HomeMy Public PortalAboutSelect Board -- 2021-09-03 Minutes (2) 0���»uoul�rupn
S
o`
L° eeagq ' Town of Brewster office of:
ibb " @ a _
2198 Main StreetSelect Board
Cn, = Brewster MA 02631 - 1898 � , Town Administrator
LI
Phone : (508) 896 -3701NIL
41
iDR u" ° \\ \ www . brewster-ma . gov �: °
MINUTES OF THE SELECT BOARD EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES
DATE : September 3, 2021
TIME : 8 : 30 am
PLACE : Remote Teleconference / 2198 Main Street Brewster, MA 02631 Room A
PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN PERSON : Chair Bingham , Selectperson Hoffmann ,
Selectperson Chaffee , Selectperson Whitney, Town Administrator Peter Lombardi
PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY : Selectperson Chatelain , Assistant Town
Administrator Donna Kalinick
Call to Order, Declaration of Quorum, Meeting Participation Statement and Recording
Statement
Chair Bingham called the meeting to order at 8 : 30am . All Select Board members present were
announced , and a quorum was declared . Chair Bingham read the meeting participation and
recording statements .
The following agenda items were completed in regular session .
• Vote to Sign the September 25, 2021 Town Meeting Warrant for Posting
• Refer Proposed Stormwater Management Bylaw to Planning Board for Fall Special Town
Meeting Consideration
• Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
Selectperson Chaffee moved to enter Executive Session at 8 : 35am and not to return to regular
session . Selectperson Hoffmann second . A roll call vote was taken . Selectperson Hoffmann -yes,
Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair
Bingham -yes . The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0- No .
Remote participants declared " No other persons are present or able to hear this discussion at
this remote location . "
Executive Session Agenda Items :
• To consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property if the chair declares
that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the
public body- 3057 Main Street and 500 W H Besse Cartway
• December 8, 2020 and July 26, 2021 Executive Session Meeting Minutes
Approval of the December 8, 2020 and July 26, 2021 Executive Session Minutes
Selectperson Chatelain moved to approve the minutes as drafted . Selectperson Whitney
second .
BoS 9-03 -2021 www . brewster-ma . gov Page 1 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
a\a\ulluml l°rnl�iui�
Town of Brewster or `e of.
Select Board
r a _ 2198 Main Street
r may
Brewster MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
Phone : (508) 896 -3701
www . brewster-ma . gov
December 8, 2020, draft minutes . A roll call vote was taken . Selectperson Hoffmann -abstain ,
Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair
Bingham -yes . The Board vote was 4-Yes, 0- No, 1 -Abstain
July 26, 2021 , draft minutes . A roll call vote was taken . Selectperson Hoffmann-yes,
Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Whitney-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair
Bingham -yes . The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0- No
To consider the purchase , exchange, lease or value of real property if the chair declares that
an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public
body- 3057 Main Street and 500 W H Besse Cartway
Mr . Lombardi let Brad Kurtz, the broker for the Kennedys know he has been authorized by the
Select Board to speak with the Kennedys directly and it may be more productive . The four of
them met at the Kennedys house last night at 5 : 30pm for about an hour and fifteen minutes .
Mr . Lombardi shared that broadly, the Kennedys stated that they are keenly aware of
everything the Town is doing and has done, including all the discussions, the public forum, the
public meetings and any public discussions, as they have been tuned in . The Kennedys are well
aware that they are in competition with the Town .
Mr . Lombardi stated it is fair to characterize their perspective as one that would preserve the
Bay Parcel from development by the Town, this is how they view, through their own lens, their
acquisition of the Bay Parcel . Adding that they were very adversarial and confrontational to
start, Mr . Lombardi thinks they realized , the political momentum on the Town ' s efforts .
The Kennedys started the conversation with the position that not them, but the sellers and
other potential interested parties have grounds to file suit against the Town for the threat of
eminent domain . Mr. Lombardi noted that initially they were coming from the position of we
signed an NDA and can' t talk about anything, but then proceeded to talk for an hour and fifteen
minutes in hypotheticals that clearly weren ' t hypotheticals . Mr . Lombardi stated that is fair to
say that we have the best confirmation without them directly saying it, that they are indeed our
competition and that they submitted a $ 20 million cash offer with no contingencies, with no
intentions to withdraw the offer . Mr . Lombardi would be very surprised if they executed the
Purchase and Sale before Town Meeting . Mr . Lombardi added that they also were upset about
the fact that the Town didn ' t broadcast their conceptual vision for the parcel when we talked
about other developers in the mix who expressed interest in intensively developing the
property . The Kennedy' s also initially talked about going to Town meeting and speaking about
their interest in buying the property, but since they signed an NDA, Mr. Lombardi thinks that it
is highly unlikely they will do this .
Mr . Lombardi continued that the Kennedys are still very much in their mode of operating as
developers with a lot of money who are used to being in a lead position and dictating the
BoS 9-03 -2021 www , brewster-ma . gov Page 2 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
\\\\\ p081WS) �
o`` 'o '��° paRF Town of Brewster once of
2198 Main Street Select Board
I ti Brewster, MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
Y ,r - 6
Phone : (508) 896 -3701
"i ��CORP on►Ie� www, brewster-ma . gov
�� iptaii t o too'
a
process . Mr . Lombardi pointed out a few key things in no particular order, on a couple of
different times the Kennedys talked about a property that was sold recently in Dennis that was
of similar acreage and on the water, sounds like on the Nantucket Sound side, though not
aware of it and was not in our appraisal report as a comp, they stated it sold for just over $ 19
million in the past couple years . Mr . Lombardi saw this as establishing the value in the market,
clearly with their bid , which the sellers' brokers and the Kennedys have essentially confirmed at
$ 20 million , which is what we know now what the value is and know if we would go through the
eminent domain process where we would end up . The Kennedys effectively talked about a
number of different scenarios but continued to come back to where we were in May, which is
we think that the market is $ 20 million plus, we think there is a high likelihood the Bay parcel
votes could fail either at ballot or Town meeting because people don ' t like the idea of eminent
domain . The Kennedys are willing to purchase the property for $ 20 million and give the Town a
written contractual agreement, where the Town would have a one -year option and a two -year
option to buy it from them . Mr . Lombardi stated that the numbers that were floated were
basically a 10% annual escalator, so at the end of year one it would be $ 22 million and end of
year two $ 24million . Adding that in their mind it would give the Town the opportunity to
undertake its master planning process to decide what they wanted on the parcel and bring to
Town meeting, so there was cost and plan certainty . Mr . Lombardi continued , at the same time,
the Kennedys would work jointly with the Town to remove a majority of the camp structures ,
which they believe the Town would also want removed ( and so they could have their family
compound ) . The Kennedys would cover these costs and then pass along to the Town with no
markup, which is obviously cheaper than if the Town did it using prevailing wage . Mr . Lombardi
said using round numbers, the Kennedys would spend $ 1million in those two years . If the Town
was to go through the process, have a master plan and bring to it to Town meeting to buy from
them , at the end of the two -year option , it would be $ 25 million , the master planning process
will take the better part of the two years ( which was conveyed to Kennedys ) .
Mr . Lombardi added that if the Town meeting vote were to fail , the Kennedys would agree to
place a conservation restriction or deed restriction on the entire parcel such that they can only
construct, let' s say, six single family residential properties for their six children . Mr . Lombardi
pointed out that an important data point is that their $ 20 million bid also includes acquiring the
Southeast corner of the parcel , which would be the carve out for the driveway . The Kennedy' s
proposal would basically bring the existing drive, which starts about a third of the way along the
parcel heading east to west and runs along the right - hand side near Spruce Hill, all the way over
and provide ( hypothetically ) a public drive up the eastern side of the property such that the
Town could have some shared use ( their term ) of the park center and a handful of those
buildings in that portion of the property and then have a parking lot, somewhere not on coastal
dune , with public access to the beach .
Chair Bingham asked if public access would be for the whole beach . Mr . Lombardi stated that is
what the Kennedys said . Mr . Lombardi continued that the Kennedys said they would be, not
BoS 9 -03 -2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 3 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
I It
vvv�� ° ntiiri / Office of:
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street Select Board
r mcv = Town Administrator
3 D N
Brewster MA 02631 - 1898
Phone : (508) 896 -3701
tNOORPORAtEO \\\\\
www . brewster" ma . gov
just open to but interested in leasing some of those buildings to the Town for our exclusive use,
so that the ongoing operating costs of their children ' s estate would be paid for with the
proceeds of the lease . Mr . Lombardi mentioned that the Kennedys also talked about again ,
their interest, hypothetically and didn ' t give a number, in providing direct financial assistance or
donation of some sort to the Town to help purchase the Long Pond parcel as they have no
interest in this parcel .
Mr . Lombardi said importantly to Selectperson Chatelains' point about Long Pond yesterday,
the Kennedys thought the bid we submitted was spot on and competitive in the market, didn ' t
think there would be any other competition and the $ 4 . 2 million bid would win .
Mr . Lombardi also mentioned that at the start of the meeting, the Kennedys were kind of
accusing Mr. Lombardi of not relaying their initial offer to the Board , which he said he obviously
had . Adding that the Kennedys were also frustrated that we hadn ' t publicly talked about their
bid , Mr . Lombardi responded that he had no idea if they submitted a bid and certainly didn 't
think it would be appropriate to share the details if they had .
Selectperson Chaffee expressed her thanks to Mr . Lombardi for meeting with the Kennedys and
relaying the information . Adding that her instinct after hearing what transpired is not to be in
business with the Kennedys .
Mr . Lombardi added that during the conversation he did question the Kennedys and asked why
they had not actively advocated for the Town ' s vote to ultimately fail if their desire is to have a
family compound on the property . Their response was that they believe they will make $ 4- $ 5M
in a couple of years , which is much less than they could make in the market during that time .
The Kennedys also stated that the property would be returned somewhat to the less developed
state than it was prior to their ownership .
Mr . Lombardi commented given we have confirmation that the Kennedy' s bid was $ 20M , it is
fair to say that the value of the property would be less than that if the Town went through the
taking process . The eminent domain process is going to make it significantly more complex; it
will take longer and will be more expensive because the Town will have to carry the costs of
holding the property during that time . The Town will need to sort out details of the timeline
and costs of the master plan , Mr . Lombardi commented that the Town could increase their bid
to $ 20-21M and do all of this without including the Kennedys, this could be a negotiated sale
without eminent domain , improving and accelerating the process .
The Kennedys are not interested in the Long Pond parcel and at this time the Town does not
know how much acreage the other portion of the parcel is that the Kennedy' s offered to buy .
Mr . Lombardi laid out that a $ 20M offer from the Town for less acreage and the potential tax
benefits of a friendly taking may make the Town the preferred bidder . While at the same time
offering $ 4 . 2M for the Long Pond parcel as a package deal .
BoS 9-03 -2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 4 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
9 = Town of Brewster office of:
Select Board
9 a - 2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 026314898 Town Administrator
- — Phone : (508) 896 -3701
ui%ruin` iii 9 \\ \` www. brewster-ma . gov
Mr . Lombardi relayed that in a previous conversation with the seller' s broker it was expressed
that the owners of the two properties abutting the bay parcel would prefer a private residence
to unknown public Town uses . Those owners have asked about a 50 or 100400t buffer around
their properties for whatever the Town would potentially due there . Mr . Lombardi doesn ' t see
it as an issue with what we know is currently at that location .
Members of the Board expressed their perspective on the social media posts recently and how
people are reacting to it, specifically about the possibility of eminent domain .
Selectperson Chatelain remarked that all of this is an example that the Town has a clean offer
which should translate into dollars to the sellers . He suggests that the Town should review their
bid offer and proposed $ 17 . 5M , along with the Pond parcel .
Mr . Lombardi noted that the sellers have made it clear that they will not entertain offers less
than $ 20M , we now know that they are trying to get $ 28M for both parcels with the $ 8M for
the Long Pond parcel they put on the table yesterday . Mr . Lombardi doesn ' t think that $ 17 . 5M
is the right number . He believes that the price for the Bay parcel is $ 20M , plus the legal costs
and carrying costs over a 5 -year period , could be another half a million plus that the Town will
have to absorb .
The Select Board shared their thoughts on the possible offer amounts and their desire for a
negotiated settlement . Selectperson Chatelain reviewed both scenarios looking at the offers
from the seller' s perspective, adding that the Town is interested in Long Pond , though we
believe it is not worth $ 8M . Selectperson Chatelain believes the Town is the highest bidder and
the sellers are trying to get the Town to increase their bid to over $ 20M for both parcels .
Selectperson Chaffee noted that if the Town were to work with the Kennedys, though she does
not believe we should , the Town would need to enter a contract with them before they execute
the sale .
Mr . Lombardi reminded the Board that in previous conversations , the Board had felt that $ 30M
would be the point we would walk away . Assuming the Town has about $ 5M in other funding
sources to apply to the $ 30M , issuing $ 25M of debt, the tax impact on average medium home
for that scenario was about $ 150 per year and for $ 20M about $ 120 per year . The Town will
have to present to residents that we went through an appraisal process and have the
information in hand that we believe the market value of the Bay property is $ 20M . On the
other hand , if we went through the eminent domain process, we think this is the amount we
would end up having to pay, in additional to legal fees . There are also the uncertainties of a
taking, including a timeline , no public access, the carrying costs, etc .
Members of the Board stated that they are not interested in working with the Kennedys,
however it is important to know what was proposed by the Kennedys and that the Town
BoS 9 -03 - 2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 5 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
NN Ikews
I ep �4 4 Y � � r k� , Office ofv
lk Eft
Town of Brewster
1;� Select Board
2198 Main Street
Town Administrator
0 Brewster, MA 02631 � 1898
Phone * (508) 896�3701
,A � � jSVO�� www . brewster�ma - gov
'VOORPOW
�68. 19 isal
1/11111111�11o\
considered all options , The Kennedys have made it clear that they are working to set up future
generations so that they will not have to worry about costs of the property . It appears what the
Kennedys want to do is buy the land with the additional frontage to subdivide into six private
home lots which they will manage and operate as a family estate until eternity, this is not great
for the Town . However, for some reason they believe that this would work for the Town as they
have offered to carve out public access to the beach and buildings . Selectperson Chatelain
stated when talking through the details it becomes clear that the Town' s position does not align
with the Kennedys and is comfortable with the due diligence that the Board has done .
Selectperson Hoffmann noted that if the Kennedys wanted to build six residential structures on
the property, they would need to go through the Cape Cod Commission due to the size of the
parcel , and possibly the Historical District Commission as it is within 500ft from the center line
of main street , Mr . Lombardi added that the Kennedys do not plan on taking down the existing
structure but would rehabilitate it . The Kennedys don ' t have any contingencies on their offer, if
it doesn 't work out, they could flip the property and make a profit, another assetin their
portfolio . Selectperson Chatelain pointed out that if the Kennedys are seeking another parcel
to be able to subdivide, then this is a significant contingency, even if not written that way, they
will need the frontage to proceed with their plans . This is important to them but will be a pain
for the sellers . Mr . Lombardi requested that Selectperson Hoffmann and Selectperson Chatelain
provide him with a quick write up about these points so that he can make sure he is accurate
with what he is portraying when speaking with the broker or the sellers .
The Select Board continued to discuss their updated offer amount, it was decided that the
Town would offer $ 21 , 8M for both parcels .
Selectperson Chatelain move to approve an offer of $ 21 . 8M for both parcels . Selectperson
Chaffee second adding with a closing in early November . A roll call vote was taken .
Selectperson Hoffmann �yes, Selectperson Chaffe�yes, Selectperson Whitney�yes, Selectperson
Chatelain �yes, Chair Bingham �yes . The Board vote was 5 �Yes, O� No .
6
Selectperson Hoffmann requested to discuss a communication plan , as she has been hearing
that people believe that if the Kennedy' s purchase the property it will have much less impact .
Mr , Lombardi stated that when meeting with the Kennedys he read verbatim the language in
the warrant and all the reasons for the Town to purchase, adding candidly that he feels the
phrase that bothered the Kennedys the most was the possibility of community housing . This
may be what is driving the Kennedy' s motivation and what might be a talking point amongst
residents leading up to Town Meeting .
There was discussion regarding the fact that for the Kennedys, they are dependent on acquiring
the additional small parcel , as this would provide the frontage needed for them to build their
desired six residential homes, additional review regarding frontage and the number of homes
BoS 9�O3 �2021 www . brewster� ma . gov Page 6 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48aO2ede1 I e2l2d62
I
I
� A11�11111111111111111//ll//j///
°Q ,o ' �oeR'eA F9 Town of Brewster Office of:
2198 Main Street
Select Board
° ' y Brewster, MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
r —
Phone : (508) 896 -3701
www . brewster-ma . gov
F
a N/t 11lliuliou
allowed is needed . This was made clear by the Kennedys to Mr . Lombardi during their meeting .
Selectperson Chatelain noted that we need to take the Kennedys seriously as they are a local
family and we need to be respectful , but the outcome is not different for the Town .
The Board discussed the possibility of the Kennedys offering more for just the Bay parcel . Mr .
Lombardi noted that if this does happen , the market value of the Bay increases and worries
about the unintended outcome . The Kennedy' s could assert through the eminent domain
process as a witness that they were willing to pay a higher price, say $ 22 million . Mr. Lombardi
reminded the Board to keep in mind the position we are putting ourselves in if we enter
negotiations . Chair Chaffee mentioned that one possible way to put the brakes on the
negotiations is having the political will to move to eminent domain , it is the Board ' s role of
public officials to keep the costs as low as possible . The Board does believe that the Kennedys
would increase their offer if the Town were to do so and continue to try to outbid the Town .
Mr . Lombardi stated that a negotiated sale is preferred , and we should counter, but we are
going to need to know how far we are willing to go, as it will affect the judgement, say we use
$ 24 . 2M as our highest and the Kennedys go to $ 25M and we still move forward with eminent
domain we may end up paying $ 25M just for the Bay .
Ms . Kalinick stated that it is very discouraging to her that people are using the community
/affordable housing possibility as a negative, something that we are going to have manage . Ms .
Kalinick noted that we will be going through a community process in determining what to do
with these parcels, ultimately our residents will decide , commenting on how it would be okay
for the Kennedys to develop 6 estates on the property, but not okay for anyone else to have
housing on the property .
The Board discussed how the Town should position itself, that the offer is our highest and best .
If at any time we feel we are negotiating against the sellers and not another buyer and the price
continues to increase past what we would have paid after litigation , we need to stop . The
Town will continue to do everything we can to get a negotiated settlement that would be
cheaper than market value, however if our actions in turn raise the market value, we need to
stop those actions .
The Board discussed the fact that the Kennedys presented their offer at $ 20M as a clean offer,
however it doesn ' t seem clean with the need to purchase the additional parcel for frontage .
The Board believes the sellers know this information but did not disclose it to the Town . This is
a very valuable piece since it has the frontage, the appraisal puts this piece at $ 3M for the
frontage and development potential .
In review of the draft warrant, includes any changes that were needed and will be going to the
printer later today . There is a page on eminent domain that will remain in the warrant, as this
is still on the table, the information included on this page is informational and high level .
BoS 9 -03 -2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 7 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
i
`a� E4DEltg9 lop - Town of Brewster Office of:
2198 Main Street Select Board
° _ ti = Brewster, MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
Ail { Phone : (508) 896 -3701
/// " %nrilmini;11661
� \\\PO\\ www . brewster- ma . gov
Selectperson Chatelain and Selectperson Chaffee will work together to review the document
regarding the history of land acquisition in Brewster . Each acquisition is unique and fact
specific, it is good to have the data , but need to include more details about each acquisition .
Mr . Lombardi noted that one of the main questions the Finance Committee has is regarding the
existing debt load , which includes the High School project coming online, this acquisition and
future capital costs associated with the Bay parcel . Mr . Lombardi thinks it would be helpful to
add something to the FAQ or be prepared to answer questions regarding existing debt . We
would need to be able to translate it to cents per thousand on the tax rate . Assuming both the
High School and this acquisition come online , we should provide a timeline which will also show
that dept will drop off over time . Mr . Lombardi added we need to be clear to the extent to
which the tax rate will be incrementally added to, but there is some relief also coming . It was
noted that we should be prepared to have a handout with information regarding this at Town
meeting . Mr . Lombardi believes that the Finance Committee concerns were around the risk
and liability around eminent domain , if further engagement with the sellers, then we would
want the Finance Committee to attend an executive session , believing their support will
remain .
There was discussion of the possibility of the Kennedys going public with their idea of
purchasing the property and providing access to residents . Residents may see this as a no cost
to them solution, except that the Town would have to pay $ 24M in two years based on the two
options the Kennedy' s provided . Residents will see benefit and value with the Kennedys, but
they have not provided any detail on what they are offering for public use . Mr . Lombardi
reminded the Board that the Kennedy' s primary pitch was basically to buy the property and flip
it over to the Town for a profit . Adding that the only element would be that they would
remove structures that the Town would want to be taken down , which would be cheaper for
the Town , so there is some value there . The Kennedys had indicated that they planned to sell
some of the current structures on the property, something the Town could do as well .
The topic of loss of property tax for the Town came up in discussion , Mr . Lombardi noted that
the Kennedys were keen on this potential of loss of revenue for the Town , he explained to them
how it worked , which they thought was amusing that the Town would not lose money by
reallocating the revenue across the tax rate . Providing the residents with information that
easily explains that the $ 90, 000 is not a loss for the Town is important . Mr . Lombardi shared
that because of the appreciation of property our tax rate is going down about $ . 70 per
thousand from last year to this year, tax rate would go up $ . 02 to account for the Sea Camps
property . The Tax Classification hearing is soon , and this should be included in the discussion .
Mr . Lombardi added that generally what happens is that the higher end properties bear more
of a burden of increased taxes then the lower end properties but is not the case in every
situation .
BoS 9 -03 -2021 www . brewster-ma . gov Page 8 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
,Je0 p7nluunrrli��
aSWST '',
O� ,alE�° ERaAt?iF9 ', Town of Brewster Office of
2198 Main Street Select Board
_ Brewster MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
— _ Phone : (508) 896-3701
'
it lilt„i.,� ;,;,;m��u�'��\ \ www . brewster- ma . gov
Mr . Lombardi shared that there was a Municipal Lien Certificate ( MLC ) pulled for the Bay parcel
( we do not know who requested it ) , which to him means the Kennedy' s are earnest . Adding
that generally when an MLC is pulled it is when the property is nearing a closing . An MLC is to
check on the tax status of the property, including any outstanding taxes . This proves that this is
not a bluff, the Kennedys have a legitimate offer that could be existing . Mr . Lombardi noted
that they threatened to sign a purchase and sales agreement before Town meeting, but
believes it is unlikely . The Kennedys know that if they do that as soon as they close a taking can
be initiated against them . Mr . Lombardi mentioned that they referenced a property in Duxbury
during their meeting, as well as one in Chatham and the Chatham Bars Inn golf course as the
specter of what could go wrong for the Town on the eminent domain approach . Selectperson
Hoffmann stated that in the Duxbury case, the Town did not impose eminent domain until after
the deal was made, this is different .
Regarding the email from Shirin Everett, relative to the options and process on the timeline in
entering into an agreement with Mass Audubon on use of the Long Pond parcel , this is a
concern the Town has had for a while . Ms . Everett said that the way the warrant articles are
structured now, the Town has the discretion to enter a conservation easement, effectively the
mechanism the Town can use to give Mass Audubon some affirmative rights for programing .
This could be done without further Town meeting, or we can elect to say it will be completed
during the master planning process . Noting that as written the Select Board has discretion to do
it before the master plan process is complete . Mr . Lombardi said that the master planning
process will run in parallel for each parcel , and hopefully the Long Pond parcel planning will be
completed sooner than the Bay Parcel .
Mr . Lombardi stated that he had a great meeting with the principal at Reed Hilderbrand , a
landscape design and architect firm out of Boston , who is currently doing work with Mass
Audubon , which is how we got their information . They have just completed a master plan
update at Drummer Boy Park, which was done more as an engineering exercise . For the Sea
Camps properties , we need a much broader vision . Mr . Lombardi added that a big piece of how
they approach these projects is to start with an ecological analysis , which is very much in line
with Town priorities . Reed Hilderbrand will provide a quote to develop a scope of work, which
Mr . Lombardi noted was one of the goals at the annual retreat for the Sea Camps property as
we know it is going to be complicated and really important . Mr . Lombardi noted that their
suggestion regarding a project of this scale is to hire a firm just to complete the scope of work .
We would go to Town Meeting in November with an initial ask for an appropriation to develop
the scope of work, then go back to Town meeting in the Spring for the actual funding for the
master planning work itself. Mr . Lombardi noted that he is not wed to this particular firm but
liked their approach and will share their website with the Board . Adding that it was conveyed
that we are not just focusing on just the Sea Camps properties . The Board will need to decide
how we want to communicate the master plan to the public .
BoS 9 -03 -2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 9 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62
vv��opnuu Ift Office of:
5 � DERTB9F9 N Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street Select Board
Brewster, MA 02631 - 1898 Town Administrator
~ ` Phone : (508) 8961m3701
t ��NPOP &IE� ' ,o� ` www , brewster-ma . gov
1, lot J601
Selectperson Hoffmann brought up the concern of the public for the operation and
maintenance for these properties, noting that we have planned to put $ 200K aside for this
purpose . Article 3 in the warrant is drafted to address this concern, but until we own the
property there is still a lot of unknowns . Mr . Lombardi noted that we should add in the FAQs
about the $ 200K is premised on certain carrying costs, noting there are variables, including we
don 't know when the Town will acquire the properties, or what properties we will acquire, or
the extent of public access .
Next Meetings .
September 10, 2021
Adjournment
Selectperson Whitney moved to adjourn at 10 : 37 am , Second by selectperson Chatelain . A roll
call vote was taken . Selectperson Hoffmann -yes, Selectperson Chaffee-yes, Selectperson
Whitney-yes, Selectperson Chatelain -yes, Chair Bingham -yes . The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0- No
Respectfully submitted ,
Erika Mawn , Executive Assistant
01 / 09 / 2023 �j/iJ• %��
Approved : Signed :
Date Select Board Clerk, Kari Hoffmann
Released : 2/27/2023
BoS 9 -03 -2021 www . brewster- ma . gov Page 10 of 10
Doc ID : 095dbbdf045ede2d82faead48a02ede11e212d62