed plus interest and
administrative costs. The property owner may elect to repay his or her share in one lump sum
or over, up to, a fifteen-year period. If a payment plan is selected, the Town will add this
expense as a betterment to the property tax bill. Enclosed herewith is a memorandum from
the Town’s Town Treasurer/Collector which provides additional information on this issue.
Based upon the scope of work, which was provided to the Town within the petition, the
total project cost is estimated at $723,711, including administrative expenses. Your
estimated share of this total project cost is $12,697. If you should ultimately choose a multi-
year payment plan additional interest fees will apply. Upon the completion of the repairs to
the roadway, the Select Board will assess the actual costs to the property owners. You will
then receive notification from the Town Treasurer/Collector of your actual pro rata share and,
at that time, you may determine your method of payment.
We have enclosed a proxy petition form to allow you to vote on this betterment. In order
for the Select Board to pursue funding and the assessment of betterments, we must receive an
affirmative vote from at least fifty percent (50%) of the abutters, plus one abutter. The
deadline for receipt of this proxy is Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Please return your proxy
petition form at your earliest convenience. A non-response will be considered a negative vote.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at (508) 896-3701.
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
TO: Town Administrator Peter Lombardi, Select Board Chair David Whitney
FROM: Colette Williams, Town Clerk
DATE: September 27, 2022
SUBJECT: Article to accept MGL c. 41, s. 110A
I’d like to propose the acceptance of MGL chapter 41, section 110A. This would
make it so when a Voter Registration falls on a Saturday or Holiday, I can move it to
Friday or the work day before. This change only applies on a local level.
State/Federal Election dates would still be dictated by State Law, so that they are
uniform across Massachusetts.
By accepting this MGL, it will save the Town the cost of opening Town offices on a
holiday or weekend to hold voter registration sessions, acceptance of nomination
papers, etc. Should the date fall during those times, voter registrations for election
deadlines would fall to the business day prior, from 8:30am-5pm and
nomination/petition papers would fall to the next business day 8:30am-4:00pm.
Once this is accepted we have the option of either staying open or reverting to the
business day prior or proceeding the deadline. If we were anticipating a large voter
turnout and the day fell on a Saturday we would have the option to set the deadline
for the Saturday. By accepting this we would not be disenfranchising anyone from
registering to vote. There are many avenues today for people to register to vote; in
person, by mail, online or through the Registry of Motor Vehicles and we advertise
the deadlines accordingly.
Sincerely,
Colette M. Williams
MMC/CMMC
Town Clerk
Brewster, MA
Town of Brewster OFFICE OF:
2198 Main Street COLETTE WILLIAMS MMC/CMMC
BREWSTER, MASSACHUSETTS 02631 TOWN CLERK
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
(508) 896-4506 – Fax (508) 896-8089
cwilliams@brewster-ma.gov
To see if the Town will vote, in accordance with MGL Chapter 41, Section 110A, to
authorize the Town Clerk’s office to remain closed on all Saturdays and to treat
Saturdays as a legal holiday for purposes of calculating the time frame for filing
matters in that office; or take any other action relative thereto.
(Select Board)
Explanation: By adopting MGL Chapter 41 § 110A when voter registration falls on a
Saturday or Holiday it can be moved to a Friday or the work day before the holiday.
BrewsterCapeCod
BrewsterCapeCodBREWSTER LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
ENVISIONING THE HEART OF THE CAPE
Town of Brewster Vision Plan Committee
Prepared by TigheBond, Halvorson | Tighe Bond Studio
October, 2022 - Public Draft
2 3Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Section 1 Brewster’s Vision
Section 2 Community Engagement
Section 3 Building Blocks - Existing
Conditions and Issues
• Brewster Today
• Building Block Summaries
• Community Character
• Open Space
• Housing
• Local Economy
• Coastal Management
• Water Resources
• Governance
• Community Infrastructure
• Solid Waste Management
• Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Section 4 The Action Plan- Building
Block Goals, Purposes, and Actions
• Community Character
• Open Space
• Housing
• Local Economy
• Coastal Management
• Water Resources
• Governance
• Community Infrastructure
• Solid Waste Management
• Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Section 5 Capital Facilities Plan
Section 6 Housing Production
Plan Summary
Section 7 Implementation and
Performance Monitoring
Section 8 Supporting Regulation,
Plans and Policies
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The development of Brewster’s Local Comprehensive
Plan was the result of the active participation,
thinking and hard work of many people who
value our community’s future. We would like
to thank them for their time and efforts.
Thanks to:
• The thousands of people who took part
in the community survey (Brewster’s Next
Steps), contributed comments on the
drafts of this Plan, and who participated
in the earlier Vision Planning process.
• The Town Department heads and staff who
contributed their deep knowledge of Town
services and the community’s service needs
• Members of community organizations
who contributed their ideas on the
community’s needs and who are partners
in implementing Brewster’s plans.
• The Brewster Planning Department
who provided guidance and support
throughout the process.
• Tighe and Bond, our consultants,
who provided technical guidance
in putting the Plan together.
The Brewster Vision Planning Committee
Hal Minis, Chair
Sharon Tennstedt, Vice-chair
Amanda Bebrin
Andi Genser
Patricia Hess
Suzanne Kenney
Fran Schofield
Alex Wentworth
Kari Hoffman, Select Board Liaison
Honey Pivirotto, Finance Committee Liaison
Prior Brewster Vision Planning
Committee members
Sue Searles
Garran Peterson
Kari Hoffman
Paul Wallace
Ned Chatelain, Select Board Liaison
BREWSTER
CAPE COD
RAIL TRAIL
4 5
NICKERSON
STATE PARK
BREWSTER
TOWN HALL
6A
6A
124
137
39
6
6
6
CliffPond
FlaxPond
HiggingsPond
Long Pond
Long Pond
Sheep Pond
Greenland Pond
Seymour Pond
Hinckley’s Pond
Upper Mill Pond
Lower Mill Pond
Walkers Pond
Elbow Pond
Slough Pond
Pine Pond
Cobbs Pond
CahoonPond
Griffiths Pond
Point of Rocks Landing Beach
Linell Landing Beach
Crosby Landing Beach
The Crosby Mansion
NamskaketMarsh
ORLEANS
HARWICH
CHATHAM
DENNIS
FormerSeacamps PropertyEllis Landing Beach
Captains Golf Course
CAPE COD BAY
Paines Creek Beach
Cape Cod Museum of Natural HistoryDrummer Boy Park Stony BrookGrist Mill
Ocean Edge Resort& Golf Club
Crocker Nurseries
Eddy Elem.School
Stony Brook Elem. School
Brewster Recycling Center and DPW
Brewster Cemetery
The Villages at Ocean Edge
Breakwater Beach
BrewsterFire Dept.
BrewsterPolice Dept.
Snowy Owl
Lemon Tree Village
The Brewster Store
Brewster Ladies Library Assc.
Brewster Council on Aging
CAPE COD RA
I
L
T
R
A
I
L
Pleasant Bay
Executive Summary
8 9Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DExecutive Summary Executive Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS AN LCP? WHY HAVE ONE?
Brewster’s Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) describes
how Brewster looks today and where it wants to
go in the future. The LCP is not law or regulation
and does not itself create regulatory mandates
or restrictions. It creates policy direction to help
guide land use decisions and policies in the Town
for the next 10+ year planning period. It has been
developed with general guidance from the Cape Cod
Commission according to its regulations, adapted
to Brewster’s specific needs and circumstances.
After its local adoption, the Cape Cod Commission
certified the LCP as consistent with and not contrary
to regional planning policies and regulations
and other towns’ interests. Brewster’s LCP has
also been prepared and is intended to serve
as a comprehensive land use plan under state
planning law (MGL Chapter 41, Section 81D).
Brewster first adopted a comprehensive land use plan in
1970. A prior draft LCP was completed in 1997 but was
never brought to Town Meeting. The development of
this LCP started in earnest with the 2018 Brewster Vision
Plan. The Vision Plan process commenced in 2017, serves
as a foundation for the LCP, and includes goals and
actions for eight key issue areas (called ‘Building Blocks’).
The LCP is structured along the same lines as the Vision
Plan. It includes a Vision Statement and the eight Building
Blocks: Community Character, Water Resources, Open
Space, Housing, Coastal Management, Local Economy,
Governance, and Community Infrastructure. The goals
for each of these Building Blocks remain similar to those
stated in the Vision Plan, with some modifications made
to recognize changing circumstances and conditions
in Brewster and beyond, and the goal statements
and policies in the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.
In addition, two new Building Blocks have been included
in the LCP since the adoption of the Vision Plan:
Solid Waste Management and Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation. The Solid Waste Building Block recognizes
both the Town’s efforts to decrease and manage the
community’s waste stream and regional guidance from
the Cape Cod Commission. The Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation Building Block recognizes the major threat
to the community posed by climate change and the
efforts by the Town to mitigate or adapt to its effects.
The heart of the LCP is the Action Plan, which
includes an ambitious list of actions associated with
the Building Blocks. The Action Plan sets out these
proposed actions to advance the vision, goals and
purposes of the LCP. The Action Plan calls for Town
government to accomplish a variety of tasks over the
next 10+ years; more broadly, the Action Plan is also
intended to guide future decision-making and action
involving community organizations and residents.
BREWSTER’S VISION
The LCP is informed, but not limited by, the 2018
Vision Plan. In many ways, both Plans exist along
the same planning continuum, although the LCP has
been updated to reflect changed conditions (including
an unprecedented world-wide pandemic and its
associated social and economic effects on society) and
input received through the entire planning process.
The LCP includes a vision statement, similar to that of the
2018 Vision Plan, articulating at a high level a vision for
Brewster’s future and the values held by the community.
The Action Plan is intended to achieve the vision. It is
important to note that these values are not intended to
conflict, especially in terms of implementing the related
Action Plan, but should be viewed as complementary,
mutually supportive and on equal footing with one
another. The vision statement has also been prepared
for consistency with the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Processes for developing both the Vision Plan and the
Local Comprehensive Plan were highly participatory.
The Vision Planning process included three series
of public workshops and a public survey. These
events were accompanied by broad public outreach,
including newspaper coverage and opinion pieces,
postings on the Town website and through the Town
email-list, distribution of announcements through
the e-mail lists of approximately 10 local not-for-
profit organizations and religious groups, local public
television interviews and announcements, and document
distribution at Town Hall, the Brewster Ladies Library,
and the Council on Aging. A postcard to all property
owners was also sent out for the public survey.
The LCP process and its preparation has been
shepherded by the Vision Planning Committee.
The LCP planning effort began during the COVID
pandemic, thus was constrained by restrictions on
public meetings. Nevertheless, the Planning Committee
took a very similar approach to outreach for the LCP
as they did for the Vision Plan, actively informing
the Brewster public about the planning effort and to
soliciting their ideas and feedback. Most notable was
the Brewster’s Next Steps survey to gauge support
for over 65 proposed actions, to which over 2,300
people, broadly representing the community’s age and
residential status profile, responded. The Committee
used broad print and electronic media announcements,
email lists, postcards to property owners, and pop-
up events at Town locations to publicize the survey. A
summary of results is available on the Town website.
10 11Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DExecutive Summary Executive Summary
In addition, the Committee partnered with Town
Administration to organize workshops of Town staff
and key local organizations to review and comment
on a draft Action Plan. The Committee announced
a public comment period on the LCP that included
the draft Action Plan in July 2022. The Committee
reviewed the comments received during the comment
period and revised the Action Plan to reflect many
of the public comments. The final draft LCP was
recommended by the Vision Planning Committee
and approved by the Select Board and Planning
Board following a public hearing in October 2022.
In November 2022, Town Meeting accepted and
adopted the LCP. After Town Meeting, the Cape Cod
Commission held a public hearing to certify the LCP as
consistent with the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.
BUILDING BLOCKS - EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ISSUES
This section contains an overview of existing conditions
in Brewster organized by Building Block and based
on summary papers that have been prepared for all
Building Blocks. Each overview includes background
information, recent actions by the Town, and key issues
moving forward. These existing conditions summaries
detail circumstances in the town and identify town
assets, strengths, concerns and related challenges
and opportunities. The summary papers prepared in
2017 for original eight Building Blocks of the Vision
Plan have been updated to reflect changing conditions,
evolving issues, and implementation of actions to
date. In addition, summary papers have been added
for the new Building Blocks, Solid Waste and Climate
Change. The section begins with a description of
‘Brewster Today’ focusing on demographic and land
use issues and drawing on the Land Use summary
paper. Interpretive maps are also contained throughout
the LCP to depict certain concepts or conditions.
THE ACTION PLAN – BUILDING BLOCK GOALS, PURPOSES, AND ACTIONS
The goals and purposes for the LCP are organized
by Building Blocks, a concept originated in the 2018
Vision Plan. They have been slightly modified in the
LCP since the development of the Vision Plan to reflect
changing conditions in Brewster and to align them
with the goals of the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.
The Action Plan is proposed to advance the LCP vision,
goals, and purposes over the next 10+ years. The list of
actions is not intended to be a complete list of all that
the Town could do but does include the most important
actions essential to advancing the identified goals. While
a large and ambitious number of actions are presented,
priorities for implementation will be identified during
the Select Board’s annual strategic planning exercise.
The list of actions has been drawn from
numerous sources including the following:
• Actions from the Vision Plan that
have not yet been implemented
• Recommendations from stakeholders
about current needs
• Recommendations from the
Vision Plan summary papers
about trends and needs; and
• Results of the Brewster’s Next
Steps survey gauging public
support for individual actions.
As the final phase of Action Plan development, the draft
list of actions was reviewed and refined by workshops
of key Town Departments and local organizations
to assess the accuracy, relevancy, and feasibility in
implementing each action. This vital part of the process
helped ensure the ability, capacity, and commitment
to implement the Action Plan and is subject to future
adjustments that will make the LCP a “living” plan.
CAPITAL FACILITIES PLANNING
In this section, the LCP aligns and cross-references
capital investments contemplated in the Action Plan
with the Town’s on-going capital facilities planning. This
analysis ensures that the capital requirements necessary
to implement the LCP are planned for and met.
HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN SUMMARY
The Town has recently completed, and the State has
approved, an update of its 2017 Housing Production
Plan (HPP), which principally deals with provisions
for affordable housing in Brewster. This section
includes a summary of the Town’s 2022 plan. The
full HPP can be accessed on the Town website.
Implementation and Performance Monitoring
The prioritization of undertaking LCP actions will
be set primarily through the Select Board’s annual
strategic planning. Monitoring and reporting to the
community are crucial to the successful implementation
of the LCP and are described in this section. A
copy of the Select Board’s current Strategic Plan
for FY23-24 is included in the LCP Appendices.
Supporting Regulation, Plans and Policies
The LCP references other existing Town land use plans,
policies, bylaws and regulations that both inform, and
will be informed by, the LCP. Many of the LCP’s actions
deal with potentially updating and amending these
documents to advance the goals and vision of the LCP. It
is important to note that, under the current zoning bylaw,
consistency with the comprehensive plan is a criterion of
approval for certain permits and proposed developments.
01Brewster’s Vision
14 15Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
SECTION 1BREWSTER’S VISION
Brewster’s Vision Brewster’s Vision
Brewster is a welcoming community that
celebrates our special character and strives for
greater social diversity and inclusiveness.
We preserve our historical setting and seek to
protect its contribution to our town’s character.
We work to preserve the rural, small town feel
of Brewster while recognizing opportunities for
growth, which adds to our shared quality of life.
Brewster has been, and will continue to be, a
leader in open space planning and protection,
which contributes to protecting water resources
and sensitive natural habitats and provides
scenic areas for recreation and contemplation.
In the context of coastal change, we protect
our natural bayside coastline, which defines
our sense of place and provides special
recreational and economic opportunities.
We are committed to address climate change, one
of the great global challenges of our day, locally
by reducing our contributions to carbon emissions
and continuing to support practices that take up
and store carbon through natural processes.
We honor our history as a working community
and partner with Brewster businesses and other
organizations that support residents and visitors
by providing high-quality products, services, and
experiences built on our character and environment,
and that offer local social, economic, and employment
opportunities that help sustain the community.
We support growth that is appropriately scaled
and sited within the context that it is proposed.
As a commitment to the social diversity we value,
we seek to support housing production tailored to
the changing needs of the community, including
housing that is affordable to current and future
residents of all ages and economic standing.
Within our fiscal capabilities, we strive to provide
the infrastructure necessary to ensure public health
and safety and to support the ability of our entire
community, from older people to families with children,
to live, work, learn, recreate, and gather in the town.
The communication methods and practices that we
set in place encourage and promote public discourse
and collaboration. We look to successful models in
other communities and organizations as examples to
manage and guide our approach to change in our town.
We are committed as we move forward, through
careful planning and coordination, to improve
our community and honor what we value about
Brewster, and ensure the town’s continued
social, economic, financial, and environmental
sustainability for present and future generations.
The LCP’s vision for Brewster’s future, as articulated
below, is grounded in the Town’s Vision Planning
process, which began in 2017. The Vision Plan,
completed and approved in 2018, serves as a
foundation for the LCP. The LCP’s vision statement
is also informed by the shared experiences of the
community since that time including, among other
things, an unprecedented world-wide pandemic and
its associated social, political and economic effects.
This vision statement is a product of significant
community input. It reflects the shared values of the
Brewster community related to, among other things,
future growth and development and resource protection
in the town. The vision also harmonizes with the
regional vision articulated in the Cape Cod Regional
Policy Plan. In particular, the Town’s visioning process
involved “Town Center” discussions: identifying existing
centers of concentrated activity, development and
infrastructure in the town that might accommodate
expanded future housing and economic opportunities.
This vision serves as the backdrop and reference point
for the ‘Building Blocks’ and their associated goals,
purposes and actions set out in the LCP. The multiple
values and interests articulated in the vision statement
are mutually dependent, complementary and on equal
footing with one another. In practical application,
the vision requires that these values and interests
be reconciled or compromised with one another. In
order to fulfill and realize the vision, it is necessary to
advance all of these constituent values and interests.
02Community Engagement
18 19Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
SECTION 2COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community Engagement Community Engagement
Processes for developing both the Vision Plan and the
LCP were highly participatory. The Vision Planning
process included three series of public workshops and
survey. These events were accompanied by broad public
outreach, including newspaper coverage and opinion
pieces, postings on the Town website and through
the Town email-list, distribution of announcements
through the e-mail lists of approximately 10 local not-
for-profit organizations and religious groups, local
public television interviews and announcements, and
document distribution at Town Hall, the Brewster Ladies
Library, and the Council on Aging. A post card to all
property owners was also sent out for the public survey.
The LCP planning effort began during the COVID
pandemic, thus was constrained by restrictions on
public meetings. Nevertheless, the Planning Committee
took a very similar approach to outreach for the LCP
as they did for the Vision Plan, used many of the same
outreach efforts to actively informing the Brewster
public about the planning effort and to soliciting
their ideas and feedback. Most notable was the
2022 Brewster’s Next Steps survey to gauge support
for over 65 proposed actions, to which over 2,300
people, broadly representing the community’s age and
residential status profile, responded. The Committee
used broad print and electronic media announcements,
email lists, post cards to property owners, and pop-
In anticipation of the Cape Cod Commission’s
(CCC) LCP review and certification, the Town
communicated and worked with CCC staff iteratively
and collaboratively throughout the development
of the LCP, providing draft sections of the LCP
for review and comment at various stages:
• CCC staff completed a review of the
LCP’s goals for consistency with RPP
goals and provided feedback to the
Vision Planning Committee on ways to
align the LCP’s goals with RPP goals. A
comparison table of RPP goals and LCP
goals was prepared to assist in this review.
• CCC staff provided general input
and guidance during preparation of
the draft LCP on compliance with
the CCC’s LCP Regulations.
• CCC staff gave a presentation on the Cape
Cod Climate Action Plan at a meeting of the
Vision Planning Committee in August 2021.
• CCC staff completed reviews of the
Building Block summaries and draft Action
Plan and provided recommendations
on additional or revised content. These
recommendations were reviewed by
the Vision Planning Committee and
incorporated into the LCP as appropriate.
up events at town locations to publicize the survey. A
summary of results is available on the Town website.
The survey results were fundamental to drafting the
Action Plan. A draft of the Action Plan and an Overview
of the LCP were made available to the public during a
21-day public comment period from July 25 to August 12,
2022. Comments and feedback were reviewed carefully
by the Vision Planning Committee and revisions were
made as appropriate. Brewster’s Select Board, Planning
Board and Vision Planning Committee held a joint
public hearing on the draft LCP in October 2022 prior
to advancing it to Town Meeting in November 2022.
The LCP vision statement is a product of significant
community input: it reflects the shared values of
the Brewster community related to, among other
things, future growth and development and resource
protection in the town. The Town’s vision statement
also harmonizes with the regional vision articulated
in the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan. In particular,
the Town’s visioning process involved “Town Center”
discussions: identifying existing centers of concentrated
activity, development and infrastructure in the town,
outside of large, unfragmented, natural resource
corridors, that might accommodate expanded
future housing and economic opportunities.
The Brewster’s Next Steps survey queried residents
about the possibility of designating or recognizing a
Town Center(s). While 20% of survey respondents
preferred no designated Town Center, the area around
Foster Square was identified most frequently (44%) as
a Town Center (see Figure 1 below). Other frequently
mentioned designations included the broader areas along
Rte. 6A/Main Street from Rte. 124 near the Brewster
General Store to Ellis Landing Road (25%) and Rte.
6A/Main Street from Underpass Road to Ocean Edge
Resort (23%). In a Town Center, respondents prefer
sidewalks, bike lanes/paths, small parks, and small-scale
commercial development. There was strong support
for development controls such as compatible historic or
architectural design, height limitations and landscaping,
consistent with maintaining Brewster’s small town and
historic character. Support for housing, including mixed-
use residential use, was moderate. Overall, there was
widespread concern about increasing traffic on Rte. 6A/
Main Street, including impeding access from residential
side streets. Preference for locating commercial and
industrial development on Underpass Road or Freemans
Way was frequently mentioned in respondent comments.
In addition, the Committee partnered with
Town Administration to organize workshops of
Town staff and key local organizations to review
and comment on the draft Action Plan.
20 21Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Engagement Community Engagement
03Existing Community Assets, Issues & Needs
24 25Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DExisting Community Assets, Issues & Needs Existing Community Assets, Issues & Needs
Zoning District Acreage
% of
Town
RR Rural Residential 7,909 48%
RM Residential Medium 5,652 35%
RL Residential Low 2,091 13%
CH Commercial High 288 2%
I Industrial 247 2%
VB Village Business 93 1%
MRD Municipal Refuse 50 0%
Total 16,328 ac 100%
This section contains an overview of existing conditions
in Brewster organized by Building Block and based
on summary papers that have been prepared for all
Building Blocks. Each overview includes background
information, recent actions by the Town, and key issues
moving forward. The summary papers prepared in
2017 for the original eight Building Blocks of the Vision
Plan have been updated to reflect changing conditions
and actions that have been recently implemented.
In addition, summary papers have been for the new
Building Blocks, Solid Waste and Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation. The section begins with a description of
Brewster today focusing on demographic and land use
issues and drawing on the Land Use summary paper.
“Existing conditions” include physical and socioeconomic
conditions; existing assets and resources; and the
identification of associated concerns, challenges,
strengths, and opportunities. Taking stock of
these existing conditions assisted the Town in
establishing its planning vision, goals, and actions.
BREWSTER TODAY
The Town of Brewster is characterized by its small
town, rural and historic qualities, with an abundance
of natural resources, protected open space and miles
of both coastal and freshwater shoreline. About
80 freshwater ponds cover some 1,700 acres.
SECTION 3BUILDING BLOCKS - EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ISSUES
to the care and custody of the Brewster Conservation
Commission for permanent conservation. Since 2012
alone Brewster has acquired or transferred approximately
200 acres of open space for permanent conservation
purposes and has acquired conservation restrictions
or easements on another approximately 121 acres.
Historic Development Patterns
Since 1633, Brewster has been home for small business
entrepreneurs since the opening of the first grist mill
on what is now Stony Brook. Relying on the land
and sea, business has always supported the natural
setting and rural nature of the town. Perhaps the most
notable of Brewster’s entrepreneurs were the sea
captains. From the 18th to 19th centuries, as many as
fifty sea captains lived in Brewster, building stately
homes along Rte. 6A/Main Street, adding a sense of
elegance to the community. Today, many of these sea
captains’ homes are still occupied by entrepreneurs.
Business continues to support the small-town setting of
Brewster by creating services for residents and visitors
and at the same time maintaining many important
historic buildings and the natural surroundings.
Current Land Use Patterns
The most recent version of the Mass Audubon study,
“Losing Ground”, Sixth Edition 2020, calculates that
34% of Brewster is permanently conserved, 26% is
The majority of developed land within the Town consists
of single-family, residential development and small-scale
commercial development concentrated along Rte. 6A/
Main Street, a nationally designated scenic byway and
the largest historic district in the U.S. Additional small-
scale commercial areas are located on Underpass
Road, and at the Route 137/Millstone Road intersection.
The Town also includes an approximately 245-acre
industrial district in the southeastern section of Town.
The Town has been committed to the protection of its
valuable natural resources for decades. The Town has
largely retained its small-town character through its
efforts to protect open space and historic resources.
According to the Brewster Open Space and Recreation
Plan, updated in 2021, the town includes within its
boundaries over 2,200 acres of State and non-profit
open space and recreational holdings, such as Nickerson
State Park, State-acquired Camp Monomoy land,
Brewster Conservation Trust lands, Orenda Wildlife
Trust lands, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT).
Brewster itself has made major open space investments.
The Town, through the Conservation Commission, owns
approximately 882 acres of permanently conserved land,
and about another 1,000 acres of open space held by
other entities like the Select Board. The Town has an
ongoing program where it formally transfers tax title and
other Town-owned land appropriate for open space use
developed, and 40% remains undeveloped as natural
or open land but is not permanently conserved.
As stated in the 2022 Brewster Housing Production Plan,
nearly 75% of the housing stock in Brewster is in the form
of detached single-family homes. Mixed-use development
is not currently allowed under the Brewster zoning bylaw,
although development in commercial districts is allowed
to have an accessory residential unit by special permit.
Cluster residential development and planned
residential development (PRD) are only allowed
by special permit, and both have significant
minimum land area requirements.
26 Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Existing Community Assets, Issues & Needs
There are also 145 properties along Rte. 6A/Main Street
where business activity is taking place. Most of these
businesses are in the Residential (R-M) zoning district.
Recent Trends
A December 2021 Elementary Schools Master Plan
completed for the Town of Brewster indicates that the
seasonal population in Brewster, when averaged over
a full year, is nearly double the number of full-time
residents. The increase in seasonal population places
stress, not only on the town’s natural resources and
recreation facilities, but also on its infrastructure.
Based on 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data
of housing market trends compiled by the Cape Cod
Commission, the median value for a single-family home
in Brewster in 2019 was $442,000 while the median
sales price in July 2022 was $711,000 for single-family
homes and $455,500 for condominiums (Cape Cod and
Islands Association of Realtors- CCIOAR). Under the
2022 HUD-defined Barnstable County Area Median
Family Income ($115,600), a family could affordably
purchase a home at a maximum of $420,579, significantly
less than the median single-family home sales price.
As of July 2022, there is an inventory of only 15 single-
family homes and 2 condominiums for sale in town
(CCIOAR). The Census Bureau classifies nearly 46% of
all housing units in Brewster as vacant most of the year
and held for seasonal or recreational use (ACS data).
Today, there are 15 lodging businesses and one resort on
Rt. 6A/Main Street, with all but one in residential zones.
BREWSTER LANDUSEBY ACERAGE
BREWSTER LANDUSEBY ACREAGE In addition, there are 18 eating establishments on Rte.
6A/Main Street, with 75% in residential zones. Numerous
other existing businesses are located on Rte. 6A/Main
Street. Expansion or change to these businesses require
a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Recent Actions by the Town
The Town has adopted strict regulations to protect
public drinking water supplies, manage land use and
preserve open space within the town by managing
land use within Brewster’s Zone IIs (drinking water
supply areas in East and West Brewster) and
Pleasant Bay and Herring River watersheds.
In 2021, the Town purchased a total of 121 acres of
Cape Cod Sea Camps property, including the 66-
acre Long Pond Parcel and 55-acre Bay Parcel
that stretches from Rte. 6A/Main Street north to
Cape Cod Bay. Acquisition for public use is aligned
with community priorities identified in this LCP and
resident feedback from other recent strategic planning
initiatives. Detailed comprehensive plans for each
property will be developed and brought to a future
Town Meeting for subsequent voter adoption.
Key Issues Moving Forward
The Town has implemented specific land use controls
and protected open space to minimize the impacts of
future development on natural resources and protect the
character of the community. The LCP also recognizes the
need to evaluate policies and zoning bylaws that would
28 Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
support more housing choice. The 2022 Brewster’s Next
Steps survey included questions on potential locations
for creation of Town Center(s) in Brewster. Consideration
of appropriate locations for mixed-use and/or additional
residential density will be needed in order to meet
the town’s future housing needs while continuing
to meet other community goals of protecting water
quality, natural resources, and community character.
The Brewster Chamber of Commerce has cited the
need for the Town to support and design vibrant
and diverse business and cultural centers that offer
more walkable, mixed-use options with affordable
living units. However, a change in zoning or an
overlay district would be required for mixed-use or to
streamline local permitting for expansion or substantial
change to businesses along Rte. 6A/Main Street.
BUILDING BLOCK SUMMARIES
COMMUNITY CHARACTER
Background and Current Status
The Community Character Building Block encompasses
both Brewster’s physical and social character.
Community Character is closely inter-related to several
other Vision Building Blocks including Open Space,
Local Economy, Housing, and Community Infrastructure.
Positive actions on those Building Blocks will also
have a positive impact on Community Character.
PHYSICAL CHARACTER
Brewster has a large collection of significant historic
properties, with the great majority located along Rte.
6A/Main Street and Stony Brook Road. The town has
two large National Register Historic Districts: one
includes historic buildings along Route 6A/Main Street
and Lower Road, roughly from Paine’s Creek to Sea
31Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
Pines Drive; the other includes structures along 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 also includes properties
along the town’s old roadways including Rte. 6A/
Main Street, Lower Road, Stony Brook Road, as well as
Satucket Road, Route 137/Long Pond Road, Tubman
Road, and several smaller connecting roads. The Old
Kings Highway Historic District Committee has authority
to review and approve all exterior alterations and
demolition proposals. In the early 1900s, as automobile
ownership grew, summer tourism became a major
economic force and residential construction consisted
mostly of summer cottages and summer cottage
communities such as Brewster Park, Pineland Park, and
Ellis Landing Colony. These cottages are now 75-100
years old, and some are considered of historic value.
The Brewster Historical Commission continues to
work with a preservation consultant to document
the architecture and history of significant houses
older than 75 years. The four small Village Business
zones are located along Rte. 6A/Main Street 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 Rte. 6A/Main Street
are outside of the commercial zones and operate as
home occupations within residentially zoned areas.
All construction along Rte. 6A/Main Street requires
review by the Old Kings Highway Historic District
Committee. Much of the Commercial (CH) district on
Underpass Road is outside the historic district and is
primarily governed by Planning Board Site Plan Review
and, as applicable, Special Permit review. Certain uses
such as multi-family residential, outdoor commercial,
and accommodations uses are allowed only in the
Commercial district by special permit, which requires
specific development criteria to be met. Restaurants and
drive-through banks are allowed by Special Permit in
both the Village Business and the Commercial districts.
The Town has well-developed Site Plan Review
standards dealing with, among other things, site design,
transportation and access issues for commercial,
multi-family and industrial uses. While the Town’s
current dimensional regulations practically limit
building size and scale on most small to medium size
lots, they still allow larger buildings on larger 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 Rte. 6A/Main
Street—the Brewster Ladies Library, Senior Center,
Town Hall, and the Eddy Elementary School.
Formula retail businesses are expanding in many
communities on the Cape, submitting proposals to
expand existing structures or rebuild. In Brewster,
Cumberland Farms applied to significantly increase
Existing Community Assets, Issues & Needs
32 33Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
Brewster population has increased to 43% of
the population (2022 Town Census). Brewster’s
high-quality schools are an important factor
in attracting young families with diverse
backgrounds. This younger population (i.e.,
age 25-49), many with school age children,
currently accounts for 22% of the Town’s
population (2022 Town Census), already
lower than the US Census (2020) projected
decrease to 38% in 2030. The US Census
also projected that the number of school age
children 5-19 would fall from 11% in 2020 to
9% of the population in 2030 but has already
decreased to 8% in 2022 (2022 Town Census).
Recent Census data also shows while Brewster
is predominantly white (91.4%), the Town has
seen a significant increase in racial diversity
over the past decade with the minority
population increasing from 3.3% in 2010 to
8.6% in 2020. (US Census 2010 & 2020)
Housing is critical to support a diverse
population, and the Town has been proactive
in pursuing affordable housing to address
both the needs of older residents as well as
focusing on attracting young families, including
amendments to the accessory dwelling by-
laws to allow greater opportunities for year-
round rental options and home ownership.
Brewster is also pursuing several projects
to expand affordable single-family homes,
adults think that the current COA building/
senior center is inadequate for community
needs and supported the creation of a
multi-generational community center. This
finding mirrors many statements in the
2017 Brewster Vision Planning workshops
about the value of a multi-generational
community center to meet the needs of
Brewster’s diverse population and a place
that would bring all age groups together.
Key Issues Moving Forward
As noted in the summaries for Community
Infrastructure and Local Economy, there are
several areas of potential development in
town where maintaining community character
is a key issue, including a potential Town
Center or activity centers along Rte. 6A/
Main Street, the Bay Parcel and Long Pond
Parcel, Drummer Boy Park, and a potential
community center. Important to these and
all planning considerations, including to
changes in zoning bylaws and regulations,
is maintaining Brewster’s historic and small-
town, rural character. To help accomplish
this, zoning Site Plan Review and Special
Permit criteria could be evaluated and
amended to provide enhanced landscape,
architecture and building design standards.
building size and expand the range of products
they offer. After considerable public debate,
the expansion was approved in 2017, but with
fewer gas pumps than originally proposed.
The 2017 Brewster Vision Planning workshops
identified the preservation of community
character as an important issue, with
responses like ‘small town feel,’ ‘historic charm,’
‘scenic Rte. 6A,’ and the landmark ‘Grist Mill
Herring Run’ appearing in 36% of comments
about town “Treasures.” Community Character
also played a major 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 as part of the social character.
SOCIAL CHARACTER
Brewster’s population is changing in ways that
are similar to the Cape in general. The 2020
US Census showed that Brewster’s population
has increased by 5% over the past 10 years.
The population of residents over 65 was
projected to grow from 42% of the population
in 2020 to 53% in 2030. By 2022, the 65+
rental units, and housing for older adults.
Seasonal workers come from a variety of
countries and add to the vibrancy of the town.
The Town continues to work to find housing
for the seasonal workforce, with consideration
being given to structures on the Bay Parcel for
this purpose. Brewster also provides a variety
of social services to families and individuals in
distress. Most of these services are provided
through not-for-profit service organizations.
Recent Actions by the Town
As noted in the Open Space and Water
Resources summaries, the Town has had
a long-standing commitment to purchase
open space for its inherent value as well as to
protect the town’s drinking water and surface
water quality. In 2021 the citizens of Brewster
overwhelmingly voted to purchase the Cape
Cod Sea Camps properties of over 100 acres.
The Town is now working with citizens to
determine how best to use both parcels.
A 2016 Brewster Council on Aging needs
assessment found that the typical older
adult wants to stay in Brewster and is aging
with sufficient resources and social support.
However, there are segments of this population
that struggle to age in place. Transportation,
caregiving services, and health and wellness
programs were seen as priorities. Most older
34 35Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
04Community Goals & Purposes
36 Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Community Goals and Purposes
OPEN SPACE
Background and Current Status
Open space figured prominently in the 2017 Vision
Planning workshops. As a treasure, participants valued
protected open space because of its contribution to
Brewster’s rural character, low density, tranquility,
protection for the town’s drinking water supply,
recreation, and preservation of natural habitat. The single
highest scoring action in the 2018 Vision Plan survey was
“Identify and protect priority parcels in sensitive natural
resources areas, particularly in designated drinking
water supply areas”. Similarly in the 2022 Brewster’s
Next Steps survey, acquiring land to protect drinking
water supply and critical habitat rated among the top
scoring actions. Land protection in drinking water
supply areas (Zone IIs) has become a major criterion
for land acquisition for both the Town of Brewster and
Brewster Conservation Trust land acquisition projects.
In addition to the contributions
to Brewster’s character and
recreational opportunities,
open space contributes in
many ways economically
and financially to the town.
Forested open space also acts
as a carbon sink by capturing
and sequestering carbon
emissions. In contrast to other
Cape towns, Brewster’s past
open space investments have,
in part, allowed the Town to avoid the high cost of
sewering large areas of town in sensitive watersheds.
While Brewster residents and visitors appreciate the
rural feel and low-density development, it is important
to recognize what is “open space”. Many people may
perceive much of the undeveloped land in Brewster
as permanent open space, but in fact much of it is
not formally restricted for such purpose. A study by
Mass Audubon in 2014 characterized Brewster as 29%
protected open space, 29% developed, and 42% vacant.
In comparison to Brewster, 34% of Barnstable County is
protected open space. A recent analysis of the conversion
of “vacant land” in Brewster from 2013 to 2020 indicated
that an equal amount of land has gone from vacant to
developed as from vacant to conservation – 158 acres.
The Town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan 2021
Update provides a detailed summary of currently
protected lands, but a partial list includes: 2,200
acres of state and non-profit protected lands,
1,000 acres of Town owned lands, and another 822
Town-owned acres controlled by the Conservation
Commission. The not-for-profit Brewster Conservation
Trust owns 618 acres of permanently protected land
and an additional 253 acres through conservation
restrictions on private land. Orenda Wildlife Land
Trust owns another 27 acres, and the Brewster
Conservation Commission also has conservation
restrictions on a number of privately held properties.
38 39Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
Town has established planning committees
for both the Bay and Long Pond Parcels,
each charged with the development of
a comprehensive plan for the respective
properties. The planning committees for the
properties will consider all potential uses for
the properties to develop a comprehensive
plan consistent with community needs.
The Town’s commitment to open space
started many years ago with the purchase
of over 800 acres in the Punkhorn Parkland
in the late 1980s and early 1990s to protect
the wellfields in West Brewster. During the
same period, the Town also purchased several
hundred acres in south-east Brewster to
protect wellfields in that part of town. Even
though water supply protection has been
an important criterion for land acquisition
in recent years, only approximately 40% of
the “Zone II” (area of draw-down around
Town wells) is currently protected.
As a heavily used public park and scenic
vista, Drummer Boy Park represents a unique
asset in Brewster. The Town updated, and
now has begun implementing, the Master
Plan for Drummer Boy Park in 2021. The
Town has also begun public outreach and
design on a potential raised boardwalk to
Wing Island, which as currently proposed
would link to Drummer Boy Park.
Recent Actions by the Town
Brewster’s Open Space Committee completed
an update of the Town’s Open Space and
Recreation Plan (OSRP) in 2021. The Plan
identifies the following overarching goals:
1. Protect the town’s drinking water
supply to meet the needs of
residents today and in the future.
2. Provide open space and recreation
opportunities that maintain Brewster’s
rural character and small coastal
community identity and support
a sustainable local economy
as a center for eco-tourism
3. Preserve and enhance habitat
diversity and protect marine and
fresh surface water resources to
maintain their ecological functions
and values to the community.
4. Provide a variety of recreation and
open space opportunities to promote
active and healthy lifestyles for
Brewster residents, ensuring equitable
access for all users and abilities.
5. Support coordination and
communication of regional open
space and recreation needs.
Between 2018 and 2020, 13 parcels totaling
133 acres in the drinking water supply
areas have been protected, often through
a partnership of Town and Brewster
Conservation Trust. The Brewster Water
Commissioners have also recognized this
priority and have created funding within
their tariff structure for land protection.
Much has also been accomplished to
improve access to open space and recreation
resources. The Town expanded the satellite
parking lot at Crosby Landing, and a new
access linking the Cape Cod Rail Trail at
Nickerson State Park to the bayside at
Linnell Landing has been designed and
permitted. This multi-use trail will provide
walking and bike access to a large stretch of
state-owned beach. In addition, the Town
and the Brewster Conservation Trust have
opened up new public trails and published an
updated guide to Brewster’s walking trails.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Acquiring and managing open space to
protect water resources and provide outdoor
recreation will continue to be an important
goal for the Town and other organizations,
such as the Brewster Conservation Trust.
The acquisition of the former Cape Cod
Sea Camps properties presents enormous
possibilities for the expansion of open space
and passive and active recreation. The
40 Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Community Goals and Purposes
HOUSING
Background and Current Status
The cost and availability of housing in Brewster was
identified as the largest single challenge at the June
2017 Vision Planning Workshops, with an emphasis
on how the lack of affordable housing impacts young
families. Workshop participants saw housing as key to
allowing young families to stay in Brewster, maintaining
the diverse community that residents value, and
providing the workforce that the local economy needs.
“Affordable Housing” is a term defined under state and
federal law and policy meaning housing affordable to
low- and moderate-income households, i.e., households
earning no more than 80% of the area median income
(AMI) for the county. In contrast, “attainable” or
“workforce” housing is not a formally defined term. It
refers to housing affordable for households whose
incomes are too high for “affordable housing” but are
priced out of the market i.e.,
households earning between
80-120% AMI. In either
case, households should
not be required to spend
more than 30% of their
income on housing costs.
Affordable housing identified
by workshop participants as
the biggest challenge facing
the Town. While those with
the lowest incomes face the greatest housing need and
challenges, the cost and availability of housing, both for
year-round rentals and ownership opportunities, is an
issue as well for many households who do not qualify
for affordable housing, making it challenging for both
younger families and older residents to remain in town.
Brewster, like the rest of the Cape, is facing housing
issues that are common to a number of resort, tourist-
based areas throughout the country that have a
significant percentage of seasonally-used housing stock
(46% in Brewster). These areas all have high housing
costs, in part because the average income of second
homeowners is greater than that of year-round residents,
which can drive up the cost of housing. Brewster’s
housing stock primarily consists of detached single-
family homes (75%). Brewster has twice the percentage
of residential condominium units (11%) than in Barnstable
County towns on average (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2016-
2020). Environmental and infrastructure factors also
contribute to the higher cost of housing in Brewster.
According to the Cape Cod Commission, one of the
affordable housing challenges is the gap between the
Cape’s comparatively low wages and high housing costs.
While wages have remained relatively stagnant, housing
costs have risen dramatically. Brewster’s housing
problem is also exacerbated by its aging population,
with few young people and limited local workers.
As for affordable housing, the town has 297 units or
6.2% counted as affordable and needs to add 183
affordable units to meet the 10% goal. The 10% metric,
Town of Brewster
Map 10. Subsidized Housing Inventory
May 2022; Source: Town of
Brewster, MassGIS, and MassDOT
I
I
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033-108
0 Ownership
• Rental
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I
MassDOT Major Roads
U.S. Highway
State Route
-Millstone Road Community Housing Parcel* Non-numbered Road
OpenSpace: Level of Protection D Town of Brewster
In Perpetuity Water
Limited
-7
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Wetlands
Surrounding Towns
*Designated for community housing: application for 45
rental units current� under consideration
42 43Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
however, understates the range of housing
needs that exists in town. Currently, 230
of the affordable units are rental units. In
2021, 31% of all rental units in Brewster were
deed restricted affordable housing units.
This is reflected in the median Brewster rent
of $1,097, which is artificially depressed by
the percentage of subsidized housing.
A challenging housing situation has worsened
dramatically since 2017. Intensified with
changes associated by the COVID pandemic,
the cost of housing has increased along
with a sharp decrease in the number of
properties for sale. Additionally, there has
been a reduction in the number of homes
used for year-round rentals. In 2021, the
median sales price of a single-family home in
Brewster was $700,000, an increase of 30%
over $540,000 in 2020, and an 80 % increase
from the original Housing Summary statistic
of $389,750 in 2015. The affordability gap has
also grown tremendously. The 2022 HUD-
defined Barnstable County Area Median Family
Income ($115,600) could affordably purchase
a home, with current tax and mortgage rates,
at a maximum of $420,579. 85% of Brewster
year-round households own their own homes,
29% of which are housing-cost burdened
(paying over 30% of their income on housing),
while 41% of Brewster year-round rental
40B Comprehensive Permits were additional
strategies in the HPP that have been pursued.
Expected to open in 2022, Brewster Woods
will also provide thirty affordable rental
apartments for those in the low to moderate
income bracket on Housing Authority land off
Brewster Road. Elevation Financial, working
in partnership with the Town, redeveloped the
former vacant Wingate Rehabilitation Center
into Serenity at Brewster with 132 apartments
for people aged 55 and over. 20% of the units
are deed restricted affordable for households
up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
In 2022 Brewster completed an update to its
2017 Housing Production Plan (HPP). This plan
accesses the community’s housing needs,
sets goals, and guides the implementation
of Brewster’s Housing Program over the
next five years. The HPP aims to produce
24 units of affordable housing a year as
Brewster works towards the state mandated
10% affordable year-round housing stock.
Brewster’s 2017 HPP met this production goal
twice and is currently certified by the state
until May 15, 2023. Funded with a Community
Preservation Act grant, the 2022 HPP was
prepared by Barrett Planning Group with a
robust outreach process led by the Housing
Partnership. The Select and Planning Boards
households are housing cost burdened.
Recent Actions by the Town
Over the past five years, a clear pattern has
emerged in Brewster’s housing response.
Town support has resulted in a number of
housing initiatives and their corresponding
Community Preservation Act (CPA), budget,
and free cash funding. Creative collaboration,
supportive teamwork, and resident involvement
have exponentially increased the Town’s
efforts. Many of the strategies identified in
the Town’s 2017 Housing Production Plan
(HPP) have been implemented. In 2017, the
Town hired a part-time housing coordinator
with CPA funds to coordinate the remaining
strategies identified in that Plan. The Town
then created a Municipal Affordable Housing
Trust, supported with CPA funds and free cash
allocations. In 2021, the Select Board voted
to create a financial policy and allot 50% of
the forecasted new short-term rental revenue
to the Housing Trust. In 2017, Ocean Edge
Resort received a special permit to create
seasonal workforce housing on their property.
In 2018, Town Meeting amended the
zoning bylaw with new Accessory Dwelling
Unit (ADU) provisions. ADUs are a way
to utilize current infrastructure, assist
homeowners, and create environmentally
friendly housing. Approximately 16 accessory
residential units, which includes ADUs,
have been permitted since 2018.
The Town has initiatives to both preserve
housing and support housing without
new construction. In 2021, along with
Dennis and Wellfleet, the Town was part
of a $1.3-million-dollar regional Housing
Rehabilitation and Childcare Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG). As the
lead community, Brewster was awarded
another $1.3-million-dollar regional CDBG
grant to continue the program in 2022.
In response to the high price of rental
housing and impact of COVID pandemic on
workers, the Housing Trust created a rental
assistance program funded with a CPA
grant and managed by Housing Assistance
Corporation. The Town also continues to
operate an affordable home ownership
buydown program funded through the CPA.
In 2018, the Town used CPA funds to purchase
an access parcel and officially designated the
16 acres of Town-owned land off Millstone
Road for community housing. Upon the
recommendation of the Brewster Housing
Trust, the Select Board accepted a proposal to
build a compact grouping of 45 energy efficient
affordable rental apartments which leaves
most of the property untouched. Partnerships
with non-profits and effectively using Chapter
approved the HPP update in July 2022;
state approval followed in August 2022
Key Issues Moving Forward
There is no single solution that will provide all
the needed housing options for our residents
and workforce. While the unanticipated
pandemic has shown how housing intertwines
with physical, economic, and community
health, the 2021 Cape Cod Sea Camps
purchase demonstrates the Town’s ability
to mobilize around a common goal. Looking
forward, the Town updated the Housing
Production Plan in 2022. The updated HPP
will help the Town better understand the
impacts of the pandemic, reassess the
housing needs, and retool strategies for
the next five years. A summary of the 2022
HPP is provided in Section 7. The lack of
a centralized or smaller scale wastewater
treatment infrastructure limits the development
potential of available land. Rehabilitation
and support programs will also be needed
to both create and preserve housing.
Opportunities ahead for increasing housing
options include expanded collaboration
with Town and community entities, as well
as an ongoing commitment to funding.
Additional possibilities exist for joint work
with conservation and environmental groups
as well as businesses and the Chamber
of Commerce. Zoning remains an area of
potential housing opportunity, including
reassessing the current ADU bylaw provisions.
44 45Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
LOCAL ECONOMY
Background and Current Status
The 2017 Vision Planning 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 workshop 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 - According
to the 2019 Cape Cod
Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (CEDS),
the dominant industries in the
region are related to Cape
Cod’s seasonal economy
and retiree population:
17% in healthcare, 16% in
accommodations and food
services, and 16% in retail trade
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
at $44,979. Forty-six percent of Brewster’s workforce
was employed in management, professional, and related
industries, in comparison with the County at 36.7%.
Brewster had a total of 314 business establishments
with average wages of $44,998. The majority (68.5%)
of these establishments employed 1–4 employees.
Local Demographics - Brewster, like much of Cape Cod,
is populated by a mixture of working families, retirees,
summer residents, and visitors. Brewster’s median
age is 54.3 years, compared to 53.3 for Barnstable
County as a whole. In 2022, Brewster’s population
is 9,716 (2022 Town Census, Town Clerk, 8/15/2022)
with a total of 8,243 housing units. As noted in the
Land Use section, Brewster has one of the highest
percentages of total units that remain vacant for
seasonal or recreational use at 46% in 2022, compared
to 42% for Barnstable County as a whole. Forty-three
percent of the year-round residents in Brewster are
over 65 years old. With many adults now working up
to age 70, the working age population (between 25-70
years old) accounts for 55% of the total population.
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 rest of Cape Cod, 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
2017 ES-202 data via the Massachusetts Executive Office
of Labor and Workforce Development). Just under a
quarter of jobs on Cape Cod are in emerging industry
sectors including creative economy sectors, financial
and information sectors, and professional services and
technical services sectors, with wages around or above
the average for the region (Cape Cod Housing Market
Analysis. 2017. www.capecodcommission.org/housing).
Based on the 2017 Cape Cod Housing Market Analysis,
average wages in all of the top seven Cape Cod
sectors—accommodation and food services, retail
trade, healthcare, professional and technical services,
construction, local government, and administrative/
waste services are below the amount of household
income per year required to afford a median
priced house in the region. Only the highest paid
employees within the county’s major employment
categories were able to afford owning a house in
2015 (Cape Cod Housing Market Analysis. 2017. www.
capecodcommission.org/housing). Household income
has not kept up with rising costs of housing on Cape
Cod, an issue that will be greatly exacerbated given
the forecasted trends in population and employment.
Local Economy - According to the 2019 CEDS,
Brewster’s top three employment sectors are in education
and health services (39%), leisure and hospitality
(22%), and construction (9%). Based on the Cape
Cod Commission’s Data Cape Cod portal, Brewster’s
2019 median household income was $75,321. The
unemployment rate in 2019 was 2.9% with average wages
46 Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
do for the region. 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 Brewster as an eco-
tourism center and builds on “green” opportunities
such as recycling and biking. As noted in the Climate
Mitigation and Adaptation section, the Town has
taken important steps in creating many elements of a
green economy through its policies and initiatives.
Recent Actions by the Town
The FY21-22 Brewster Select Board Strategic Plan
included actions under the Local Economy Building
Block to complete and launch an electronic permitting
platform and guide to doing business in Brewster
to assist residents, contractors, and businesses in
navigating local permitting processes. In addition, the
FY21-22 Strategic Plan included an action to consider
designating Underpass Road as a District of Critical
Planning Concern with the Cape Cod Commission.
This action would allow the Town time to plan for the
future development and redevelopment of this area as
an economic development district. In addition, the Town
acquisition of the Cape Cod Sea Camps properties gives
the Town control over future land uses and economic
development opportunities for these key assets.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Brewster has an opportunity to review and revise
local bylaws and investment strategies to meet its
economic and community development goals. With
a 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.
Development of Town Center(s) with the necessary
infrastructure, services, and mix of uses can help to
maintain Brewster’s community character, protect natural
resources, and open space, and provide opportunities
for local businesses that provide basic necessities
for residents as well as visitors. Planned or proposed
public facilities including a community center will
also play a key role in Town Center development.
Brewster’s economic challenges include the high cost
of housing, low wages, and funding for appropriate
infrastructure, including green infrastructure investments
to protect natural resources. Addressing Brewster’s
housing needs will require multiple strategies including
implementation of the updated 2022 HPP. The lack
of existing centralized or smaller scale wastewater
treatment limits the development potential of available
land and will require creative solutions by the Town
to focus infrastructure development in locations
where it can be supported without compromising
natural resources or community character.
48 49Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes
COASTAL MANAGEMENT
Background and Current Status
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 2017 Vision Planning workshops, 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. Nor’easters
have damaged parking
areas and eroded the
coastal dunes and beaches
in some of these locations,
prompting improvements to
Paine’s Creek, Ellis Landing,
and 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. The Strategy
presumes a sea level rise of one foot in 20 years.
Building on the Coastal Adaptation Strategy, the Brewster
Coastal Committee completed the Brewster Coastal
Resource Management Plan (CRMP). Phase I has
specific recommendations on improving and protecting
coastal access, incorporating the guiding principles, and
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.
The Town owns 12 access points to coastal beaches
(landings): 10 beaches with public parking areas,
one new purchase (the 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.
From an access standpoint, the Town maintains
approximately 440 parking spots across all landings,
including dedicated handicap parking spaces and bike
racks and other facilities during the summer months.
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
50 51Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
52 53Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
The Town has added 110 upland parking spaces for
access to Crosby Landing. The Town has begun public
outreach and discussion about a potential elevated
walkway linking Wing Island and its coastal beach to
Town-owned conservation land and Drummer Boy Park.
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
Cape Cod Sea Camps bayside property, with 800 feet of
shoreline that extends to the Spruce Hills beach. Public
access to this beach for residents was provided in 2022
through the development of an interim parking area.
The Town also completed a Hazard Mitigation Plan
Update in 2021 that was approved by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a result,
the Town is eligible for funding under FEMA guidelines
for mitigation measures that reduce disaster losses.
In November 2021, Brewster Town Meeting approved a
new stormwater bylaw to better manage parcel-specific
stormwater changes associated with development and
to meet the Town’s “MS4” permit requirements under
state and federal law. At this same Town Meeting,
voters approved changes to the town’s floodplain
district incorporating state planning guidance.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Existing and future coastal and climate processes
indicate that Brewster’s coastal resources are
under threat. The Town is faced with the challenge
of accommodating access to its coastal resources
that has been impacted and could potentially be
reduced by coastal and climate processes. Ongoing
development and redevelopment of existing
properties along the shoreline is also a concern.
With the projected significant acceleration of sea level
rise in the next 30 years, it is not clear if Brewster’s
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 could consider updating the 2015 Century Scale
Sediment Budget (prepared by the Provincetown
center for Coastal Studies) in collaboration with
Dennis, Orleans, and Eastham. Brewster also
participated in a 2021 effort by the Cape Cod
Commission to review current land use regulations
and to develop a model coastal resiliency by-law.
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.
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 Creek, Ellis, and Breakwater Landings where
pavement was moved further from the ocean edge.
In February 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) released its Sea Level Rise
Technical Report. 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 Brewster’s seven miles of coast have historically and
recently been exposed to storm surge impacts, including
dune wash over, flooding, and significant erosion. Based
on the Center for Coastal Studies’ 2015 Century Scale
Sediment Budget, 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.
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. Survey
results from the 2016 Coastal Adaptation Strategy
confirmed broad support for the Brewster’s coastal
resources among all age groups and resident status.
54 55Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
WATER RESOURCES
Background and Current Status
Brewster residents value the town’s water
resources and recognize that they are an integral
part of the community’s character. In the 2017
Brewster Vision Planning workshops, residents
especially identified Brewster’s freshwater 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, including new
water quality performance
standards in the Town’s Water
Quality Review Bylaw.
In 2015, the Town completed
an Integrated Water Resource
Management Plan (IWRMP). A
2022 IWRMP update indicates
that Brewster’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. More than 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 1.0
mg/L, well below the federal standard of 10 mg/L.
This is a direct result of the limited 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 freshwater ponds in Brewster.
Based on the last summary of pond water data from
2009 developed by the University of Mass School for
Marine Science and Technology along with the Cape
Cod Commission (SMAST and CCC, September 2009),
five of these ponds have excellent water quality while
approximately 15 are classified as impaired due 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 and gardens.
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 Brewster only has limited
access to these coastal resources, the Town has an
56 57Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
obligation to reduce nitrogen inputs to
support the restoration of the estuaries.
Recent Actions by the Town
The Town continues to actively manage its
water resources. Collaboration with the
Brewster Conservation Trust and the Brewster
Ponds Coalition expands the Town’s ability
to manage and protect its water resources.
Specific actions over the last five years related
to the implementation of the IWRMP and
other Town initiatives are summarized below:
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. Between 2018 and 2020,
an additional 113 acres of land was preserved
to further protect drinking water quality. In
addition, the Town is monitoring drinking water
quality for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) that that have been found in other
drinking water systems on Cape Cod and are
associated with a variety of sources, including
firefighting foams, food packaging, skin care
and clothing products. To date, none of the
PFAS compounds have been detected in water
pumped from the Town’s water supply wells.
In 2016, the Town developed a Water
Resource Atlas for 43 of the freshwater
ponds in Brewster. The atlas highlights the
sensitive areas around each pond, including
the surface watershed, the groundwater
recharge area to each pond, and the septic
buffer around each pond. The atlas allows
residents to understand the land use around
each pond that affects water quality.
The Mill Ponds Management Plan developed
by SMAST (November 2014) provided
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, that were implemented by the Town.
These measures are helping to restore water
quality in both Upper and Lower Mill Ponds.
Brewster continues to work with Orleans,
Chatham, and Harwich to implement
the Pleasant Bay watershed permit and
reduce its nitrogen load to Pleasant
Bay. A study begun in August 2021 is
evaluating fertilizer application leaching
rates at the Captains Golf Course to inform
nitrogen management decisions.
In November 2021, the Town adopted a
stormwater bylaw that will improve how
stormwater is managed across Brewster.
need to reduce the current nitrogen inputs to
meet the total maximum daily loads (TMDLs)
established in the watershed under state and
federal law, but future inputs from increased
development will need to be managed.
The Town continues to monitor drinking water
quality for per and polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS) that that have been found in other
drinking water systems on Cape Cod and
could begin development of a response and
remediation plan for any future detections.
The Town is currently working to develop
an updated summary of water quality in the
major ponds in Brewster, utilizing the annual
monitoring data that has been collected
since the last summary report in 2009. In
2016, the Town, through Board of Health
Regulations, established a minimum 300’
septic leaching system setback from ponds.
The Town could consider further policies and
regulations related to pond setbacks in the
future. The Town could also consider pilot
programs for innovative alternative septic
system technologies that treat for phosphorus
in contributing areas around ponds.
These regulations will help ensure that
stormwater is treated prior to discharge,
using best management practices are used
to treat for nitrogen and phosphorus as well
as minimized sediments that could drain
into nearby surface waters. Regulations
and guidance documents that explain how
the bylaw will be implemented have been
adopted and promulgated by the Town.
Key Issues Moving Forward
In addition to the low-cost nitrogen
management practices being adopted at the
Captain’s Golf Course to lower the nitrogen
threshold, the Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit
requires that remaining load reductions
required can be met through the construction
of a neighborhood wastewater treatment
plant for a portion of the watershed, the
use of nitrogen reducing onsite system
treatment systems, or a nitrogen trade with
another watershed town. This cost could
be reduced based on the results of the golf
course fertilizer leaching rate study which
will be completed in 2023. The Pleasant
Bay Watershed Permit also requires that the
Town address nitrogen inputs from future
development in the watershed. Options
to manage future nitrogen inputs include
amendments to Town bylaws or regulations.
For the Herring River watershed, there is no
58 59Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
GOVERNANCE
Background and Current Status
In 2016, the Government Study Committee completed
its 2-year review of the Town’s organizational
structure, duties and responsibilities of various
Boards and Departments, and overall methods
of communication. The Committee’s final report
identified recommendations for the Town to consider,
ranging from the form of governance to the number of
boards and committees with overlapping charges.
Primary themes that emerged from the 2017 Vision
Planning workshops relative to Governance included:
• A desire for government to be more
transparent and customer-service oriented,
and to further embrace technology to
better communicate and engage citizens
in town-wide decision-making processes.
• A highly valued
school system that is
treasured by existing
residents and one
that attracts people
to Brewster; and
• An opportunity to
more proactively engage
both Brewster’s skilled
retiree population and
general citizens of every
age in Town affairs.
Recent Actions by the Town
The Town established a Charter Committee in 2019 to
address the structure and powers of Brewster town
government. The Charter was approved by the Select
Board and then by Town Meeting vote in Spring 2021.
The Select Board develops an annual Strategic Plan
with goals linked to the Vison Plan Building Blocks/
Goals to keep work aligned with the Vision Plan. The
Plan’s goals inform the Town’s ongoing and upcoming
policy and operational initiatives. A monitoring
matrix with general timeline, priorities, responsible
parties, and key stakeholders for each goal facilitates
accountability and tracking of progress. Significant
progress has been made on many priorities identified
in the Vision Plan as a result of this coordinated
effort. The Strategic Plan will similarly continue to
incorporate and implement the LCP Action Plan.
Several initiatives have been undertaken to
expand and improve communication to residents
about Town initiatives, plans and progress.
Town Website - The Town has long maintained a website
where current information is posted by Department,
as well as developed bulletin boards, informational
brochures, and an email list with more than 845 current
subscribers. The Town has also created dedicated
webpages such as Water Planning and Bay and Long
Pond Parcels where interested persons can learn
about specific projects. In response to public input,
a more user-friendly website has been designed
and developed, with launch anticipated in FY23.
Expanded Use of Media and Social Media - The
Town requires all Board and Committee meetings
to be presented live and/or recorded for viewing on
Government Channel 18 and online in an effort to
increase transparency and better inform the public of
governance processes and decisions. Recently, the
Town made the BGTV media resources available by
downloading the “Cablecast” app. Town livestream
and media are now available on various platforms.
Announcements are frequently posted on the Town’s
home page with links to recorded board and committee
meetings and posted on social media platforms including
Facebook and Twitter. Beginning with the start of the
COVID pandemic in 2020, the online meeting platform
ZOOM has been used for purposes of remote board
and committee meeting participation that is open to
the public for viewing and participation as appropriate.
Viewing is either live or by recording. In order to reach
a wider group of older residents, the Council on Aging
and Brewster Ladies Library expanded its online offerings
through taped presentations on BGTV and LCTV.
Other Online Communication Tools - Starting with
61Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D60Brewster Local Comprehensive Plan Community Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
FY23, the Town publishes the annual budget in a
user-friendly online format. The OpenGov platform
provides a dynamic, visual representation of Town
finances for citizens to better understand where
Town funds are being spent. Residents can view
budget details by department as well as current year
accomplishments and goals for the coming year.
The capital planning process will transition to this
platform in FY2023. Use of this platform is intended
to enhance transparency and public engagement.
Citizens Forums - The opportunity for residents to
raise issues and make announcements at many Town
Committee meetings was introduced through inclusion
of a “Citizens Forum” item on many standing meeting
agendas. Most Town Committees now have an
associated email address so that residents can provide
comments and questions directly to a committee.
Use of Public Forums - To improve communication
and community engagement around important issues
and projects, Town Administration offers public forums
to present information and/or progress reports on
such matters as an overview of warrant articles prior
to Town Meeting. Similar informational sessions are
provided through groups like the Brewster Community
Network and Brewster Chamber of Commerce.
Other Efforts - The vast majority of Town Committees
and Boards are staffed by volunteers. Volunteers also
help make Town Department programs very successful.
The Select Board has implemented procedures
This is reinforced through Town Administrator
quarterly meetings with staff and monthly
meetings with Department heads. Town
Administration and the Brewster Chamber
of Commerce cohost biannual meetings
with local business owners. The Town is also
launching an electronic permitting platform
to replace its paper-based applications for
Building, Health, and Planning Departments
to supplement online applications for beach,
recycling, and shellfish permits have been
implemented along with the FY23 use of
license plate reader technology at the transfer
station. To facilitate resident or business
owner communication with the appropriate
Department, a Town Hall “Greeter” position
was instituted in 2019, was discontinued per
assessment of low use and in response to
the pandemic, and then reinstated in 2022.
for Standing Committee appointments
to increase volunteerism. A “Citizens
Leadership Academy” is planned to support
volunteer recruitment and enhance volunteer
contributions. Managing volunteer programs
requires staff resources. A “Serve Your
Community” form to recruit new volunteers
is available on the Town website and
maintained by individual Town Departments
and Committees, but there is no central
database of volunteers. A central database
of volunteers would offer many advantages.
The Town has also launched several initiatives
to strengthen the customer service approach
to Town services, including staff training
in customer service, the 2021 adoption of
a pledge and training for Town officials to
enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Key Issues Moving Forward
While the Town has made substantial
progress since the 2018 Vision Plan, enhanced
communication, transparency, customer
service, and identifying methods for engaging
residents of all ages requires continued
attention and efforts. The Government
Study Committee recommended creating
a consolidated “Inspectional Services
Department” or a “Community Development
Department”, which may help to serve small
business interests and deliver more efficient
customer service through consolidated
permitting and inspections. The Town
may want to consider such a consolidated
department model for Brewster.
62 63Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
Background and Current Status
The term community infrastructure is meant to
encompass the variety of physical infrastructure
and facilities that the Town and other community
organizations provide for public purposes. Comments
received in the June 2017 Vision Planning workshops
demonstrated the considerable value of community
infrastructure for recreation, public gatherings, and
alternative transportation. The most frequently
mentioned infrastructure need was for a community
center combined with a new location for the Council
on Aging. Bike trails and sidewalks for recreation
and as a means of alternative transportation around
town were the second most frequently mentioned
infrastructure need. A survey of Eddy School students
also identified the need for active recreation sites
such as skateboard parks and swimming pools.
Community infrastructure
supports many of the other
Building Blocks, particularly
community character, economy,
and coastal management
(beach access). This section
will focus on the issues of the
community center, bike and
pedestrian ways, and active
recreation as high priorities.
A variety of facilities are currently used for public
meetings and gatherings, including the Ladies Library,
Brewster Baptist Church, Council on Aging, and Eddy
and Stony Brook Elementary Schools. Town Hall is used
primarily for official board and committee meetings.
There is no multi-purpose facility which allows a
variety of uses and interactions for all generations.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) stretches 7 miles
from south central Brewster to the northeast line with
Orleans, connecting to the entire 25 miles of paved bike/
pedestrian trail. Maintained by the Commonwealth’s
Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR),
the CCRT is one of the most actively used recreational
facilities in Brewster and serves as a centerpiece of
Brewster’s “green economy.” In the summer, it also
serves as a way for visitors and summer workers to get
around the town. A new access linking the Cape Cod
Rail Trail at Nickerson State Park to the bayside at Linnell
Landing has been designed and permitted, but funding
sources are yet to be determined. DCR also maintains
the numerous bike and hiking trails in Nickerson State
Park. There are 7 miles of sidewalks along Rt. 6A/Main
Street from Nickerson State Park to Stony Brook Road.
Re-paving of Underpass and Snow Roads also extended
sidewalks and created narrow bike lanes. Millstone
Road design work also includes pedestrian and bike
improvements. Chapter 90 funds will target Rte.137
from Rte. 6A/Main Street to the intersection of Rte. 124,
including re-surfacing, drainage improvements and
accommodating bike and pedestrian traffic. The main
64 65Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCommunity Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
challenge to expanding bike and pedestrian ways is
the narrow width of Brewster’s roads and the extent of
wetlands. Speed limits also dictate design standards
on major roads and require separation of vehicles and
pedestrians or bicyclists. Creating public access on
Brewster’s private roads can also be a challenge.
Town facilities for active recreation are spread out
throughout the town, including baseball and athletic
fields, community tennis and pickleball courts, and
playgrounds are located at Drummer Boy Park, the
Eddy Elementary School, and Stony Brook Elementary
School. Captain’s Golf Course is a significant
Town-owned community recreational facility and
a visitor attraction with public meeting space.
Recent Actions by the Town
A 2021 School Consolidation Study has proposed three
options for consolidation of the Eddy and Stony Brook
Elementary Schools and housed at an expanded Stony
Brook School. This would make the Eddy School available
for re-purposing. Further action will be determined by the
School Committee. The recent purchase of the former
Cape Cod Sea Camps properties, particularly the Bay
Parcel on Rte. 6A/ Main Street, offers significant potential
as a location for a community center, as well as beach
access and a variety of recreation activities. The Town
has established Planning Committees for both the Bay
and Long Pond Parcels to develop comprehensive plans.
The Town updates and implements a Pavement
Management Plan (PMP) on a regular basis to prioritize
funding for improvements to Town roadways including
bicycle and pedestrian facilities. A 2016 report prepared
by the Brewster Bikeways Committee identifies
alternative biking routes for transportation and recreation,
proposes safety improvements, and recommends public
education measures. In 2017, Town Meeting approved
$100,000 for the installation of warning lights at the
four CCRT crossings in town to enhance safety at the
crossings. The Town also completed a Beach Access
strategy, which includes expanding bike and pedestrian
access to Town landings as a way to reduce the
need for more beachfront parking. A CCRT spur from
Nickerson State Park to Cape Cod Bay is also planned
to expand bike and pedestrian access to the beach.
In January 2020, the Select Board approved a
Complete Streets Policy to accommodate all users
by creating a context-sensitive roadway network that
meets the needs of individuals utilizing a variety of
transportation modes. The Policy directs decision-
makers to consistently plan, design, construct, and
maintain roadways to accommodate all anticipated
users. Private ways may be exempted from this
requirement upon approval by the Select Board with
consultation from appropriate Town Departments.
The updated Master Plan for Drummer Boy Park was
approved by Town Meeting in 2021. Town Meeting
also approved funds to improve accessibility at the
Freemans Way fields. As noted elsewhere in the
LCP, the Bay and Long Pond Parcels represent a
significant opportunity for active recreation facilities.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Priority community facilities and infrastructure needs for
the coming years include implementation of the Master
Plan for Drummer Boy Park; future consideration of
consolidation of the Eddy and Stony Brook Elementary
Schools; and identification of a location for a multi-
generational community center. Future development
of the Bay and Long Pond Parcels offers a unique
opportunity for the Town to consider a variety of potential
uses for the property to meet multiple Town needs.
Continued expansion of bike and pedestrian trails and
paths to provide alternatives to automobile travel as well
as recreational opportunities for residents and visitors
is a key component of Brewster’s vision and goals. The
Town will continue to consider the Complete Streets
design as appropriate in future repaving projects.
66 67Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Background and Current Status
Solid waste management is a critical activity designed
to protect human health and the environment while
providing a service at a reasonable cost and supporting
the economy. Many municipalities, including Brewster,
have assumed this important management role
by providing either a transfer station or curbside
collection. New regulations adopted at the state level
resulted in the Town initiating the lengthy process of
closing its landfill. The current transfer station building
was built in 1988 and designed for trash hauling.
The SEMASS Partnership Agreement signed in 1985 by
the Town of Brewster with other Cape Towns reduced the
amount of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to trash
disposal while generating electricity. The initial 30-year
contracts required that all waste be delivered to SEMASS
either via the “trash train” or by direct haul. The SEMASS
Partnership Agreement was
originally due to expire in
2015. The SEMASS facility
was constructed, owned, and
operated by Energy Answers
Corporation until it was
acquired by Covanta in 2008.
In 1990, the MassDEP
introduced waste bans on
many recyclable items as
well as those containing toxic
Community Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
continue to be successful and desired by permit
users. The Swap Shop rules were re-drafted, resulting
in more materials being diverted from Brewster’s
waste stream. Waste practices at all Town offices and
facilities were evaluated, and a recycling program was
established at all beaches and recreational areas.
Several Town bylaws have been passed including a
ban on single-use plastic bags and the sale of single-
use plastic bottled water by Brewster businesses,
and a ban on single-use bottled water by Town
Departments. Additional textile recycler options
are being brought on board in advance of a new
textile waste ban effective November 2022. Prior to
the pandemic, the Brewster Recycling Commission
was continually active in community outreach to
promote better management of household waste.
Key Issues Moving Forward
There are two major challenges facing good
solid waste management in Brewster:
1. Changes in the recycling industry as
to what and how to recycle; and
2. Re-education of patrons regarding the
importance of these changes.
The recycling industry must continually adapt to new
materials and new ways to manage those materials.
To process materials effectively at MRFs (Material
Recovery Facilities), a combination of mechanical and
human separation is necessary. For the system to
work effectively, residents must follow the Recycling
Guide to maximize what can and should be recycled.
As an alternative to providing solid waste management
through the Recycling Center, the Town could
choose to use total curbside collection for trash and
recyclables, and compliance could be better. However,
there is a significant cost to town-wide collection
and a feeling of loss of control by homeowners.
To maximize recycling, reuse activities, and reduction
of the amount of waste generated by Brewster’s
homeowners, the following can be considered:
1. Recycling Center user-wide survey (based
on permits) to determine the most effective
method of communication so that changes in
procedures can take quickly place when most
economically advantageous to the Town; and
2. A local on-going multi-media campaign
covering what, why and how to recycle
typical household materials.
materials. Once introduced, the Town began its recycling
program in earnest, while continuing to send its residual,
non-recyclable waste, to SEMASS for energy production.
In parallel with negotiations with SEMASS for a new
agreement in 2010, the Recycling Commission began
discussing ways to reduce how much of Brewster’s waste
was sent to SEMASS. The new contract negotiated by
the Town and effective January 01, 2011, allowed for any
legitimate waste reduction, reuse, or recycling program
to be implemented with no penalty. The Town chose to
renegotiate 5 years early to keep future tip fees in check
by providing stable, below market rates until 2030. In
addition, commercial waste haulers were prohibited
from using the transfer station effective January 1, 2011.
Recent Actions by the Town
The Town implemented Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT)
in 2013 as a means of increasing recycling and
decreasing the volume of trash for disposal and re-
branded the transfer station to the Brewster Recycling
Center. During the first full year, the PAYT program
resulted in a 47% reduction in waste for transport to
SEMASS for energy recovery and an increase of 26%
recycling. Since the introduction of PAYT, the Town has
continued to derive benefit from the program, despite
COVID and the increase in the Town’s population.
The Town has added organics recycling, to help decrease
the amount of material that is sent off-site for combustion.
and separation of newsprint and glass to save money
and better manage these materials. Collections for
e-waste, hazardous waste, mattresses, and yard waste
68 69Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION
Background and Current Status
According to the July 2021 Cape Cod Climate Action
Plan, climate change is an unprecedented challenge
that is transforming Cape Cod. Rising seas and
changes to the coastline are the most dramatic
evidence of climate change, but a changing climate
is also impacting every facet of Cape Cod’s natural,
built, and community systems. Our land use patterns,
and way of living dictate our greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, the leading cause of the climate crisis.
Dedicated and immediate actions at the state, regional
and local level are necessary to slow the effects of
climate change and improve the region’s resiliency
to its impacts. By the end of the century, damage
to Cape Cod’s buildings and land lost to inundation
from sea level rise alone could total over $30 billion.
In response, the Massachusetts
Clean Energy and Climate
Plan and climate policy call
for dramatic reductions in
GHG emissions including
a 50% reduction in carbon
emissions by 2030 and a net
zero carbon emission target for
2050. The Cape Cod Climate
Action Plan and 2018 Cape
Cod Regional Policy Plan
identify goals and policies as
well as strategies and actions to reduce GHG emissions
for Cape communities and enhance local and regional
resiliency to present and future climate threats.
The Town of Brewster has taken important steps in
adopting local policies designed to support attainment
of statewide GHG targets and regional goals for climate
mitigation, specifically addressing the municipal
stationary and transportation energy sources. The Town
adopted a Climate Change and Net Zero Emissions
Resolution in October 2020, to reduce net greenhouse
gas and the Town’s vulnerability to climate change.
Brewster’s 2019 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness
Summary of Findings report documents climate and
weather-related challenges in recent years. Intense
rainstorms in 2017 and 2018 caused street flooding,
coastal flooding, coastal erosion, storm surge,
power outages and major travel disruptions. Low
lying roadways and access points to Town beaches
often flood during king tides (e.g., especially high
spring tide). Brewster can expect to experience
more severe events in the years to come in addition
to rising sea levels due to climate change.
Recent Actions by the Town
The following are specific actions the Town has taken
to support the newly adopted Brewster Climate Change
and Net Zero Emissions Resolution and Town policy
objectives on reduction of GHG emissions and to
address the town’s vulnerability to climate change.
Energy Reduction Measures
• Board of Building Regulations and
Standards Stretch Energy Code (2019)
minimizes the life-cycle cost of new
construction by utilizing energy efficiency,
water conservation and other renewable/
alternative energy technologies. The Stretch
Energy Code applies to all new residential
and commercial construction in the town.
• The Town-Wide Energy Reduction
Plan includes a summary of municipal
energy uses and short- and long-term
plans for municipal energy reduction.
The majority of energy consumed is
by municipal buildings (60%). The
remaining usage includes vehicles (30%)
and utility pumping (10%). The goal is
to reduce baseline energy consumption
by twenty (20) percent by FY2023.
Green Communities Designation
• Brewster was designated as a
Massachusetts Green Community
in 2020 under the Massachusetts
Department of Energy Resources
(DOER) Green Communities Act of
2008. Grant funds through the Green
Communities program were awarded
for energy conservation measures
such as programmable thermostats,
an energy management system, heat
pump water heater, and demand control
ventilation in Municipal Buildings.
• The Town has completed several solar
projects with funding from the Cape and
Vineyard Electric Cooperative, including
3.18628 total MW of solar generating
facilities located on four municipal
properties: the transfer station, the Stony
Brook and Eddy Schools; and the Captains
Golf Course and driving range. The total
revenues and savings to the Town through
leases and off-taking arrangements with
other municipal facilities is approximately
$273,772.06 (FY22). The total energy
savings to the town from the rooftop solar
installations on Stony Brook and Eddy
Elementary Schools is 256,345.61 kWh
(FY22). Carport solar canopies over the golf
course parking lots produce an estimated
740,291 kWh annually, saving approximately
523 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent and providing the Town with
more than $40,000 annually in revenue.
• The Town’s long-standing commitment
to open space protection has helped
sequester carbon by protecting forested
lands as a natural carbon sink.
Community Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
70 71Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
Complete Streets
• Brewster adopted a Complete Streets Policy
in 2020 to encourage safe and accessible
options for all modes of travel including
less personal vehicle travel, a significant
source of GHG emissions, and more
opportunity for walking, biking, and transit.
Key Issues Moving Forward
The Town is in the process of converting municipal
vehicle fleets to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or
vehicles using cleaner fuels. For municipal vehicles that
will not be converted to electric in the near-term, the
Town could also consider the use of hybrid vehicles or
cleaner fuels, as available. The Town is also reviewing
methods to convert the conventional heating system in
the Stony Brook School to cold weather heat pumps.
There are three private electric vehicle charging stations
in Brewster. The Town could pursue resources and
programs to support development of additional electric
vehicle charging stations in appropriate locations to help
reduce the local GHG emissions in support of State goals.
The Town is considering opportunities to
sequester carbon by focusing future development
(including a Town Center) in mixed-use centers
of housing, economic activity, and services and
away from areas that are undeveloped.
The Town employs a part-time energy manager
through Cape Light Compact to analyze the energy
uses of the Town and finding ways to save money and
reduce dependency on fossil fuels as appropriate. The
Town could consider performing energy assessments
on all municipal buildings and work with the Cape
Light Compact to access available programs.
The Town could also consider pursuing adoption of
small-scale community solar at appropriate locations.
The CCC created an online screening tool to identify
areas in Barnstable County that may be appropriate
for large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects and
those areas that may be less appropriate due to
potential impacts to natural resources. This tool could
be used as a starting point to help inform the siting
of potential solar PV projects. More information on
the solar screening tool can be found here: https://
www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/model-solar-
bylaw/. Brewster is also working with the Cape Cod
Commission on updating and strengthening local
bylaws to better address coastal development and
redevelopment with the goal of building coastal resiliency.
Community Goals and Purposes Community Goals and Purposes
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05Community Strategies & Actions
75Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D74Brewster Local Comprehensive Plan
The following Action Plan is proposed to achieve
Building Block goals over the next 10+ years. The
actions identified are not intended to be a complete
list of all that the Town could do but does include
the most important actions essential to advance the
corresponding goals. While a large and ambitious
number of actions are presented, priorities for
implementation will be identified during the Select
Board’s annual strategic planning exercise.
The list of actions has been drawn from
numerous sources including the following:
• Actions from the Vision Plan that
have not yet been implemented.
• Recommendations from implementing
stakeholders and public comments
about current needs.
• Recommendations from the summary
papers about trends and needs; and
• Results of the Brewster’s Next
Steps survey gauging public
support for individual actions.
Actions were also established and
included in consideration of:
• Presenting a level of specificity appropriate
for a high-level land use plan, i.e., enough
specificity to provide policy direction for
future implementation, but with sufficient
flexibility not to impede or foreclose
successful future implementation
• The feasibility of implementation.
• A fair representation of the full
spectrum of comments and opinions
received throughout the entire
comprehensive planning process; and
• The opportunity to provide benefits
across multiple Building Blocks.
As the final phase of Action Plan development, the draft
list of actions was reviewed and refined by workshops
of key Town Departments and local organizations to
assess the accuracy, relevancy, and ability to implement
each action. This vital part of the process helped
ensure that the capacity and commitment to implement
the Action Plan will make the LCP a living plan.
The Action Plan is presented by Building Block, a concept
established by the 2018 Vision Plan, with corresponding
Community goals, purposes, and a broad array of
proposed actions to achieve those the Community’s
vision, goals and purposes. While the Building Blocks
are presented separately, the Town recognizes that
they are, in fact, highly interrelated and should not be
treated in a stove-pipe manner. Action in one Building
Block should help advance the goals of the others.
SECTION 4THE ACTION PLAN - BUILDING BLOCK GOALS, PURPOSES, AND ACTIONS
Strategies and ActionsCommunity Goals and Purposes
At the same time, given the breadth of Brewster’s
goals and the large number of actions to achieve them,
there will be inevitable tensions or conflicts between
actions. It will be the responsibility of the Select Board
and other commissions and committees to strike
the necessary balance to resolve those tensions and
achieve the community’s vision for the future. Further,
the actions presented in this plan will require discussion
among Town decision-makers and other stakeholders
as to how and when specific actions are implemented.
These discussions will take into account changing
circumstances, available Town resources, the regulatory
framework, and other conditions and challenges.
76 77Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DStrategies and Actions
GOAL: Sustain and foster Brewster’s
historic and archeological values,
rural nature, small town feel, and
socially inclusive spirit and vitality
PURPOSE 1: Provide social
opportunities and services for all
Actions:
CC6. Support existing regulations and educate
the public on building and site design along
Rte. 6A/Main Street and in the historic
district to preserve historic character.
CC7. Incorporate sensitivity for historic
resources into the design of Town projects.
CC8. Investigate the need for a Demolition Delay
Bylaw and implement if supported and feasible.
Actions:
CC1.Expand and enhance service programming
for all, including at the Bay and Long Pond
Parcels and the Brewster Ladies Library and
by continuing to pursue the potential for a
multi-generational community center.
CC2. Identify, develop, and support new services as
needed, building on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
CC3. Ensure that school facilities and activities
meet the needs of young families.
CC4. Increase accessibility to all
Town activities and facilities.
CC5. Evaluate provision of financial support for Pre-K
programs to attract and retain young families.
PURPOSE 2: Maintain Brewster’s
historic heritage and style
PURPOSE 3: Maintain Brewster’s
small-town feel and scale through
appropriate planning and design
Actions:
CC9. Explore the establishment of Town Center(s)
and/or the identification of activity centers.
CC10. Explore and establish appropriate design
and development controls for designated or
identified Town Center(s) and/or activity centers,
including to address parking demands and
pedestrian and bicycle accommodations.
CC11. Explore and establish potential desirable land
uses within designated or identified Town Center(s)
and/or activity centers, including mixed use residential.
COMMUNITY CHARACTER (CC)
Strategies and Actions
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WATER RESOURCES (WR)
GOAL: Protect Brewster’s freshwater
system to preserve high quality drinking
water and maintain or improve the
health of our ponds, wetlands and
their buffers, and marine watersheds
OVERARCHING PURPOSE: Continue
to update and implement the Integrated
Water Resources Management Plan
PURPOSE 1: Protect town drinking
water supply areas by continuing open
space acquisition and other measures
Actions:
WR1. Continue land purchases to protect the
drinking water and limit further development
around land that protects the aquifer;
coordinate with neighboring towns.
WR2. Consider further strengthening drinking
water supply protection in industrial zones.
WR3. Evaluate other actions to protect
drinking water from the impacts of other land
uses, including testing for PFAS and other
contaminants of emerging concern.
WR4. Continue to educate and communicate with
the public about water conservation practices
and programs to ensure adequate quantity
and quality of the drinking water supply.
PURPOSE 2: Improve pond water
quality through public education,
regulation, mitigation activities, and
non-financial incentives; evaluate
management and financing options
Actions:
WR5. Promote and research, including through
pilot programs, the use of innovative septic systems
and other non-traditional wastewater management
models; develop financial management assistance
programs and/or non-financial incentives; and
evaluate management and financing options.
WR6. Explore the feasibility of cluster sewage
treatment systems for multifamily housing areas
and neighborhoods that will impact pond water
quality where supported by sufficient density.
WR7. Fully implement the stormwater bylaw and
share further information with the public.
WR8. Continue to update pond water
quality data and report to the public.
WR9. Educate the public on water quality
issues and what people can do to make
a difference in their own homes.
WR10. Pursue land acquisition to
protect pond water quality.
Actions:
WR11. Evaluate the maximum build-out in the
Pleasant Bay and Herring River watersheds
and its impact on water quality; consider
regulations to mitigate build-out impacts.
WR12. Promote and research, including through
pilot programs, the use of innovative septic systems
and other non-traditional wastewater management
models, develop financial management assistance
programs and/or non-financial incentives, and
evaluate management and financing options.
WR13. Explore the feasibility of cluster sewage
treatment systems for multifamily and other
neighborhoods that will impact marine watershed
water quality, where supported by sufficient density.
WR14. Continue exploring nitrogen
reduction practices on golf courses.
WR15. Pursue land acquisition to protect
marine watersheds water quality.
Strategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
PURPOSE 3: Protect water quality
in marine watersheds through
public education, regulation,
and mitigation activities
80 81Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DStrategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
OPEN SPACE (OS)
GOAL: Maintain and expand open
space assets to provide passive
recreation, protect fragile plant and
wildlife habitat, protect water resources,
and contribute to carbon sequestration
PURPOSE 1: Improve public
access to, and expand recreational
area use of, open space
Actions:
OS1. Continue to acquire open space, recognizing
varied purposes such as the importance of
recreation, the potential for establishing or
extending trail networks, habitat benefits and
the positive effect of woodlands in climate
mitigation as criteria for land acquisition.
OS2. Develop an integrated trail system for the
Long Pond Woodlands and the Long Pond Parcel.
OS3. Continue to improve public education
and information, including guides and signage,
about access to, accessibility improvements,
and locations of town open space assets.
PURPOSE 2: Prioritize
environmentally sensitive
areas for preservation
PURPOSE 3: Maintain
open space through
density and development
standards
PURPOSE 4: Maintain
open space assets for
public resource values
Actions:
OS4. Continue to prioritize
land acquisition in public
drinking water supply areas.
OS5. Formalize the criteria
to evaluate open space
acquisitions and use.
OS6. Emphasize and educate
about the importance of pond
and fragile habitat protection.
Actions:
OS7. Revise regulations and
bylaws to direct growth toward
areas with infrastructure, public
services, economic activities,
and transport, and away from
environmentally sensitive areas.
OS8. Develop design standards
to prevent fragmentation of
environmentally sensitive areas.
Actions:
OS9. Develop and maintain
an inventory of all protected
open space in town.
OS10. Develop and implement
stewardship plans for Town-
owned open spaces.
82 83Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
HOUSING (HO)
GOAL: Provide more
affordable, attainable,
accessible, safe, and fair
housing, and support
residents to maintain and
preserve their current
housing in order to
remain in the community
PURPOSE 1: Achieve
the Commonwealth’s
goal of 10% affordable
housing by 2027
Actions:
HO1. Implement the 2022 Housing
Production Plan (HPP) Update.
HO2. Collaborate with existing
local and regional groups to
conduct public forums educating
the general public on what
affordable housing is and why
it is important in Brewster.
HO3. Work collaboratively
with other towns to
increase opportunities for
affordable housing.
Strategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
PURPOSE 2: Establish
attainable housing by
promoting housing
choices to allow families,
single individuals, older
adults, and seasonal and
year-round workers to
live, work, and prosper
in the community
HO11. Evaluate the acquisition
of land by the Town for housing,
including for joint purposes
such as open space uses.
HO12. Encourage housing in
areas near transportation, public
services, and economic activities.
HO13. Explore potential housing
programs, opportunities,
and funding for those
earning 80% to 120% of Area
Median Income (AMI).
HO14. Consider programs
and regulatory amendments
to allow for and support
seasonal workforce housing.
of community housing, including
incentives for year-round rentals.
HO7. Work collaboratively
with other towns to
increase opportunities for
attainable housing.
HO8. Review and evaluate the
zoning bylaw with the aim of
promoting more opportunities as
appropriate for various types and
forms of housing, including two-
family residential/duplex; multi-
unit/multi-family residential; and
mixed-use residential development.
HO9. Prioritize and incentivize
the adaptive reuse of existing
buildings for housing.
HO10. Evaluate the use of Town-
owned properties for creative
housing solutions, including
reuse of Town-owned buildings
for housing such as the former
dormitories on the Bay Parcel.
PURPOSE 3: Preserve
existing year-
round housing
Actions:
HO4. Review and consider
revising, as appropriate, the
zoning bylaw to clarify/allow
mixed use developments.
HO5. Evaluate the Accessory
Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw
provisions to improve efficacy,
explore incentives for a greater
number of ADUs, and connect
owners to community resources
to provide support and assistance
in developing ADUs.
HO6. Support creative funding
and collaborative partnerships
(public/private) in the development
Actions:
HO15. Promote ability for residents
to transition to different forms of
housing and remain in Brewster
over a lifetime by providing a
wide range of housing choices.
HO16. Explore solutions to allow
residents to age in place, including
funding or subsidizing building
adaptations, support programs, co-
housing, and co-pairing situations.
HO17. Evaluate the ADU bylaw
provisions to improve efficacy,
explore incentives for a greater
number of ADUs, and connect
owners to community resources
to provide support and assistance
in developing ADUs.
HO18. Support creative funding
and collaborative partnerships
(public/private) in the preservation
of community housing, including
incentives for year-round rentals.
HO19. Analyze the impacts of
short-term rental operations
in town and consider adopting
policies, regulations, or programs
to govern or document short-
term rental operations.
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COASTAL MANAGEMENT (CM)
GOAL: In the context
of coastal change,
preserve and protect
Brewster’s coastal
resources, expand public
access, and minimize
the vulnerabilities from
coastal hazards Actions:
CM1. Evaluate and implement local
coastal resiliency by-laws and
regulations to protect or preserve
the scale of development, visual
character and resources in
the town’s coastal areas.
CM2. Establish a uniform
definition of the 100-year coastal
floodplain for local regulations.
CM3. Increase public awareness
of the importance of healthy
coastal wetlands and natural
processes, and of the need to
protect these resource areas.
PURPOSE 1: Protect
coastal resources in ways
that preserve coastal
ecosystems and the
character of the town and
coastal neighborhoods
PURPOSE 2: Maintain and
expand public access to
the coast for all through
public consensus
Actions:
CM4. Explore and evaluate
the need for, and feasibility of,
alternative transport and off-site
parking options for the town’s
coastal beaches and landings.
CM5. Continue to implement the
Drummer Boy Park Master Plan.
CM6. Evaluate, explore, and
advance opportunities to preserve
or enhance public access to the
shoreline and coastal beaches.
Strategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
CM7. Provide interim access and
complete long-term planning
for beach access at First Light
Beach on the Bay Parcel.
CM8. Support those with mobility
challenges by preserving public
viewsheds and vistas to coastal
resource areas and by evaluating
opportunities for enhancing
mobility access at beach landings.
PURPOSE 3: Adapt
to climate change
projections and
advance adaptation and
resiliency techniques
that are financially
and environmentally
sustainable
Actions:
CM9. Periodically assess coastal
resource conditions for comparison
to baseline conditions and
on a regional scale, including
sediment budget update, storm
tide pathways, and a regional
framework for resilience.
CM10. Explore regulatory
options for managed retreat of
existing development from high-
risk coastal resource areas.
CM11. Explore and evaluate
the need for, and feasibility
of, potential retreat parking,
including for Paine’s Creek
and Mant’s Landings.
PURPOSE 4: Provide
access for coastal water
dependent activities
Actions:
CM12. Provide access for
commercial aquaculture by
updating regulations, evaluating
the designation of an Aquaculture
Development Area, and analyzing
the costs and benefits of expanding
shell fishing and aquaculture.
CM13. Provide opportunities for
commercial shellfish harvesting
by updating regulations.
CM14. Expand propagation
and other activities to support
recreational shell fishing.
CM15. Manage competing uses at
town landings and mooring areas.
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PURPOSE 2: Maintain and attract
small businesses compatible with
the Town’s character and promote
year-round employment
Actions:
LE5. Review and revise bylaws and
regulations to allow a greater variety of small
business, including in-home businesses,
compatible with the Town’s character.
LE6. Build public awareness/understanding of
the concept of form-based zoning. Consider
form-based zoning for centers of activity that
would focus on the physical form of development
rather than on the type of business.
LE7. Develop a guide to doing business for local
businesses in Brewster, including permitting guidance.
LE8. Continue to implement online permitting
to clarify and simplify the permitting process.
Strategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
LOCAL ECONOMY (LE)
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 opportunities
PURPOSE 1: Preserve and enhance
Brewster’s economy based on the
Town’s natural and cultural resources
Actions:
LE1. Develop an economic development strategy
that builds on Brewster’s natural, cultural, and
human resources and aims to maintain existing small
businesses and attract new small businesses.
LE2. Work proactively with the Brewster
Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders
to refine a common marketing strategy.
LE3. Provide more information, including signage and
online material, to help visitors find their way to public
resources, businesses, and other amenities in town.
LE4. Support designated or identified Town
Center(s) and/ or activity centers through
Town or other public capital investments.
88 89Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
GOAL: Provide an inclusive
Town government that
encourages participation by all
residents by engaging in two-
way communication, expanding
volunteer opportunities, and
providing customer friendly service
PURPOSE 1: Continue to communicate
Town plans and activities to residents
PURPOSE 2: Expand the volunteer base
to increase the use of citizen expertise
and build diversity in decision-making
PURPOSE 3: Continue to
strengthen the customer service
approach to Town services
GOVERNANCE (GO)
Actions:
GO1. Develop a written Communications
Plan to better inform residents and local
businesses about Town affairs.
GO2. Continue to provide news and
announcements on the Town website
and through social and other media.
GO3. Provide updated and relevant information
on the Town website, including Town finances,
projects, permitting processes, and other initiatives.
Actions:
GO4. Develop and launch a Citizens Leadership
Academy to help introduce residents to government
services and volunteer opportunities.
GO5. Continue the use of town-wide activities and ad
hoc committees to engage residents in Town affairs.
GO6. Develop a central database of volunteers to
assist with recruitment of qualified volunteers across
all Town Departments and appointed Committees.
GO7. Acknowledge contributions of Brewster
residents to Town or public affairs and recognize
volunteers when they complete their commitment
or at other important junctures of volunteer life.
GO8. Continue to partner with community
organizations on matters of public importance.
Actions:
GO9. Develop a resource section on the Town
website that includes educational materials,
including videos (e.g., by link to Vimeo, BGTV
or LCTV files) and fact sheets on topics such as
responsibilities of Town Departments, zoning,
permitting, ADUs, and other matters of high interest.
GO10. Develop a ‘How-to Guide’ for homeowners
to explain permitting processes.
Strategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
90 91Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DStrategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
GOAL: Maintain and
enhance town infrastructure
in an environmentally and
economically sustainable way that
supports government services,
opportunities for community
interaction, the local economy
and culture, public health, multi-
modal transportation options, and
expanded recreational opportunities
OVERARCHING PURPOSE: This goal,
the Town’s Capital Plan, and the Select
Board’s Strategic Plan shall inform
one another and shall be applied in
harmony and aligned with one another
PURPOSE 2: Provide enhanced
recreational opportunities,
access, and facilities for all
PURPOSE 3: Plan and design traditional
infrastructure projects like road
improvements and maintenance to
best serve the needs of the overall
community, limit environmental
impacts, and balance fiscal impacts
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE (CI)
PURPOSE 1: Plan and design Town
building and construction projects to
benefit the broad cross-section of all
users and interests in the community
Actions:
CI5. Develop a town-wide plan for expanding bike
and pedestrian paths and sidewalks, possibly
including road improvement priorities, reducing
speed limits, a Complete Streets design which
is compatible with Brewster’s character, and/
or non-road-based path opportunities.
CI6. Pursue the development of the Cape Cod Rail
Trail (CCRT) extension from Nickerson State Park
to Cape Cod Bay including the consideration of
alternatives for crossing Rte. 6A/Main Street.
Actions:
CI7. Factor, budget, and set aside long-
term improvement and maintenance costs
in the funding for capital projects.
Actions:
CI1. Include enhanced universal accessibility
where feasible on Town properties and projects.
CI2. Move forward on a needs assessment for a multi-
generational community center, including potential
sites, users and, as applicable, next steps related to
results of the School Consolidation Feasibility Study
and the Bay Parcel comprehensive planning process.
CI3. Implement the updated Master Plan for
Drummer Boy Park, approved in 2021.
CI4. Complete the comprehensive planning
processes for and begin implementation of the
plans for the Bay Parcel and Long Pond Parcel.
92 93Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
GOAL: To manage a municipal solid
waste system that protects public
health, safety, and the environment,
optimizes financial methods,
communicates effectively with users,
and employs innovative strategies to
reduce solid waste and related costs
PURPOSE 1: Reduce the waste stream PURPOSE 2: Improve the efficiency
of the solid waste facility
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (SW)
Actions:
SW1. Implement an ongoing multi-media
public education campaign to reduce the
waste stream, including re-purposing and re-
using items and optimizing recycling.
SW2. Enhance and publicize regional waste collection
initiatives such as hazardous waste collection.
SW3. Further investigate opportunities
between Brewster and regional initiatives
for solid waste management.
Actions:
SW4. Enhance communications with the public
concerning Recycling Center operations,
practices, and policies using a variety of
print and electronic media channels.
SW5. Conduct a Recycling Center study and site
analysis including traffic circulation, optimal use
of space, safety, and potential re-use options.
94 95Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DStrategies and Actions Strategies and Actions
Actions:
CA12. Develop an Education and Preparedness
Campaign for the general public and the business
sector that includes guidance and checklists for
reducing fossil fuel use, as well as recommendations
to increase community resilience to the impacts.
GOAL: Support
and advance the
Commonwealth’s
greenhouse gas
reduction goals,
including promoting
sustainable energy use
and renewable energy
that protects the Town’s
natural resources
PURPOSE 1: Reduce the Town’s contribution
to and vulnerability to climate change
CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION (CA)
Actions:
CA1. Develop and implement a Net Zero Energy
Plan for the Town’s assets and operations.
CA2. Implement the MEMA/FEMA approved 2021
Local Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan.
CA3. Consider specific actions for reducing energy use, including
completing energy audits in all Town buildings; specifying actions regarding
increased energy efficiency in existing and newly constructed Town
buildings; locating solar panels/arrays on Town buildings and facilities; and
purchasing alternative energy Town vehicles when due for replacement.
CA4. Encourage roof mounted solar panels on buildings
and on parking lot canopies/carports.
CA5. Work with private entities to install public charging stations
at appropriate municipal or publicly accessible locations.
CA6. Consider provision of incentives and/or assistance, including
financial, for installation of solar panels on private homes.
CA7. Modify or re-locate Town infrastructure and buildings to reduce
the potential damage due to climate change such as flooding.
PURPOSE 2: Review and update Town
bylaws and regulations to mitigate
projected climate change impacts
PURPOSE 3: Build awareness about
the nature of climate change and Town
efforts to mitigate climate change
Actions:
CA8. Review zoning bylaws and develop
amendments for consistency with this goal,
including small-scale solar installations, and to
promote efficient development patterns that will
encourage a walkable and bikeable community.
CA9. Clarify design guidelines for the Historic District
regarding installation of renewable energy options.
CA10. Review and consider revising existing
Town bylaws and regulations dealing
with the use of chemical fertilizers.
CA11. Foster natural carbon sequestration by
amending Town bylaw to limit the clearing
of forested land, including for solar farms,
and exploring opportunities to restore
degraded native plant communities.
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05
Capital Facilities Plan
06
Housing Production Plan
Summary
07
LCP Implementation and
Performance Monitoring
08
Supporting Local Plans,
Regulation and Policies
98 99Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCapital Facilities Plan Capital Facilities Plan
In this section the LCP will align, and cross-reference
capital investments contemplated in the Action Plan
with the Town’s on-going capital planning. This analysis
ensures that the capital requirements necessary
to implement the LCP are planned for and met.
The LCPs Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) outlines the key
capital facilities and infrastructure considerations raised
in the Action Plan, intended to support, and advance
Brewster’s LCP vision and goals. The CFP includes
a spreadsheet that identifies these capital projects,
with associated funding information. Infrastructure
needs, challenges and constraints informed the
preparation of the Action Plan and are discussed
in the ‘Existing Conditions’ section of the LCP.
The Town of Brewster, through its Town Administrator
and Select Board, engage in both an annual Strategic
Planning Process and annual Capital Planning Process.
The Strategic Plan is arranged by the Building Blocks
in the Town’s Vision Plan, which was a precursor to
the LCP. Going forward, the Strategic Plan will be
arranged by the LCP Building Blocks. The Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP) provides a blueprint for planning
all the community’s capital expenditures by aligning
the Town’s priority capital needs with available funding
sources. It includes programming and budgeting
functions, allowing for project scheduling and financial
adjustments over a 5-year planning horizon. The CIP
SECTION 5CAPITAL FACILITIES PLAN
culminates in the upcoming year’s spending plan for
capital items presented to Town Meeting for approval.
The LCP, specifically through its Action Plan and Capital
Facilities Plan, is the intersection between the Town’s
Strategic Plan and CIP. The Strategic Plan is the
primary way through which the LCP Action Plan will
be implemented, and its constituent actions prioritized.
Although not every item on the CIP is represented in
the Strategic Plan or in the LCP, many Town initiatives
and projects appear in all three planning documents.
All Town capital projects, whether in the LCP or not,
must be included on the CIP. The CIP includes many
operational or customary items outside the scope of the
LCP that are necessary to run the Town effectively. The
CFP represents capital projects from the LCP Action
Plan that are currently on or might advance to the CIP,
and from there to the Strategic Plan for implementation.
The Town, through its Finance Team and directed
by financial policies established by the Select Board,
dedicates a portion of its certified free cash to fund
annual capital requests. In addition to the free cash
allocation, capital is funded through a variety of grants
funds, community preservation funds, debt exclusion,
overlay, and capital stabilization. The Golf and Water
Departments, which have enterprise funds, pay for their
own respective capital items. The Town of Brewster has
worked diligently to ensure that the CIP, the Select Board
Strategic Plan and the Local Comprehensive Plan are
aligned, inform each other, and address and account
for consensus community needs and future growth.
P
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r
f
o
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m
a
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onitoring
SELECT
BOARD
STRATEGIC
PLAN
CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
CAPITAL
FACILITIES
PLAN
ACTION
PLAN
LOCAL
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN
100 101Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS, CHALLENGES OR CONSTRAINTS
Public Buildings
Town Offices,
Monument & Ballfield
2198 Main Street Formerly an Elementary School built in
1925, converted into Town Hall in the late
1970’s. Provides office space for Municipal
Services and Committee meeting rooms.
Retrofitting of energy measures such as HVAC is
challenging. Building is near wetlands and the Consodine
Ditch. Parking is somewhat limited. Fields have safety/
dimensional constraints as currently configured.
Natural Resources/
Conservation Offices
1657 Old Kings
Highway
Formerly the Fire Headquarters, original
building is 1971 and housed both Police and
Fire. Currently houses Natural Resources
and Conservation Departments.
Due to the age of the building and former use,
maintenance and upgrades are required and could be
costly. Not all of the space is currently being utilized.
Public Works Annex 1708 Main Street Formerly the Natural Resources
Garage, building is currently used
for DPW equipment storage.
Building has been assessed for environmental issues and requires
some remediation. Town plans to dispose of this property.
Parking is very limited and allowed uses under zoning are limited.
Council on Aging/
Senior Center
1673 Main Street Built in 1881, formerly the Town Hall,
houses Council on Aging. In the same
complex as Fire and Natural Resources.
Building is not adequate for modern COA services
and lacks sufficient programming space.
DPW Garage & Office 201 Run Hill Road Public Works Office Space,
Garage and Fuel Depot
In Historic District. Space is limited due to the capped landfill
and ground mounted solar array. Gas migration from the
capped landfill needs to be continually monitored. Doors
and windows need to be replaced, roof and insulation work
required. Bathroom/Locker Room/Break Room facilities
are not sufficient. Heating and lighting issues in the garage.
Office space is limited. Garage space is maxed out (difficult
to fit all equipment). Salt shed needs to be replaced.
Police Station 631 Harwich Road Built in 2001, Police Station Facility Ongoing Maintenance, Police Vehicles are exposed
Fire Station 1671 Main Street New Building 2018 In same complex as Natural Resources & COA. Systems are
modern and require a higher level of service/training for use.
Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Old Kings
Highway
Historic building 1868, newer
addition and renovation 1995
Main Entry Stairs not Accessible, IT expansion
needed and elevator needs to be upgraded
Stony Brook
Elementary School
with Solar Panels
2298 Main Street Built in 1978 Expanded in 1985 Houses
Pre-K through 2nd grade, After
School and YMCA programs
Needs Major repairs to heating system and roofs
Eddy School with
Solar Panels
2298 Main Street Built in 1997, houses 3rd grade through
5th grade and Recreation Dept
Ongoing maintenance, limited parking
Water Department
& Garage
165 Commerce
Park Drive
Built in 2009, Water department
administrative building
Ongoing maintenance
Crosby Mansion
& Cottages
163 Crosby Lane Historic building 1888, leased through the
State of MA with three rental cottages
Historic repairs and upkeep are ongoing, one
cottage needs major renovation to be usable
Captains Golf
Pavillion & Proshop &
Maintenance Buildings
with Solar Carports
1000 Freemans Way Original facilities. Golf proshop,
pavillion, restaurant, maintenance
garage, fuel station, chemical storage.
Solar Carports are new in 2021.
All facilities need either major updating, repairs or
replacement of structures. Driving Range is located
across the street in Town’s industrial park.
Cape Cod Sea Camps
Bay Parcel and
First Light Beach
3057 Main Street Town bought the former camp in
2021 with existing buildings.
90+ buildings that range in age and use. Remediation
required at former shooting range. On-site parking is on
fields. Portions of the parcel are in a flood zone. Coastal
dune and wetland setbacks also must be accounted for.
Cape Cod Sea
Camps Pond Parcel
0 Besse Cartway Town bought the former camp in 2021. Access drive is dirt and not an adequate road for
enhanced access. Limited to no parking on site.
Wetlands near pond. Half of parcel is in Zone II.
Transportation
Millstone Road 2.5 mile main corridor of town owned
road laid out in 1847. Connects Route 6A
to Route 137. Averages 3,800 cars a day.
25% of population live on or off Millstone.
Long, winding road that does not have consistent shoulder
or sidewalks. Safety issues and speed of major concern.
Town working on final design for reconstruction.
Route 137 3.55 miles of roadway,
intersects with Route 124
Parts of the road need better drainage and roadway
surface; much of the road might benefit from
sidewalks for pedestrian access and safety.
Townwide Roads and
Drainage Systems
throughout Town 56 miles of Town road, 48 miles paved, 9
gravel with a range of ages and drainage
systems; 103 miles of private roads
througout town; 52 miles of state roads
Pavement Management Plan done in 2021. 2 miles of
road need major rehabilitation; 14.5 miles need minor
rehabilitaion; 13.3 need preventive maintenance; 5.23 need
routine maintenance; many roads lack sidewalks for safe
pedestrian access. Town needs additional road bond funding
to supplement Ch. 90 and annual road drainage funding.
Drainage systems not built to handle increased storms.
Cape Cod Rail
Trail bikepath
throughout Town
and across Cape
25 miles of off road paved path from
Yarmouth to Wellfleet. Runs through Brewster
and through Nickerson State park.
Heavily used in season, bike trail crossing at Millstone,
Route 124 and Underpass Road can be dangerous.
Capital Facilities Plan Capital Facilities Plan
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Public Services
Drinking Water
Distribution System
throughout Town 130 miles of water main, 1188 fire hydrants
servicing 7200 service connections.
Continued maintenance of the system will be determined
by the anticipated update to the existing master plan.
Pumping Station #3 811 Freeman Way Built in 1986, about 90 feet deep Redevelopment every 3 to 7 years depending
on specific capacity and iron levels.
Pumping Stations
#1 & #2
566 Freeman Way Constructed in 1971, about 76 Feet Deep Redevelopment every 5 to 10 years depending
on specific capacity and iron levels.
2 Metal Water Tanks 23 Yankee Drive-
Tower Circle
Constructed in 1971 and 1989 Exterior painting overcoat anticipated in 2023 / 2024
Pumping Station #4 699 Run Hill Road Built in 1991, about 101 feet deep Redevelopment every 3 to 7 years depending on specific
capacity and iron levels. Roof being assessed for replacement.
Greensand
Treatment Facility
697 Run Hill Road Constructed in 2001 Roof being assessed for replacement
Lime Station 548 Freeman Way Constructed in 1990 Ongoing maintenance funded by operating budget.
Lime Station 813 Freeman Way Constructed in 1990 Ongoing maintenance funded by operating budget.
Pump Station
including Well #6
379 West Gate Road Built in 2013, about 121 feet deep Redevelopment every 5 to 10 years depending
on specific capacity and iron levels.
Transfer Station Facility 201 Run Hill Road Capped Landfill that provides trash,
recycling and related services to
residents, including a Swap Shop
Circulation is challenging (tandem parking is an issue), Transfer
Station building is old, has many issues and is not used as it
was originally intended, Swap Shop is small and inadequate.
The old highway garage which houses the bathroom facility
is a safety concern. Bathroom facilities are insufficient.
Other/Recreation
Captains Golf Course
and Driving Range
Freemans Way &
Commerce Park
36 Hole Golf Course and Driving Range Course irrigation original, will need upgrade. Sink holes are a
problem. Course and Driving Range in different locations.
Whitecaps Ball Field
Dugouts/Press Box/
Scoreboard/Picnic
Area/Poles/Bleachers
384 Underpass Road Cape Cod Baseball league team facility -
long term lease with elementary school
Facility does not contain lighting. Recent ADA updates.
School Playground adjacent will require upgrades or new.
Tennis Courts/Fencing 384 Underpass Road Municipal Tennis courts built in
2010 on School Property
Ongoing Maintenance. Part of the tennis
courts converted to Pickle Ball Courts.
Brewster Dog Park 631 Harwich Road Municipal Dog Park constructed in 2022. Ongoing management and oversight in coordination
with Friends of Brewster Dog Park.
Wing Island Boardwalk Main Street Land acquired by Town in 1961, dual
marsh planks across marsh, path begins
at Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Boardwalk floods twice a day. Boardwalk is uneven
and accessible for many. Path to boardwalk is through
privately owned property and parking is problematic.
Freemans Fields Freemans Way Two little league fields, one babe ruth
field and soccer fields that abuts town
of Brewster water department lands
Accessibility could be improved, parking limited, concessions not
hooked up, no common play spaces, ongoing field maintenance
Drummer Boy Park 785 Main Street 17 acres acquired by Town in 1988-used
as a park, playground, rented to groups-
including fairs, town band, walking trails
Master Plan recently updated; updates for parking,
playground, drainage and existing structures needed
Gages Field Main Street One Little League baseball field Behind Fire Station facility, limited parking,
accessibility upgrades needed
Beach & Pond Parking
Lots and Landings
throughout Town 10 Public Beach landings off Route 6A, Bay
Beaches and 6 Ponds with Landings.
Limited parking at most landings, no attendants on site,
limited services on site, many of the roads to beaches are
narrow and in poor condition, concerns with sea level rise in
some locations, concerns of pond water quality and health
Conservation Areas throughout Town Approximately one third of Brewster is
protected open space land held by the Town,
the State, non-profits or the Conservation
Commission. Many of the lands have trails.
Difficult to maintain trails based on the number and
where they are located in town given limited staffing
resources. Limited parking at many trails.
Nickerson State Park 3488 Main Street 1,900 acres of State owned forest with approx.
420 camp sites and 8 freshwater ponds
Wildfire risk, difficult to manage evacuation,
pond quality issues, mosquito control
Other Services
Power Distribution
Ground Mount Solar
Comcast Cable
& Internet
Capital Facilities Plan Capital Facilities Plan
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EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS, CHALLENGES OR CONSTRAINTS
Project Name
Ac
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a
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#
SB
St
r
a
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e
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Description Funding Sources
and Strategies
Pr
i
o
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i
t
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(H
i
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h
/
M
e
d
/
Lo
w
)
Es
t
i
m
a
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e
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C
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p
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Co
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$
$
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$
$
$
How this Capital
Investment Supports
the LCP Vision, Goals,
Purposes and Action Plan
On Town
5 Year
Capital
Plan
Community Center
Design/Construction
CC1,
CI2
SC-3 Multi-generational community
center to include COA and
Recreation Depts. Location
needs to be determined
first then programming
need and facility design.
Funding likely to be
combination of debt exclusion
and capital stabilization funds.
High $$$Supports recreational
opportunities cited
in Vision Statement;
Community Character
social opportunities and
services Goal and Purpose
YES
Elementary School
Facilities Upgrades
and Accessibility
CC3,
CC4
CI-3 Determine next steps with
School Dept. regarding
the results of the School
Consolidation Feasibilty Study
Investment in two school
elementary schools will be
determined based on next
steps. Stony Brook requires
a new heating system and
new roofs. Funding through
MSBA, Green Communities
and Local match funds
Med $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy, and supported,
and Community Character
social opportunities and
services Goal and Purpose
YES
Town Center
development
CC9,
CC11
Explore establishment of
Town Center or activity
centers, including
mixed use potential
Zoning and Land
Management may require
a consultant to assist to be
funded in Town Capital plan
with Free Cash allocation
Med $Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy and supported;
Community Character
Goal and Purpose 3 and
Community Character Actions
NO
Land purchases
for drinking water
protection, pond
water quality, marine
water quality, housing
WR1,
WR9,
WR14,
OS3,
HO11
G-10,
H-2,
SC-2,
WR-1
Develop standard criteria
and process to evaluate
potential land acquisitions
for various municipal
purposes -Ex. Former Cape
Cod Sea Camps parcels
Acquisition of land is
accomplished through a
variety of funding sources
and partnerships: CPC,
LAND Grants, BAHT funds,
BCT, Water Commission
and debt exclusions
Med/
High
$$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect
water resources, Water
Resources/Housing
Purposes and Actions
YES
Acquire open space
for recreation,
trail networks
OS1 OS-1,
G-10
Continue to acquire
open space, recognizing
varied purposes such as
emphasizing the importance
of recreation, the potential for
establishing or extending
trail networks, habitat
benefits and the positive
effect of woodlands in
climate mitigation as criteria
for land acquisition.
Acquisition of land is
accomplished through
a variety of funding
sources and partnerships:
CPC, LAND Grants,
BCT, Water Commission
and debt exclusions
Med $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect town
character, open space
NO, but
on CPC 5
Year Plan
Integrated trail
system for Long Pond
woodlands and former
Sea Camps property
OS2 SC-1,
SC-2,
SC-3,
SC-4
Town purchased the Long
Pond Parcel which is adjacent
to the Long Pond Woodlands.
Town will determine, through
its comprehensive planning
process, opportunities for
passive and active recreation
and needed trail system
Grant Funding, CPC, Free
Cash allocation through
Capital Plan, partnerships
with BCT and MA Audubon
High $Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect open
space, provide scenic
areas for recreation and
contemplation; Open Space
Goals and Purposes
NO, Acquistion
costs only until
Comprehensive
Plans created
Evaluate re-use of
Town-owned buildings
for housing, including
Sea Camps property
H-10 SC-1,
SC-2,
SC-3,
SC-4,
H-2
As part of the comprehensive
planning process for
the former Sea Camps
properties, Town will look at
opportunities for housing.
Town through its HPP
strategies will look at other
opportunities for building
re-use for housing as well.
Housing Funding depends on
the type of Housing: Can be
State grants, Private-Public
Partnerships, BAHT funds,
CPC Funds or through the
Capital Plan with Free Cash
or Short-term Rental revenues
Med $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to offer housing
that is affordable to
residents of all ages and
economic standing; Housing
Goals and Purposes
NO
106 107Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
Evaluate need for
and feasibility of
alternative transport
for off-site retreat
parking for various
town beaches
and landings
CM4,
CA7
CA-1,
CM-2,
SC-2
Town has created a resident
only beach at First Light,
freeing up more spots at
other locations. Town is
working on a bike/pedestrian
path to Linell & Crosby with
State DCR. Town created
overflow parking at Crosby.
Town created additional
parking at Breakwater.
Town will continue to
look at opportunities for
expanded access for parking
and pedestrian access.
Grant Funds, Free Cash
allocations through
Capital Plan
Med $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect
bayside coastline;
Coastal Management
Goals and Purposes
Yes
Complete permitting
and construction
of Wing Island
boardwalk
CM5 OS-1,
CM-1
Further design and
permitting for Wing Island
Boardwalk in conjunction
with Drummer Boy Phase
I site improvements
Design funds approved
at May TM, grant funds,
donations, local match
funds in capital plan
High $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect open
space, provide scenic
areas for recreation and
contemplation; Open Space
Goals and Purposes
Yes
Complete design
and construction of
Drummer Boy Park
Master Plan Phase 1
CM5,
CI3
OS-1,
CM-1
Implement recommendations
of Drummer Boy Master
Plan site improvements to
stormwater management,
parking, and access, in
conjunction with Wing
Island boardwalk project
Design funds approved
at May TM, ARPA funds,
Grant Funds, Donations,
Local Match Funds
through Capital Plan
High $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect open
space, provide scenic
areas for recreation and
contemplation; Open Space
Goals and Purposes
Yes
Provide interim
access and complete
long-term planning for
beach access at First
Light Beach property
CM6 SC-2,
G-9
Town established a resident
beach at First Light in the
summer of 2022. Town will
continue summer access,
weekends in Fall and how
further access can occur.
Beach parking lot and
gate attendants were
funded with ARPA funds.
A long term plan to fund
positions will need to be
determined and incorporated
into the Town budget.
High $Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect
bayside coastline;
coastal management
Goals and Purposes
Yes
Improve visibility
and mobility access
at beach landings
CM7 Provide and expand public
access for all; Town takes
proactive approach to
managing our landings
and beach access.
Town has purchased
mobi-mats through
Capital Plan Free Cash
and made accomodations
at various beaches
throughout town. Town has
4 mobi-chairs available
- 2 were grant funded.
Low $Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy and supported
and Community Character
social opportunities and
services Goal and Purpose
Yes
Include enhanced
universal accessibility
where feasible on
Town properties
and projects
CI1 H-2,
CI-2
Consider accessibility when
modifiying town buildings and
in planning town projects
Grant Funding, Town
capital plan, CPC funds
Med $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy and supported
and Community Character
social opportunities and
services Goal and Purpose
No
Complete
comprehensive
planning processes
for and begin
implementation of
plans for Bayside and
Long Pond former Sea
Camps properties
CI4 SC-1,
SC-2,
SC-3,
SC-4
Working with planning
committees, consultant,
stakeholders and residents
to complete comprehensive
plans for both parcels and
bring to Town Meeting.
Continue to provide and
expand interim short
term public access.
Re-use of existing article,
grant funds, free cash, debt
exclusion, ARPA funds
High $$$Supports Town Vision
Statement to protect
open space, provide
scenic areas for recreation
and contemplation;
Community Infrastructure
Goals and Purposes
Yes
Develop town-wide
plan for expanding
bike and pedestrian
paths and sidewalks
CI5 CI-4 Using Bike Strategy Plan,
Pavement Management
Plan, and Complete Streets
Prioritization Plan consider
pedestrian access when
developing and implementing
Road Capital Plan.
Road Bond, Ch. 90 State
Funding, Complete Streets
Funding, Funding through
5 year Capital Plan
Med $$$Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy and supported and
Community Infrastructure
Goal and Purpose
Yes
Pursue development
of Cape Cod Rail
Trail extension from
Nickerson State Park
to Cape Cod Bay
CI6 CM-3
FY21-
22
Plan
Work with State DCR and
MA DOT to create a bike and
pedestrian trail to Linnell
and Crosby Landings
Funding through State
DCR capital plan state
grant, or bond bill with
some local match
Low $$Supports Town Vision
Statement to provide
infrastructure to ensure
that all citizens are safe,
healthy and supported and
Community Infrastructure
Goal and Purpose
Yes
Capital Facilities Plan Capital Facilities Plan
108 109Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0DCapital Facilities Plan Capital Facilities Plan
Conduct Recycling
Center study and site
analysis and potential
re-use options
SW5 SW-1 Review existing facilities
and determine what
changes should be
implemented for modern
recycle center services
Town re-allocated existing
funds at the May Town
Meeting to conduct study. Site
changes and enhancement
costs to be determined.
Low $$Supports Solid Waste
Management Goal,
Purposes and Actions
Yes
Locate solar panels/
arrays on Town
buildings and facilities
CA3 CA-1,
CA-2
Town recently sited two
car solar carports at the
Captains Golf Course.
Town through its Energy
Manger will review town
buildings and sites for other
opportunities and/or enter
into off-taker arrangements.
Typical solar initiative
involves a private-public
partnership and results in
either reduction in energy bills
for town or lease payments
Med $Supports Climate Mitigation
and Adaptation Goals,
Purposes and Actions
No
Purchase alternative
energy Town
vehicles when due
for replacement
CA3 CA-1,
CA-2
Town is a Green Community
and is working through its
Energy Manager and Master
Mechanic to review town fleet
to develop a 5 year plan as
appropriate for replacement
with Hybrid or EV vehicles
Funding through Green
Communities. Vehicle
replacement is a standard
item on the town’s 5 year
capital plan, supported
through free cash.
Med $$Supports Climate Mitigation
and Adaptation Goals,
Purposes and Actions
Yes
Work with private
entities to install
public charging
stations at appropriate
municipal or publicly
accessible locations
CA5 CA-1,
CA-2
Town is a Green Community
and is working through its
Energy Manager to determine
appropriate locations
for charging stations.
Funding through Green
Communities Grants, Other
available grant funding and
local match of free cash
Med $Supports Climate Mitigation
and Adaptation Goals,
Purposes and Actions
No
Modify or re-locate
town infrastructure
and buildings to
reduce potential
damage due to
climate change
CA7 CM-2 Consider climate change and
mitigation when designing
and siting town facilities and
infrastructure, especially
water and stormwater.
Consider climate change in
modifying or constructing
existing buildings.
Town has an approved
Hazard Mitigation Plan and
a Municipal Vulnerability
Plan which both provide
grant funding for mitigation.
Med $$Supports Climate Mitigation
and Adaptation Goals,
Purposes and Actions
No
Millstone Road
Community Housing
HO1,
HO6,
HO10
H-2,
H-4
Development of 45
units of rental housing
on town owned land
Developer to apply for Low
Income Tax Credits and other
state funding. Local funds of
combined CPC and BAHT
expected to contribute.
High $$Supports Housing Goal to
provide more affordable,
accessible housing and to
implement the goals in the
2022 Housing Production
Plan and the purposes and
actions in the Housing Goals
Yes
Wastewater
Infrastructure
WR4,
WR5,
WR11,
WR12
WR-1 Design & construct
Innovative Alternative
septic systems and other
non-traditional wastewater
solutions to mitigate negative
impacts on pond and
embayment water quality.
State Revolving Fund,
Cape Cod & Islands
Water Protection Fund,
Free Cash, Water Quality
Stabilization Fund
High $$$Supports Water Quality Goals
to improve water quality in
marine watersheds and ponds
Yes
110 111Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
This section summarizes the 2022 Town of Brewster
Housing Production Plan (HPP) Update, which was
approved by the Commonwealth in July 2022. The
Housing Production Plan’s (HPP) goal is to help the
Town make steady progress towards the 10% statutory
minimum of affordable housing under Chapter 40B. Every
community in Massachusetts is mandated to have 10%
of total year-round housing units as deed-restricted to
be affordable for low- or moderate-income households.
The HPP includes a housing needs assessment, housing
goals, and implementation strategies. Brewster’s 2022
HPP is an update to the 2017 HPP which has guided
the Town’s Housing program over the past 5 years
and is currently certified, meaning the Town has met
its housing production goal for the present year.
HOUSING PRODUCTION GOALS
The Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD) HPP guidelines require that
the goals include both qualitative and quantitative
outcomes based on community and regional needs.
Brewster’s mandated quantitative goal is to produce
24 new units of Subsidized Housing Inventory
(SHI) eligible affordable housing units a year. The
Town identified four major qualitative goals:
1. Increase and diversify year-round housing
options in Brewster for a range of
income levels and household types.
2. Prevent displacement of current residents
and facilitate housing mobility for households
looking to move within or into Brewster.
3. Align development with the principles of the
Town’s Local Comprehensive Plan/Vision Plan
4. Continue to build capacity to produce housing
through staffing, funding, regional partnerships,
advocacy and education, and relationships
with nonprofit and for-profit developers.
SECTION 6HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN SUMMARY
HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Key findings of the housing needs
assessment include the following:
• Brewster’s population increased by 5%
between 2010 & 2020 Census, despite
projections forecasting a potential decline.
• Over the past decade, the population
under 54 years old has decreased, and the
population over 55 years has increased.
• Older adults living alone are the most
likely household type to be low–to-
moderate income, under 80% of
the Area Median Income (AMI).
• Housing sales prices have jumped
significantly since 2020 and continue
to rise. Rental opportunities are limited,
particularly for market rate units. The share
of housing units for seasonal recreational,
or occasional use has increased, while the
share of year-round renters has decreased.
HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Brewster has made significant progress implementing
its 2017 Housing Plan. This includes hiring a Housing
Coordinator, creating a Housing Trust, adopting
Accessory Dwelling Unit Bylaws, obtaining housing
funding, receiving a Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) for housing rehab and childcare,
accepting a proposal to build rental housing on
Town land, redeveloping a vacant building for
housing, permitting 59 units of affordable housing,
and twice certifying the Housing Plan.
The 2022 HPP includes the following Implementation
Strategies to meet the 10% DHCD affordable unit goal:
Housing Production Plan Summary Housing Production Plan Summary
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Regulatory Reform - Involve tools that
make permitting more efficient, allow
more housing development, and allow
more types of housing in Brewster.
Strategy 1: Re-evaluate the existing ADU and
ACDU bylaws and other references to accessory
apartments; explore amendments to streamline
these provisions and improve their efficacy.
Strategy 2: Amend zoning to clearly allow mixed
uses that include housing in business-zoned areas.
Strategy 3: Re-evaluate the existing multifamily
dwelling bylaw (Section 179-34) and consider
changes and other regulatory measures to
facilitate multi-unit residential development.
Strategy 4: Explore measures to require or encourage
the inclusion of affordable units in residential
developments over a certain number of units.
Strategy 5: Allow and incentivize the adaptive
reuse of existing buildings for the creation of
affordable and mixed income housing.
Strategy 6: Utilizing the findings of the ongoing
Integrated Water Resources Management Plan,
continue to identify appropriate wastewater
treatment systems to enable the creation
of denser housing developments that can
support the inclusion of affordable units.
Strategy 13: If deemed necessary based
upon the findings of the Town-owned land
inventory, develop and issue an RFP for the
acquisition of privately held land for the creation
of affordable and attainable housing.
Education and Advocacy - Capture
key stakeholders most at risk from the
effects of limited housing choices.
Strategy 14: Develop a collaborative
housing education plan that connects to
the Town’s Local Comprehensive Plan.
Strategy 15: Continue to ensure regular
participation by staff and members of Town
bodies in available training on housing-
related issues including fair housing, local and
regional housing needs, comprehensive permit
administration, and other relevant topics.
Local Planning and Policy - Pursue
partnerships and create a more welcoming
environment for housing development.
Strategy 16: Continue to make good use of Chapter
40B, including the Local Initiative Program (LIP),
as a vehicle for creating affordable housing.
Strategy 17: Encourage public/private partnerships
to facilitate the collaborative production of affordable
Funding and Assets - Protect existing
affordable housing and pursue specific
ways to expand local funds.
Strategy 7: Continue to work with nearby
communities on the Cape by pooling CPA funds
and other resources to construct affordable
housing in suitable locations throughout the
region and meet regional housing needs.
Strategy 8: Develop a five-year financial
plan for the Brewster Affordable Housing
Trust and determine whether additional
funding streams should be explored.
Strategy 9: Based upon the BAHT five-year financial
plan, explore other funding opportunities to support
housing initiatives at a range of income levels.
Strategy 10: Explore local property tax incentives
for the creation of affordable housing, such
as offering a reduction of property taxes to
an owner renting an affordable unit.
Strategy 11: Develop criteria for assessing
a property’s suitability for the creation of
affordable and attainable housing.
Strategy 12: Inventory existing Town-owned
land using the criteria developed to determine
suitability for housing; develop and issue an
RFP for the development of affordable and
attainable housing on properties identified
as suitable for housing development.
housing to meet a range of community needs.
Strategy 18: Continue to monitor the impacts
of short-term rentals on the availability of
year-round rental units; review and consider
changes to local policies accordingly.
Strategy 19: Increase housing staff capacity
to ensure continued and consistent
collaboration with the Building, Conservation,
Health, and Planning Departments.
Community Resources & Local Support – Ensure
needs of the program benefactors are met.
Strategy 20: Continue the CDBG-funded housing
rehabilitation program to enable income-eligible
homeowners to make critical home repairs.
Strategy 21: Evaluate current CPC-
funded housing initiatives and consider
adjusting to meet current needs.
Strategy 22: Explore other opportunities
for direct support for eligible households,
including partnerships with local non-profits
and housing assistance providers.
Housing Production Plan Summary Housing Production Plan Summary
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SECTION 7IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING
Implementing the LCP will be the responsibility
of numerous Town Boards and Departments
and organizations in the community. The Select
Board will hold responsibility for identifying action
priorities and overseeing implementation. The
primary vehicle for identifying priorities will be the
Select Board’s annual rolling strategic planning
exercise which, since its start in 2019, has been
structured around the goals of the Vision Plan.
The Select Board’s Strategic Plan is updated on
an annual basis with input from Town Boards,
Committees and Department Heads. A copy of the
FY23-24 Strategic Plan is included in this section. The
Selectboard will balance the various Building Block
goals seeking to identify consensus priorities in carrying
out its strategic planning. The Select Board will also
coordinate LCP actions with the implementation of
other actions contained within the Strategic Plan or of
public importance, e.g., proposed regulatory changes
to forward particular LCP goals would not only be
coordinated with one another but with any broader
efforts to review and revise Town regulations or bylaws.
Moving forward, the LCP will be the framework to ensure
the alignment of the Select Board’s Strategic Plan and the
community’s vision. In addition to the Select Board, the
Planning Board will play a key role in implementing the
LCP, particularly those elements related to land use policy
and reforming the Town’s bylaws so that they become
better adapted tools for achieving the vision and policy
directions of the LCP. Monitoring the implementation of
the Vision Plan and reporting to the community have
been part of the Vision Planning Committee’s charge.
To assist in understanding the process by which the
Town will implement action items, a diagram depicting
the relationship between the LCP, the Strategic
Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan follows.
After LCP adoption, the Strategic Plan will, among
other things, incorporate LCP Building Block goals
and actions as a means of implementing the LCP. In
terms of implementation, the Strategic Plan assigns
timeframes and responsible parties to undertaking
actions, which is a particularly effective process in
ensuring that the LCP is implemented successfully
and with the best available information.
In 2021, the Vision Planning Committee produced a
report on the implementation of the Vision Plan that was
well received by the public and Town government. With
the LCP becoming the framework for the Select Board’s
Strategic Plan, monitoring LCP implementation becomes
an integral part of that annual process. This will include
publishing reports on implementation progress for the
Select Board’s internal use and reporting to the public
on progress in achieving the community’s goals. The
Town will also provide the Cape Cod Commission this
annual report to communicate progress on the LCP.
Vision Building Block Goal # Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Former Sea Camps Properties SC-1 Complete discovery phase, including building
inventories/ assessments, and continue to
implement interim property management plan
FY23 Medium
X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Town Staff
SC-2 Continue to develop/refine and implement
interim public access/use plans FY23-24 Higher X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons,
Representatives, and Town Staff
SC-3 Launch community planning process, engage residents
and stakeholders, determine support for constructing
new community center on bay property, and develop
long-term comprehensive plans for both properties
FY23-24 Higher X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons,
Representatives, and Town Staff
SC-4 Continue to explore potential short- and long-term
partnerships that may mitigate acquisition costs or
operating expenses and may provide enhanced
services, programs, or amenities for residents
FY23-24 Medium X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons and
Representatives, and Town Staff
Community Character CC-1 Adopt and implement 5-year Community Preservation
Plan and seek adoption of proposed bylaw amendments
to support maximum flexibility to fund projects to meet
community needs
FY23 Lower
X Community Preservation
Committee
Town Administration; Select Board; Finance
Committee; Open Space Committee;
Affordable Housing Trust; Historical
Commission; Recreation Commission
CC-2 Identify and evaluate benefits of introducing/ expanding
targeted local tax relief options FY23 Medium X X Finance Team
Select Board; Finance Committee; Board of
Assessors; Brewster Association of Part-Time
Residents
CC-3 Complete sociodemographic study to inform next steps
in crafting and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
initiatives
FY23 Lower X X Town Administration Select Board; Human Resources Dept; Town
Staff
Open Space OS-1 Complete design and implement updated Drummer Boy
Park Master Plan Phase I improvements in coordination
with Wing Island Boardwalk project FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration
Select Board; Natural Resources Commission
& Dept; Department of Public Works;
Brewster Conservation Trust; Brewster
Historical Society
OS-2 Identify and resolve private party encroachments on
Town land FY23-24 Lower
Town Administration & Natural
Resources Dept
Select Board; Conservation Commission;
Water Commission & Dept; Brewster
Conservation Trust
Housing H-1 Develop five-year financial plan for Affordable Housing
Trust and determine whether additional funding streams
should be explored to support housing initiatives at a
range of income levels
FY23 Medium X X Affordable Housing Trust &
Finance Team
Select Board; Finance Committee; Housing
Coordinator
H-2 Begin implementing updated Housing Production
Plan priority strategies FY23 Medium X X Affordable Housing Trust &
Housing Coordinator
Select Board; Planning Board; Housing
Partnership; Town Administration; Planner
H-3 Continue to provide support services to residents,
including CDBG housing rehabilitation and childcare
vouchers
FY23-24 Medium X
Housing Coordinator
Select Board; Town Administration;
Affordable Housing Trust; Human Services
Committee; Council on Aging
H-4 Advance Millstone Road Community Housing project
FY23-24 Higher X X Town Administration & Housing
Coordinator
Select Board; Affordable Housing Trust;
Community Preservation Committee; Planning
Dept & Zoning Board of Appeals
Vision Building Block Goal # Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Local Economy LE-1 Define and provide necessary supports to effectively
implement electronic permitting and invest in phased
digitization of Town records
FY23 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; IT Director; Building Dept;
Health Dept; Planning Dept
LE-2 Continue to host semi-annual roundtable with
Town officials, Chamber of Commerce, and local
business community to build on increased outreach
and communication developed during pandemic
FY23-24 Lower X X Town Administration Select Board; Town Staff; Chamber of
Commerce
LE-3 Develop Guide to Doing Business in Brewster
FY24 Medium X
Town Administration
Building Dept; Health Dept; Planning Dept;
Natural Resources Dept; Town Clerk; Chamber
of Commerce
Coastal Management CM-1 Complete design and permitting of Wing Island
boardwalk
FY23 Higher X X Town Administration
Select Board; Conservation Commission;
Natural Resources Commission & Dept;
Department of Public Works; Brewster
Conservation Trust; Cape Cod Museum of
Natural History
CM-2 Consider merits of Cape Cod Commission's model
coastal resiliency bylaws/regulations and potential
implementation FY23-24 Medium X
Planning Dept
Planning Board; Town Administration; Board
of Health & Health Dept; Conservation
Commission & Natural Resources Dept;
Building Dept
Water Resources WR-1 Convene a new Water Resources Task Force and develop
updated plan and timeline for advancing integrated
water quality initiatives, to include addressing DEP’s
proposed changes to Title V regulations and continuing
collaboration with external stakeholders
FY23-24 Higher X X Water Resources Task Force
Town Administration; Select Board; Natural
Resources Commission & Dept; Water
Commission & Dept; Board of Health & Health
Dept; Planning Board & Dept; Finance
Committee; Brewster Ponds Coalition
WR-2 Continue to educate public about new stormwater
bylaw/regulations and consider refinements as needed FY23 Lower X X Planning Dept
Planning Board; Town Administration;
Conservation Commission & Natural
Resources Dept; Building Dept
Community Infrastructure CI-1 Determine support for advancing proposed Brewster
Ladies Library renovation project FY23 Lower Select Board Town Administration; Brewster Ladies
Library Association & Library Dept
CI-2 Conduct a needs assessment and develop FY24-28
COA (Age Friendly) Community Action Plan FY23 Medium X Council on Aging Board & Dept Select Board; Town Administration; Bay
Property Planning Committee
CI-3 Work with Nauset School officials to clarify process
and timeline of next steps regarding results of
Elementary School Consolidation Feasibility Study,
especially in relation to other potential Town & School
capital investments
FY23 Medium X X Select Board & Town
Administration
Brewster School Committee & Nauset
Administration; Finance Committee
CI-4 Complete Millstone Road project final design/ permitting
and create Road Capital Prioritization Plan FY22-23 Higher X X DPW Director & Town
Administration Select Board; Finance Committee
CI-5 Develop policy to clarify provision of Town services
on private roads and consider potential amendments
to private road betterment bylaw
FY23-24 Medium
DPW Director & Town
Administration
Select Board; Public Safety Team; Planning
Dept & Planning Board; Finance Team
Vision Building Block Goal # Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Governance G-1 Establish and communicate budget capacity to Nauset
School officials based on the Town’s current and long-
term fiscal sustainability FY23 Medium
X Select Board & Town
Administration
Finance Committee & Finance Team; Nauset
Regional School Committee; Brewster School
Committee; Nauset School Administration;
Nauset region Town officials
G-2 Launch new Town website and identify preferred
enhancements to current communications model FY23 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; IT Dept; BGTV
G-3 Establish process to revise Brewster Town seal &
draft related use policy FY23-24 Medium Select Board Town Administration & Town Staff
G-4 Evaluate potential amendments to noise bylaw
and/or develop entertainment license regulations FY23 Lower Select Board & Town
Administration Town Staff
G-5 Finalize, adopt, and implement Local Comprehensive
Plan and monitor progress FY23-24 Medium X X
Vision Planning Committee,
Select Board, and Planning
Board
Planning Dept; Town Administration; Town
Staff
G-6 Develop and launch capital budget and other
transparency features of new online platform to
continue to improve accessibility of Town finances
FY23 Medium X X Finance Team Select Board; Finance Committee
G-7 Support Human Resource Department by: 1. Continuing
to implement findings from HR audit, including
development of employee handbook 2. Continuing to
monitor and support employee wellness 3. Creating
programs to recognize Town staff/volunteers for their
community service
FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; Human Resources
G-8 Identify priority areas to increase organizational
capacity to meet enhanced service needs and expanded
project demands and develop long-term financing plan
to fund necessary personnel
FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration & Finance
Team Select Board; Finance Committee; Town Staff
G-9 Consider need for and structure of new Parks &
Recreation Department responsible for management of
Drummer Boy Park, former Sea Camps, Dog Park, and
other existing recreational amenities/programs
FY23-24 Higher X X Town Administration
Select Board; Finance Team; Human
Resources; Recreation Dept & Commission;
Natural Resources Dept; Department of Public
Works
G-10 Develop standard criteria and process to evaluate
potential land acquisitions and consider establishing
municipal land acquisition committee FY23 Medium X
Select Board
Town Administration; Open Space
Committee; Affordable Housing Trust; Water
Commission
Climate Mitigation &
Adaptation
CA-1 Develop and implement updated staffing and committee
model that reflects the Town’s commitment to
comprehensively advancing energy, climate change, and
resiliency initiatives
FY23 Medium X
Town Administration Select Board; Energy Committee & Manager
CA-2 Develop net zero energy roadmap FY24 Higher X X Town Administration Energy Committee & Manager; Select Board;
Facilities Manager
Solid Waste Management SW-1 Complete site assessment and determine next steps to
improve Department of Public Works and Recycling
Center property and facilities
FY23 Lower X
DPW Director Town Administration; Select Board; Recycling
Commission
SW-2 Continue hydration station installation project
FY23-24 Lower
X Water Superintendent
Town Administration; Select Board; Recycling
Committee; Water Commission; Facilities
Manager
Implementation Diagram
Implementation and Performance Monitoring Implementation and Performance Monitoring
Select Board FY23-24 Strategic Plan
FINAL APPROVED 08.22.22
Vision Building Block Goal #Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Former Sea Camps Properties SC-1 Complete discovery phase, including building
inventories/ assessments, and continue to implement
interim property management plan
FY23 Medium X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Town Staff
SC-2 Continue to develop/refine and implement interim
public access/use plans FY23-24 Higher X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons,
Representatives, and Town Staff
SC-3 Launch community planning process, engage residents
and stakeholders, determine support for constructing
new community center on bay property, and develop
long-term comprehensive plans for both properties
FY23-24 Higher X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons,
Representatives, and Town Staff
SC-4 Continue to explore potential short- and long-term
partnerships that may mitigate acquisition costs or
operating expenses and may provide enhanced services,
programs, or amenities for residents
FY23-24 Medium X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons and
Representatives, and Town Staff
Community Character CC-1 Adopt and implement 5-year Community Preservation
Plan and seek adoption of proposed bylaw amendments
to support maximum flexibility to fund projects to meet
community needs
FY23 Lower X Community Preservation
Committee
Town Administration; Select Board; Finance
Committee; Open Space Committee;
Affordable Housing Trust; Historical
Commission; Recreation Commission
CC-2 Identify and evaluate benefits of introducing/ expanding
targeted local tax relief options FY23 Medium X X Finance Team
Select Board; Finance Committee; Board of
Assessors; Brewster Association of Part-Time
Residents
CC-3 Complete sociodemographic study to inform next steps
in crafting and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
initiatives
FY23 Lower X X Town Administration Select Board; Human Resources Dept; Town
Staff
Open Space OS-1 Complete design and implement updated Drummer Boy
Park Master Plan Phase I improvements in coordination
with Wing Island Boardwalk project FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration
Select Board; Natural Resources Commission
& Dept; Department of Public Works;
Brewster Conservation Trust; Brewster
Historical Society
OS-2 Identify and resolve private party encroachments on
Town land FY23-24 Lower Town Administration & Natural
Resources Dept
Select Board; Conservation Commission;
Water Commission & Dept; Brewster
Conservation Trust
Housing H-1 Develop five-year financial plan for Affordable Housing
Trust and determine whether additional funding streams
should be explored to support housing initiatives at a
range of income levels
FY23 Medium X X Affordable Housing Trust &
Finance Team
Select Board; Finance Committee; Housing
Coordinator
H-2 Begin implementing updated Housing Production Plan
priority strategies FY23 Medium X X Affordable Housing Trust &
Housing Coordinator
Select Board; Planning Board; Housing
Partnership; Town Administration; Planner
H-3 Continue to provide support services to residents,
including CDBG housing rehabilitation and childcare
vouchers
FY23-24 Medium X Housing Coordinator
Select Board; Town Administration;
Affordable Housing Trust; Human Services
Committee; Council on Aging
H-4 Advance Millstone Road Community Housing project
FY23-24 Higher X X Town Administration & Housing
Coordinator
Select Board; Affordable Housing Trust;
Community Preservation Committee; Planning
Dept & Zoning Board of Appeals
1
SELECT BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN FY23-24
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Select Board FY23-24 Strategic Plan
FINAL APPROVED 08.22.22
Vision Building Block Goal #Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Local Economy LE-1 Define and provide necessary supports to effectively
implement electronic permitting and invest in phased
digitization of Town records
FY23 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; IT Director; Building Dept;
Health Dept; Planning Dept
LE-2 Continue to host semi-annual roundtable with Town
officials, Chamber of Commerce, and local business
community to build on increased outreach and
communication developed during pandemic
FY23-24 Lower X X Town Administration Select Board; Town Staff; Chamber of
Commerce
LE-3 Develop Guide to Doing Business in Brewster
FY24 Medium X Town Administration
Building Dept; Health Dept; Planning Dept;
Natural Resources Dept; Town Clerk; Chamber
of Commerce
Coastal Management CM-1 Complete design and permitting of Wing Island
boardwalk
FY23 Higher X X Town Administration
Select Board; Conservation Commission;
Natural Resources Commission & Dept;
Department of Public Works; Brewster
Conservation Trust; Cape Cod Museum of
Natural History
CM-2 Consider merits of Cape Cod Commission's model coastal
resiliency bylaws/regulations and potential
implementation FY23-24 Medium X Planning Dept
Planning Board; Town Administration; Board
of Health & Health Dept; Conservation
Commission & Natural Resources Dept;
Building Dept
Water Resources WR-1 Convene a new Water Resources Task Force and develop
updated plan and timeline for advancing integrated
water quality initiatives, to include addressing DEP’s
proposed changes to Title V regulations and continuing
collaboration with external stakeholders
FY23-24 Higher X X Water Resources Task Force
Town Administration; Select Board; Natural
Resources Commission & Dept; Water
Commission & Dept; Board of Health & Health
Dept; Planning Board & Dept; Finance
Committee; Brewster Ponds Coalition
WR-2 Continue to educate public about new stormwater
bylaw/regulations and consider refinements as needed FY23 Lower X X Planning Dept
Planning Board; Town Administration;
Conservation Commission & Natural
Resources Dept; Building Dept
Community Infrastructure CI-1 Determine support for advancing proposed Brewster
Ladies Library renovation project FY23 Lower Select Board Town Administration; Brewster Ladies Library
Association & Library Dept
CI-2 Conduct a needs assessment and develop FY24-28 COA
(Age Friendly) Community Action Plan FY23 Medium X Council on Aging Board & Dept Select Board; Town Administration; Bay
Property Planning Committee
CI-3 Work with Nauset School officials to clarify process and
timeline of next steps regarding results of Elementary
School Consolidation Feasibility Study, especially in
relation to other potential Town & School capital
investments
FY23 Medium X X Select Board & Town
Administration
Brewster School Committee & Nauset
Administration; Finance Committee
CI-4 Complete Millstone Road project final design/ permitting
and create Road Capital Prioritization Plan FY22-23 Higher X X DPW Director & Town
Administration Select Board; Finance Committee
CI-5 Develop policy to clarify provision of Town services on
private roads and consider potential amendments to
private road betterment bylaw
FY23-24 Medium DPW Director & Town
Administration
Select Board; Public Safety Team; Planning
Dept & Planning Board; Finance Team
2
Select Board FY23-24 Strategic Plan
FINAL APPROVED 08.22.22
Vision Building Block Goal #Goal Description Timeline Degree of
Complexity
Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY22-23 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Governance G-1 Establish and communicate budget capacity to Nauset
School officials based on the Town’s current and long-
term fiscal sustainability FY23 Medium X Select Board & Town
Administration
Finance Committee & Finance Team; Nauset
Regional School Committee; Brewster School
Committee; Nauset School Administration;
Nauset region Town officials
G-2 Launch new Town website and identify preferred
enhancements to current communications model FY23 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; IT Dept; BGTV
G-3 Establish process to revise Brewster Town seal & draft
related use policy FY23-24 Medium Select Board Town Administration & Town Staff
G-4 Evaluate potential amendments to noise bylaw and/or
develop entertainment license regulations FY23 Lower Select Board & Town
Administration Town Staff
G-5 Finalize, adopt, and implement Local Comprehensive
Plan and monitor progress FY23-24 Medium X X
Vision Planning Committee,
Select Board, and Planning
Board
Planning Dept; Town Administration; Town
Staff
G-6 Develop and launch capital budget and other
transparency features of new online platform to
continue to improve accessibility of Town finances
FY23 Medium X X Finance Team Select Board; Finance Committee
G-7 Support Human Resource Department by: 1. Continuing
to implement findings from HR audit, including
development of employee handbook 2. Continuing to
monitor and support employee wellness 3. Creating
programs to recognize Town staff/volunteers for their
community service
FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration Select Board; Human Resources
G-8 Identify priority areas to increase organizational capacity
to meet enhanced service needs and expanded project
demands and develop long-term financing plan to fund
necessary personnel
FY23-24 Medium X X Town Administration & Finance
Team Select Board; Finance Committee; Town Staff
G-9 Consider need for and structure of new Parks &
Recreation Department responsible for management of
Drummer Boy Park, former Sea Camps, Dog Park, and
other existing recreational amenities/programs
FY23-24 Higher X X Town Administration
Select Board; Finance Team; Human
Resources; Recreation Dept & Commission;
Natural Resources Dept; Department of Public
Works
G-10 Develop standard criteria and process to evaluate
potential land acquisitions and consider establishing
municipal land acquisition committee FY23 Medium X Select Board
Town Administration; Open Space
Committee; Affordable Housing Trust; Water
Commission
Climate Mitigation &
Adaptation
CA-1 Develop and implement updated staffing and committee
model that reflects the Town’s commitment to
comprehensively advancing energy, climate change, and
resiliency initiatives
FY23 Medium X Town Administration Select Board; Energy Committee & Manager
CA-2 Develop net zero energy roadmap FY24 Higher X X Town Administration Energy Committee & Manager; Select Board;
Facilities Manager
Solid Waste Management SW-1 Complete site assessment and determine next steps to
improve Department of Public Works and Recycling
Center property and facilities
FY23 Lower X DPW Director Town Administration; Select Board; Recycling
Commission
SW-2 Continue hydration station installation project
FY23-24 Lower X Water Superintendent
Town Administration; Select Board; Recycling
Committee; Water Commission; Facilities
Manager
3
Implementation and Performance Monitoring Implementation and Performance Monitoring
118 119Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D Octobetcr, 20-rP ulctitDbaftr3-0D
SECTION 8SUPPORTING LOCAL PLANS, REGULATION AND POLICIES
Community Character
• Historical Commission Survey
of Brewster Houses, 2016
Open Space
• Town of Brewster Open Space and
Recreation Plan Update, 2021
Coastal Management/ Climate Adaptation
• FEMA CRS Program, established 2018
• Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan 2021
• Coastal Resource Management
Plan (Phase I), 2019
• Coastal Adaptation Strategy, 2016
• Municipal Vulnerability
Preparedness Plan, 2019
Water Resources
• Horsley Witten Group, Inc. January
2022. Integrated Water Resource
Management Plan 2022 Update
• Horsley Witten Group, Inc. January
2013. Integrated Water Resource
Management Plan Phase II Report
• CDM February 2011. Integrated Water
Resource Management Plan Phase
I Report – Needs Assessment
Supporting Local Plans, Regulation and Policies Supporting Local Plans, Regulation and Policies
• Horsley Witten Group, Inc. 20216.
Water Resource Atlas Fresh Water
Ponds, Brewster, Massachusetts.
• University of Massachusetts School for
Marine Science and Technology and Cape
Cod Commission. Brewster Freshwater
Ponds: Water Quality Status and
Recommendations for Future Activities.
• University of Massachusetts School
for Marine Science and Technology.
November 2014. Mill Ponds Management
Plan - Walkers Pond, Upper Mill
Pond, and Lower Mill Pond.
• Solitude Lake Management. January 30,
2020. Alum Treatment Final Completion
Report, Upper Mill Pond January 2020.
Governance
• Town of Brewster FY23-24 Annual Strategic
Plan, adopted by Select Board 8/23/22
• Select Board Policy #58
(Public Engagement)
Community Infrastructure/ Capital Facilities
• Town of Brewster Community Preservation
Plan, FY23 – FY27. 3/23/22 Adopted
by the Select Board 08/08/2022
• Pavement Management Plan, 2022
• FY22-26 Capital Improvement Plan
• Drummer Boy Park Master Plan update,
approved Fall 2021 Town Meeting
• Select Board Policy #61
(Complete Streets Policy)
Solid Waste
• Pay As You Throw (PAYT)
Report, August 2014
Climate Mitigation
• Town Climate Change and Net
Zero Resolution, 2020
• Energy Reduction Plan (Green
Community Designation), 2020
Housing Production Plan
• Town of Brewster Housing
Production Plan 2022 – 2027
Other Housing/ Local Economy
• American Community Survey
2019 Data, 5-year estimates
• Brewster Community Preservation
Plan FY23-FY27
• Cape Cod & the Islands Association of
Realtors 2021 Annual Report & December
2021 Brewster Local Market Update
• US Census 2020
Brewster Code (selection, Bylaws)
• Chapter 17, Community
Preservation Committee
• Chapter 18, Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• Chapter 83, Staff Review
• Chapter 100, Flooding
• Chapter 112, Water
• Chapter 115, Illicit Connections
and Discharges (note: MS4)
• Chapter 119 Fertilizer Nutrient Control
• Chapter 135, Pollution and Environmental
Hazards (note: single use plastic bags, etc.)
• Chapter 152, Single Use
Plastic Water Bottles
• Chapter 157, Streets and Sidewalks
• Chapter 159, Stretch Energy Code
• Chapter 171, Water Betterments
• Chapter 172, Wetlands Protection
• Chapter 179, Zoning
• Chapter 272, Stormwater Management
• Chapter 290, Subdivision
Rules and Regulations
Brewster Wetlands Protection Regulations
Brewster Stormwater
Management Regulations
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Board of Health Regulations
& Policies (Selections)
• I/A Monitoring Regulation
• Nitrogen Loading Regulation
• Percolation Rate Regulation
• Private Well Regulation
• Inspection Maintenance
Program Regulation
• Small Wastewater Treatment
• Substandard Septic System
Upgrade Regulation
• Leaching Facility Setback Regulation
• Water Quality Report Regulations
• Disposal Construction Limit Regulation
• Recycling Center Regulations
• Zone II Deed Restriction Regulation
• Sand & Gravel Mining Regulation
• Septic System Betterment Regulation
• Designation of Wetlands
Conservancy District Policy
• Board of Health Policy on Single Cesspools
• Soil & Percolation Observation Policy
• Bedroom Definition
• Septic System Inspection Requirement
for Variance Applications Policy
• In-House Septic Local
Upgrade Approval Policy
Supporting Local Plans, Regulation and Policies Supporting Local Plans, Regulation and Policies
Finance Committee Minutes
August 24, 2022 Page 1 of 6
TOWN OF BREWSTER
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Date: August 24, 2022 Time: 6:00 PM
MEETING MINUTES
Present: Chair Pete Dahl, Vice Chair Frank Bridges, Clerk Bill Meehan, Robert Tobias, William Henchy
(4:05), Bob Young
Also present: Peter Lombardi, Town Administrator; Mimi Bernardo, Finance Director
Absent: Andy Evans, Honey Pivirotto, Alex Hopper
The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:03 pm and announced a quorum.
Pursuant to Chapter 107 of the Acts of 2022, this meeting will be conducted in person and via remote means, in accordance with applicable law. This
means that members of the public body may access this meeting in person, or via virtual means. In person attendance will be at the meeting location
listed above, and it is possible that any or all members of the public body may attend remotely. No in-person attendance of members of the public
will be permitted, and public participation in any public hearing conducted during this meeting shall be by remote means only.
Additionally, the meeting may be viewed by: Live broadcast (Brewster Government TV Channel 18), Livestream (livestream.brerwster-ma.gov),
or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma.gov).
1.Public Announcements and Comment- none
2.Finance Committee Reorganization
Frank Bridges Nominated Pete Dahl for Chair. Bill Meehan second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Chair Pete
Dahl– yes
The Committee voted: 5-yes 0-no
Bill Meehan Nominated Frank Bridges for Vice Chair. Bob Young second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Chair Pete
Dahl– yes
The Committee voted: 5-yes 0-no
Frank Bridges Nominated Bill Meehan for Clerk. Bob Young second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Chair Pete
Dahl– yes
The Committee voted: 5-yes 0-no
3.Town Administrator/Finance Director Report
Town Meeting - November 14th
Approved:
VOTE:
Finance Committee Minutes
August 24, 2022 Page 2 of 6
Warrant open on September 12th and will close October 17th.
Mimi Bernardo said she did submit for our Free Cash certification and heard back from the Department of
Revenue. Everything is looking good. She has her fingers crossed we will get tomorrow.
Peter Lombardi said we have our tax classification meeting coming on September 12th at the Select Board
Meeting.
Peter Lombardi said the Charter has cleared 3 or 4 committees in the House, has one committee left. We have
been assured by House Counsel that is does not need to be approved in the full legislative session. Our
legislative delegation continues to work on it and our plan and hope is that it will pass by December 31st and
will then take effect. It is still being worked on and has not been lost in the mix.
4.Report and Discussion – Brewster Ladies Library
Peter Lombardi said the President came in and presented to the Select Board on their 7/25 meeting. We got
word from the MA Board of Library Commissioners, funding a little over $4.6M which we were awarded back
in 2017. In the meantime, costs have increased significantly – from $10M-$16M. The state funding was capped
at their original amount. There was a Select Board presentation at their meeting Monday evening, and they had
a follow-up discussion with the Library Board and Director and decided they couldn’t support moving forward
with the renovation project as it stands. They are potentially looking at some phased projects, but not the full
project proposed. He thinks there will be some short-term capital expenditures that are high need - the elevator
has been in and out of service. We have had some funding approved to work on the design for that. That will be
first on the list, but there are other shorter-term needs that will need to be worked on. It’s unfortunate how these
things played out.
Robert asked if the state money would become available for the phased projects. Peter Lombardi answered no.
Bill Meehan wants everyone to know that this committee respects the importance of the library. He wished the
project could go forward, but understands it is just not practical at this time. Pete said there is nothing but a
great amount of respect for the library and what they do for the community.
5.Report and Discussion – Cape & Island Water Protection Fund
Peter Lombardi said that last we talked about this, he gave an update in June and will use that here. The town in
the spring has agreed to partner with the Cape Cod Commission where they will provide technical assistance to
us where some or all of our less traditional wastewater solutions may be state revolving fund eligible. We have
talked directly to DEP about this and got some answers but there are still a lot of points to be clarified. Cape and
Island Water Protection Fund Board agreed to use those funds to have the commission provide this technical
assistance. There are other towns on the Cape in similar positions. The project should take about six months; we
have already begun. They are working to talk with the state and federal government to try to get some answers.
This spring, the EPA announced a new grant program looking at piloting responsible management entities -
wastewater facilities that would oversee compliance, deal with the administration and financing component of
these non-traditional technologies that a lot of other towns are doing. We are hopeful we will be awarded the
grant. Brewster has an interest in getting in on the ground floor - we think that the county may well be best
positioned to serve in that role. We have been talking to county officials in how to manage these individual
systems. Barnstable county is looking at making changes to their septic loan program – possible reduction in
interest and some loan forgiveness to income eligible homeowners which is another potential option to us to
Finance Committee Minutes
August 24, 2022 Page 3 of 6
help residents finance these projects. DEP are finally proposing some significant changes to Title V – for the
first time in a couple decades. They have gone door to door and met with officials in every Cape town. They are
looking to create nitrogen sensitive water sheds which would require towns to upgrade all the septic systems in
5 years or to work on your own or with other towns and develop a 20-year wastewater permit which essentially
mirrors the Pleasant Bay model. The fallback is if you don’t do that, you must upgrade all the septic systems to
IA technology in 5 years. They also included $200M in the state supplemental budget to help cover some of the
costs of implementing these regulations. This funding was to go to the Cape and Island Water Protection Fund
and/or the county’s septic loan program. It is unfortunately hung up in state politics. The estimates are all over
the place. They want to finalize before the end of the Baker Administration. This is over and above what we
already had planned, and, for us, this is about the Herring River Watershed on the Harwich line – a significant
area and a good number of households. We are continuing to track that. We have provided a fair amount of
feedback to DEP. Because of our involvement with the Pleasant Bay permit, they worked with us on that
significantly. We originally talked about withdrawing from the Cape and Island Water Protection Fund, but that
is on hold for now. On the expense side and subsidy side have been well above the benchmarks.
Frank asked if we have an idea what they are expecting to do with a revision of Title V with forever chemicals
and phosphorus. Peter Lombardi said they are solely focused on Nitrogen. Our concern is that we are trying to
be progressive and get ahead of the pond water quality issue. That is not a funding priority currently. The Cape
Cod Commission and the APCC did just receive $2.5M in county funds to work on their freshwater initiative.
There’s nothing from the state now on the table in terms of additional regulations around phosphorous although
that may be coming. Frank said it makes him wonder whether you’re going to make an expensive and divisive
review of Title V and then a few years later there is needs to be more done.
6.Report and Discussion – Cannabis Shop Update
Peter Lombardi said there are two facilities here in Brewster – the retail store on Main Street and the Cultivation
Center on Freeman’s Way. The Cultivation Center is further along, and they are hopeful to get completed in the
next few months. Sounds like they are a bit behind schedule waiting on materials. Looking at the first crop
coming online in the beginning part of the next year. The retail center building permit is still open and active.
The Fire Department has been out for an inspection. We don’t have a timeline when the retail store will open.
Frank asked when do we lose our patience? We were looking at a revenue stream this year. Does this building
permit expire? Peter Lombardi said they have their special permits in hand. The Cultivation Center should be
operational soon. On the retail side the building permit is active, and the Building Commissioner has been
tracking that. The Select Board has asked each property to come in and give updates every 6 months or so. They
are not out of compliance with any of the permits. Peter Lombardi said we haven’t included any revenues in
FY23 until they are up and operational. The State Legislature did pass the most significant marijuana legislation
at the end of the last session. Those community payments are limited to the first 8 years. After those 8 years,
they go away. Whatever we do bring in in terms of the community impact fee, after 8 years, it will sunset. Frank
wants the revenue from the retail distribution. Bill Henchy said the Supreme Judicial Court just solved some
info – the HJC said they would be regulated by the general bylaws.
7.Report and Discussion – Select Board Strategic Plan
Peter Lombardi said the Select Board held their annual retreat and updated their strategic plan, adopted it earlier
this week – there are 39 goals for FY23 & FY24. There are 9 or 10 goals that list the Finance Committee as one
of the stakeholders. Adopting and implementing the 5-year Community Preservation Plan and the bylaw
amendments - CC1. This was discussed at length, but unfortunately the article couldn’t be acted on because we
lost quorum at the end of Town Meeting but will come back in November. CC2 to look at targeted local tax
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relief for our residents – several local options for tax relief. Our plan is to look at those 6 or so that have
different standards, administrative considerations, and provide different relief for different groups. H1 5-year
financial plan for the Housing Trust – like our 5-year Capital Plan and 5-year CPC plan this will really help map
out what funds are coming in and how they will be expended. Then going on to Water Resources – talked at
length, looking at convening a task force to deal with this directly. Next is CI3 which is to help to work with
Nauset School Officials to clarify process and timeline of next steps regarding results of the elementary school
consolidation feasibility study. We need to understand what comes next. Then the Millstone Road project
working through final design and permitting – it is really looking at our roads and what needs to be addressed
and understanding the sequencing of that. Next is G1 establish and communicate budget capacity to Nauset
School Officials based on the town’s current and long-term fiscal sustainability. G6 develop and launch capital
budget and other transparency features of open gov the online platform. We moved the operating budget to open
gov last year and are looking to move the capital plan there as well. Lastly, a broad goal, based on all of the
service needs of our residents and all of the projects and initiatives we have ongoing, recognizing there may be
need to build organizational capacity.
8.Update – Nauset Regional HS Building Project
Peter Lombardi said the project had been put out to bid earlier this summer. Right before General Contractor
bids were due, there was a bid protest filed. What the school officials decided to do was to update the bid
document where the concerns were raised. They put the project out to bid again and there are close to 100 filed
sub bids for all the work that must be done, so the whole process needs to happen again. Interest rates aren’t
expected to be that bad. They believe it will be level debt. Wait until we have the bids in hand and then issue the
full debt that is necessary. We will know more later this winter. Pete said the School Building Committee felt it
would shorten the process to go out to bid again rather than dealing with the bid protests. Bob said he wouldn’t
be concerned about interest rates, more the cost of the project. Peter Lombardi said he has similar concerns. The
School Building Committee felt they had continued to work with the OPM on the architect on all their estimates
and whenever they came in, they made proportionate cuts to account for those increases. Pete said the bids will
come in. The different trades will go out to bid individually and then they’re wrapped into the general
contractor bidding. Peter Lombardi said they had originally planned to issue the long-term debt this fall. It
would be an interest payment plus a principal and interest payment that first year. Right now, they are showing
an interest only payment next year and payment and interest the following year. They schools are coming to
town administrators and finance directors directly and asking for our input on that.
9.Update on Nauset SBC
No further discussion from above agenda item.
10.Liaison Reports and Assignments
Bill Meehan said the Bay Parcel Planning Committee met last week. They passed a motion to make the goal
of opening the pool to the public next summer as their highest priority. Jill Scalise made a presentation about
community housing needs and there was a discussion as to where the Bay Parcel assets might fit in that. There
were no final conclusions. Golf had a record year – a record July even though the weather was awful. The
leadership team they have in place is ideal.
Robert Tobias said the Nauset Regional School District Budget Finance Subcommittee as liaison. Part of the
meeting materials included the reserve for negotiation reconciliations for 21-22 the committee had asked for. He
said they showed the uses by account which are salary accounts. Eddy and Stoney are the same. Also, the
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August 24, 2022 Page 5 of 6
dashboard provided through the end of the fiscal year. Spending was on budget. Funding sources had some
budget surplus – but the downside of that is that the district got more money provided as kids have left to go to
charter schools – 82 to Lighthouse and 42 to Sturgess. Circuit Breaker funds are usually funding special
education.
Bill Henchy has been attending the Pond Committee meetings. There was a site visit – spectacular, remarkably
beautiful. We have been sorting out interim access issues while the ongoing planning effort is taking place.
Parking is proving to be a challenge. There are plans to create a video to show around town and local tv and
plans to create signs and kiosks for people to become more aware of the property around town.
Pete said the Audit Committee met several times, received two proposals for doing the audit, and met with
both parties and recommended awarding the contract to Robert Brown for another 3 years. It was a good
process. We all found ourselves surprised at how strongly we felt about the work the current contractor has
done and his commitment to the town. Peter Lombardi said Bob Brown is under contract. They are eager to get
underway with the FY22 audit.
11. Town Meeting Schedule- November 14th
12. Review and Approval of Minutes – 3/30/22 & 4/20/22
Bill Meehan MOVED to approve the Minutes of 3/30/22 as presented. Bob Young second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Bill
Henchy – abstain, Chair Pete Dahl– yes
The Committee voted: 5-yes 0-no 1-abstain
Bill Meehan MOVED to approve the Minutes of 4/20/22 as presented. Robert Tobias second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Bill
Henchy – abstain, Chair Pete Dahl– yes
The Committee voted: 5-yes 0-no 1-abstain
13. Request for agenda items for future meetings – please email Pete
14. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair- none
15. Next Finance Committee Meeting – 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/17
Frank will need to be remote for October, but as soon as he is back, he would like to meet in person. Pete said
we will continue to use the hybrid approach. Peter Lombardi said the Select Board approved the new policy. We
are waiting for it to take effect until when public participation may resume - could start hypothetically in
October. If public participation will be in person, the policy will be that the committee will be in person. The
members of the committees must attend in person at least 50% of the time, for some committees that threshold
was 75% of the time. We are not there yet, but it is all evolving.
Bill Henchy said he would rather be in person. He believes the Finance Committee is a standing committee
appointed by the Moderator. It seems to him that the committee and the Chair set the policy for the Finance
Committee not the Select Board. It is important that the finance committee stay separate from the Select Board
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and it stay faithful to its role as advisory to Town Meeting and it establish it’s own schedule and maintain its
own prerogatives. Pete said the Select Board does set policy as to how committees meet in public. Bill Henchy
says he stands by his statement. Important to maintain the roll of this committee in the structure of our town
meeting government. Frank concurs. What we have to look at as a committee decide how we can be most
effective and most efficient, and that should be our guidelines. Peter Lombardi said when the town reintroduces
public participation in person, he doesn’t think the finance committee could decide on their own if they were to
allow the public into their meetings. It would be confusing at best and be a disservice to our residents in terms
of providing the same level of access and ability to participate. Bill Henchy said that is not what he is talking
about.
16. Adjournment
Bill Meehan MOVED to adjourn the meeting at 7:43PM. Bob Young second.
Roll Call Vote: Bill Meehan – yes, Frank Bridges – yes, Bob Young – yes, Robert Tobias – yes, Bill Henchy –
yes, Chair Pete Dahl– yes.
The Committee voted: 6-yes 0-no
Respectfully submitted, Beth Devine
Packet of supporting materials on website for public review.