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Home My Public Portal AboutLCP Comment MatrixBUILDING BLOCK DATE RECEIVED CONTACT SUMMARY COMMENTS Community Character Purpose #3 Does not support formal designation of a town center 1. NO TOWN CENTER!!!!! Let it develop naturally, as towns often do 2. Why is it that most of the peeps who responded to the survey want to maintain the “rural character” of Brewster but also want: sidewalks, bike trails/lanes, entertainment, town center, transportation to beaches, etc. Isn’t this a conflict???? 3. Also, the peeps who are building multi-million dollar second homes along the bay should pay. They can afford it. They can also afford to pay the insurance lest their new homes fall into the bay. They should also have a local vote (if they pay local RE taxes). Water Resources Purpose #1 Supports limiting impervious coverage and encouraging permeable materials to preserve water quality 1. any paving or re-paving done should be PERMEABLE. Yes, it is more expensive , but asphalt (sidewalks, roads, parking lots…) is certainly not the way to go to help our water. We seem intent to spend money on rain gardens to protect our water, but continue to pave with asphalt. I don’t get it. Community Infrast. Purpose #2, Action 3 Coastal Mgmt. Purpose 1, Action 5 7/25/2022 Liz Perry & Carl Ahlstrom Concerned with Wing Island boardwalk proposal: more public use could jeopardize sensitive natural resources. Would support other improvements at Drummer Boy Park. 1. Carl and I live near Drummer Boy Park on Blue Jacket Way, next to the old Ivan Dugan property. Our worry with the proposed boardwalk connecting Drummer Boy Park to Wing Island is the environmental impact of more people on Wing Island, families staying there for the morning or afternoon with no toilets, (which I hear from friends who fish there, is a problem now) -- no way for police to patrol or break up parties and/or crowds at night, damage to plover nests, trash accumulating, etc. Wing Island is such a sensitive area, a central migratory path for our seabirds and other migratory birds. We strongly believe that making Wing Island more accessible to tourists and beachgoers is a bad idea in general. Fireworks, which are already being set off around us at night, especially at Drummer Boy Park, have a real impact on our sleep in the summer. From what we have experienced, you can't count on people to be careful or considerate of the environment or the residents of West Brewster, either. The town of Dennis is really struggling with this situation right now. Getting police and/or an ambulance out to Wing Island would be pretty much impossible. 2. We love the idea of public restrooms at Drummer Boy Park and a shaded pavilion with benches. We think an upgraded playground would be nice, but within reason financially. There may be a need to build a playground at the new Sea Camps property, so that might be considered, too 3. Thank you for all of your very hard and complicated work Coastal Mgmt. Purpose #1 Supports maintaining undeveloped beachfront in East Brewster to Orleans line 1. The 1.5 miles of unspoiled and undeveloped beachfront stretching from the western edge of the Sea Camps all the way to Skaket in Orleans is one of our most precious assets. This vast stretch of unspoiled public beach is interrupted only by two tiny adjacent private beaches on the western edge of Linnell Landing (owned by a small development and by Linger Longer, respectively). Community Infrast. Purpose #2, Action 6 Supports actively pursuing Rail Trail extension, particularly to Linnell Landing 1. I note that a Rail Trail extension has been "permitted and designed" to link the state beach section between Linnell and Crosby to the Rail Trail. However, nowhere do I see in the Action Plan any indication that this extension is being actively pursued 2. Adding parking lots, moving parking lots upland, repairing washed-out parking lots every year, and so on are expensive and environmentally damaging activities. An obvious way to relieve the pressure is to improve access to cyclists and pedestrians 3. At the moment, bicycle and pedestrian traffic from the Rail Trail and from Nickerson must cross 6A at Crosby Lane and make its way a half mile down Crosby Lane in the face of heavy beach traffic that often pays little attention to speed limits. Watching bicycle-equipped small children unsteadily weaving their way up and down this heavily-used public landing road is troubling to say the least 4. A Rail Trail linkage will increase property values across Brewster, make Brewster a cycling destination, boost local businesses, and diminish the demand for beachfront asphalt. I'm not aware of any beaches directly accessible to Rail Trail and Nickerson cyclists except for a tiny stretch of Seymour Pond. It would make a huge difference for Brewster to have the only direct connection to a public beach from the Rail Trail. The proposed extension will dramatically improve cycling and pedestrian safety, cut down on vehicular traffic, and benefit every Brewster resident and business 5. Let's make the Rail Trail extension to Linnell an Action Plan priority for the Town, not just a vague "someday plan" for the state Community Character Purpose #3 Questions the necessity of designating a town center 1. What defines a “town center” and why do we need one? what is wrong with configuration on 6A as it is. Depending on what is meant by a “town center” it may impact “community character”. 3. I am concerned that not enough attention is being paid to changes in our historic districts. 2 big homes recently built on my historic district street. One we call the "Ramada Inn" and the other is being rented for upward of 22 people with a large olympic size pool bordered by conservation and wetlands property. Both used in summer only. Local Economy Purpose #2 Concerned with the types of businesses Brewster should aim to attract 1. We talk generically about attracting more businesses. Exactly what kind of businesses does town want to attract. e.g. NO MORE liquor stores, marijuana businesses,restaurants or drug stores. Better to attract professionals who can be supportive of town’s (and Cape’s) year round residents, and services that are needed but do not exist. Health and Social Services come to mind. ESL teachers could also expand the labor workforce. Community Character Purpose #2 Concerned with development impacts on the historic district 1. I am concerned that not enough attention is being paid to changes in our historic districts. 2 big homes recently built on my historic district street. One we call the "Ramada Inn" and the other is being rented for upward of 22 people with a large olympic size pool bordered by conservation and wetlands property. Both used in summer only. Water Resources Purpose #1 Concerns with residential swimming pools on public health and safety Concerns with enforcement of seasonal water use restrictions 1. Again, need to re-think giving permission for olympic size pools without attention to how water, full of chemicals, will be drained at end of season. Also pool filters create run 24/7 and create “white noise” for neighbors. Regulations to prevent accidental drownings??? 2. How are water restrictions during drought periods, probably more frequent in the future, being regulated with summer rentals only? Regulations on my street by summer rentals being ignored. Additionally pool owner fertilizing lawn periodically and run off from lawn watering every day into wetlands 3. Maybe need to talk with rental agents in town like Pretty Picky & others. Housing Purpose #2 Concerns with housing plans and educating the public 1. With an eye to the future ALL new housing should by required to have universal design features which would benefit ALL age cohorts. 2. More education of the public. Terms like ADU and co-housing, etc are used but most folks ignorant of these concepts. Need public forums re definitions, options, costs, zoning requirements, financing, etc. And, for co-housing, protection from abuse. Vetting housemates? Etc. 3. Helping existing homeowners with maintaining their homes—e.g. free rentals or low rentals in exchange for help at home. Again, vetting an issue to avoid abuse Governance Purpose #2 Supports getting the public more involved 1. Related to above, maybe creating Brewster’s own “Nauset Neighbors”—volunteers to help our aging community 2. Formal recognition for all town volunteers in all depts. 3. Contact information for all Committees on website - more opportunities for feedback Coastal Mgmt. Purpose #2 8/2/2022 Paul & Mary Tallmadge Concerns with potential impacts with Drummer Boy Park and Wing Island Boardwalk proposals 1. We live at 817 Main Street, which abuts the conservation property to the east. We believe open access to town property by its citizens is generally a good thing but in this case 24/7 access to Wing Island would be harmful to the fragile environment, a central migratory path for seabirds and other migratory birds. After the installation of the sidewalks from the Drummer Boy Park to the existing path there has been an increase in foot traffic out to the island, excessive wear on paths, tissues (bathroom break?), beer bottles, and other debris left as evidence.There are no sanitary facilities or trash receptacles on Wing island, creating more access will only increase these problems. The existing path provides safe haven for the wildlife at high tide, fewer people venture out when the boardwalk is submerged, we see this as a good thing. With the increase in population on the Cape there is more pressure on these sensitive areas. Wing Island is accessible by water as well as the path, there has been a huge increase in boats pulling up to the beach and anchoring during high tide as well as entering Quivett Creek, resulting in more pressure on the wildlife. 2. Drummer Boy Park is one of the few places on the Cape that one can park for free and access a beach, so if the access improves will a parking sticker be needed and how could that be enforced? Will that mean Drummer Boy will just become a huge beach parking lot? 3. We also are concerned with maintenance cost of the boardwalk. Over the years we have seen nor'easters and ice floes that have gone over and on to route 6A. The winter environment will have the potential to damage the boardwalk as it has in other towns on the Cape which has been costly to these towns. Do the citizens want to pay for the upkeep of a boardwalk? 4. Another concern is access for emergency services out on the island, with the expected increase of visitors the chance of accidents increases and a quick response would be difficult. Housing Purpose #1 Supports affordable housing to enhance DEI 1. To enhance inclusion and diversity in our community, I believe a major emphasis should be on developing affordable housing. Water Resources Purpose #1, #2 & #3 Supports improved wastewater treatment and infrastructure to protect water quality, including through available Federal or State funds or programs 1. Any chance to develop a plan for installing sewer lines to replace the septic systems that are an environmental hazard. Can the Federal or State government initiatives to promote infrastructure be used for this purpose Community Infrast. Purpose #3 Supports enhanced wireless service and coverage for the community particularly around Ocean Edge 1. Very poor cell phone service is a serious problem in some areas of Brewster including the Millstone neighborhood in which we live and in the Ocean Edge resort where we have stayed many times. This is a potentially dangerous situation if rapid emergency contacts need to be made. Can a cell phone tower be added in the areas with poor service? Again can governmental infrastructure funds be used for this purpose. Brewster LCP Comments 7/25/2022 7/25/2022 8/1/2022 8/2/2022 Eric Strovik Ellen Gleason A Nevins ROBERT KOSHER & Caroline Dealy