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COMMITTEE
NAME
Sharon Tennstedt
Chair
Amanda Bebrin
Vice Chair
Andi Genser
Patricia Hess
Suzanne Kenney
Fran Schofield
Alex Wentworth
Town Planner
Jon Idman
Administrative
Assistant
Ellen Murphy
Select Board
Liaison
Kari Hoffmann
Finance
Committee Liaison
Honey Pivirotto
Town of Brewster Vision Planning Committee
2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
brewplan@brewster-ma.gov
(508) 896-3701
VISION PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA
2198 Main Street Room A
Monday, June 26, 2023, at 3:30 pm
This meeting will be conducted in person at the time and location identified above. This means that at least a quorum
of the members of the public body will attend the meeting in person and members of the public are welcome to attend
in person as well. As a courtesy only, access to the meeting is also being provided via remote means in
accordance with applicable law. Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation is
being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated if
technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast or affect remote attendance or participation, unless
otherwise required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda, which
includes an applicant and its representatives, should make plans for in -person vs. virtual attendance accordingly.
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:819 3038 8203 Passcode: 317154
To request to speak: Press *9 and wait to be recognized.
ZoomWebinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j 81930388203?pwd=VHEvUURMM1ZFdUJNREJIbEN3SFdOZz09
Passcode: 317154
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.gpv),
or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma.gov i.
Please note that the Vision Planning Committee may take official action, including votes, on any item on this agenda.
1. Ca11 to Order
2. Declaration of a Quorum
3. Meeting Participation Statement
4. Recording Statement: As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the Town will be video
and audio taping as well as broadcasting this public meeting. In addition, if anyone else intends to either video or audio
tape this meeting they are required to inform the chair.
5. Approval of June 5, 2023, meeting minutes
6. Welcome our new VPC member
7. Discussion of public outreach and education, including timeline
8. Update from Bay and Pond Property Planning Committee
9. Review Action Items from the June 5th meeting
10. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
11. Next Meeting Monday, July 17
12. Adjournment
Date Posted:
6/ 22/ 2023
Date Revised: Received by Town Clerk:
Page 1 of 2
TOWN OF BREWSTER
VISION PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
Monday, June 5, 2023, at 3:30PM
Sharon Tennstedt, Chair, convened the Brewster Vision Planning Committee in person with members: Amanda Bebrin,
Vice Chair, Suzanne Kenney, Patricia Hess, and Alex Wentworth were present, Andi Gesner was absent. A quorum was
determined.
Also present: Jon Idman, Town Planner, Kari Hoffman, Select Board Liaison (virtual), and Fran Schofield (resident)
The Chair read the Recording or Taping Notification: This meeting will be conducted in person at the time and location
identified above. This means that at least a quorum of the members of the public body will attend the meeting in person
and members of the public are welcome to attend in person as well. As a courtesy only, access to the meeting is also being
provided via remote means in accordance with applicable law. Please note that while an option for remote attendance
and/or participation is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated
if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast or affect remote attendance or participation, unless otherwise
required by law. Members of the public with particular interest in any specific item on this agenda, which includes an
applicant and its representatives, should make plans for in-person vs. virtual attendance accordingly.
To submit public comment or questions to the Vision Planning Committee, please email: brewplan@brewster-ma.gov.
Review and approval of May 15th meeting minutes
Sharon requested an amendment of the minutes, changing her position to Chair and striking the word approved
under the second bulleted item. Amanda made a motion to approve the May 15th meeting minutes as
amended, Suzanne seconded the motion, a roll call was taken, and the May 15th meeting minutes were
unanimously approved. Sharon acknowledged Fran Schofield from the public attending.
Review of recent edits to the draft LCP version 4
Sharon Tennstedt referred to version 4 of the document focusing on edits made since the last meeting, and a
document with a summary of the edits.
She started with the Executive Summary stepping through the updates. Sharon noted in Section 3 Building
Blocks under “Brewster Today” Current Land Use Patterns a key will be added to the diagram and updated in
InDesign the publishing software program. Sharon reminded the Committee that it was agreed to use the term
“town centers” throughout the document.
Community Character was updated to reflect houses built prior to 1925, as suggested by Patricia at the previous
meeting.
Andi questioned the edit under Local Economy “to own or to rent” and the Committee discussed rewording.
The Committee moved on to “Key Issues” and stepped through minor changes and suggestions for additional
clarity. Updates were made to Coastal Management confirming and the number of parking spaces and language
referring to Dennis Bass Hole to Rock Harbor Orleans was updated. In Water Resources, the text for the
Stormwater Bylaw was updated and reference to the Water Resources Taskforce was included. The Committee
discussed additional minor changes to the Governance, Community Infrastructure and Solid Waste Building
Blocks.
The Committee moved on to the Action Plan highlighting minor changes. In Local Economy, the term “form
based code” was not used and made considerably simpler using more neutral terms and Community input will
be added to the diagram under Implementation and Performance Monitoring.
Amanda made a motion to approve the version with edits made at the meeting for submission to Town Staff for
further review, Suzanne seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the Committee unanimously voted to
approve.
Sharon informed the Committee that the version that will be sent to Town Staff for review will not include track
changes, but a separate summary of changes document will accompany the draft.
Page 2 of 2
Begin discussion of public outreach and education, including timeline.
Sharon referred to the document outlining activities and a schedule. Stepping through the schedule first, the
Committee discussed each item by month. Sharon informed the Committee that the focus is to create
communications. Upcoming events were discussed. The first event will be the Ponds Summit on June 16th. She
referred to the handout created by Amanda to potentially use for the Ponds Summit. For the other public
events Sharon suggested a VPC presence to handout materials and talk to people attending the events.
Sharon suggested that Brewster Conservation Day would be a good event because it brings young families which
has been a challenging group for outreach in the past. The Committee discussed a public information session to
be held either at the Town Hall or the Ladies Library no later than August. Sharon informed the Committee they
need to reach as many residents as possible to educate them on the LCP. A big push should be scheduled in
September and October prior to the Town Meeting. Andi asked how does the Committee break the LCP down
so it is understandable for the residents. Jon suggested a comprehensive FAQ. Amanda suggested the Action
Plan be used since it is the meat of the LCP along with the FAQ. It was suggested to start with what was written
last year. The Committee discussed the length and content of the document. Fran Schofield, who has created
documents for the VPC in the past and a past VPC member addressed the Committee suggesting the best format
and content to include in order to get the message across. The Committee discussed other methods of reaching
out to the residents. It was suggested social media and interviews on the Brewster channel. Sharon spoke with
Bronwen Walsh from the Cape Cod Chronicle to provide coverage on the LCP. It was suggested Touch a Truck
and the Brewster Conservation Day would be events to target young families. Also, discussed was sending a
communication in the Children’s backpack or distribution through the parent’s email. It was also suggested to
have a table at the Farmer’s Market. Sharon was approached to attend the annual Brewster part time resident’s
organization. Other public events were also discussed. Alex suggested a sign with a QR code to access more
information on the LCP. Sharon will send out a list from the discussion today for the Committee to review and
add to if needed. Jon suggested a FAQ tailored to young families. It was also suggested communication be
tailored to other groups.
It was decided the Committee will continue with the meeting schedule of the first and third Monday of the
month from 3:30-5 and if needed meetings can be cancelled. At the next meeting, the meeting schedule will be
discussed for July due to the first Monday of July being the 3rd and considered a holiday weekend.
The Committee discussed the Ponds Summit flyer Amanda drafted. Fran Schofield provided feedback on the
document and the Committee discussed updates. Amanda will update and send it to the Committee. Sharon
and Jon will be attending the Ponds Summit.
Discuss and vote on Committee liaison reappointment
Amanda made a motion to retain Suzanne as the VPC liaison to the Pond Property Planning Committee, Andi
seconded the motion and the Committee voted unanimously to approve.
Update on Select Board appointment for VPC vacancy
Kari updated the Committee informing them of the nomination of Fran Schofield as the appointee for the VPC
vacancy. She indicated the Select Board will be voting on the appointment that evening.
Review Action Items from the May 15th meeting
No outstanding items.
Update from Bay and Pond Property Planning Committees
The public forum for the Bay and Pond properties on May 20th included approximately 400 attendees. The
survey is complete with approximately 1000 participants. Data derived from the public forum and the survey
will be used to identify the interests of the residents. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the pool will be held on
Sunday, June 25th and pool opening on Monday, June 26th.
Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair:
None at this time.
Next Meeting Monday, June 26th
Amanda made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Suzanne seconded the motion, a roll call vote was taken, and the
meeting was unanimously adjourned at 5:03 pm.
VPC PUBLIC OUTREACH
DISCUSSION POINTS
June 2023
1.Development of info sheet summarizing Building Blocks and Actions
2.Development of poster(s) about the LCP, using text from the FAQs and QR code
for posting in public and commercial places
3.Article in the Chronicle - I have already discussed this with Bronwen Walsh and
she is happy to work with us.
4.Interviews on Channel 18
5.Letters to the Editor of the Chronicle closer to fall TM
6.Presence with materials at town events:
Conservation Day – 7/8
Movie Night
Touch a Truck
Dance Party
Others?
7.Email blasts and/or presentations to community organizations, Town committees
or other groups. A starting list includes:
Town Facebook and Twitter accounts
Chairs of Town committees
Chamber of Commerce
Conservation Trust
Ponds Coalition
Brewster Part-time Residents Association
COA - newsletter
Friends of Brewster Seniors
BLL - newsletter
Brewster Historical Society
Brewster Men’s Club
Churches: UU, Baptist Church, Bible Alliance Church, Our Lady of the Cape,
Lutheran Church - newsletters, posters
Captains Golf Course - newsletter?
How to reach out to schools?
BREWSTER’S WATER RESOURCES
& THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Prepared by the Brewster Vision Planning Committee | June 2023
About the Local
Comprehensive Plan
(LCP)
Brewster’s Draft Local Comprehensive Plan (Draft LCP) is a planning
document based upon extensive community input over a several-year
period. It describes how Brewster looks today and where we, as
community members, want it to go in the future. Neither law nor
regulation, the final LCP will help guide us in decision-making and policy
formulation for the next 5 to 10 years.
From Vision Plan to Local
Comprehensive Plan
Founded on Brewster’s 2018 Vision Plan, the Draft LCP is based on a set of
“Building Blocks” that offer a road map for our community’s evolution. They
are Community Character, Water Resources, Open Space, Housing,
Coastal Management, Local Economy, Governance, and Community
Infrastructure. Two new Building Blocks — Climate Adaptation and
Mitigation, and Solid Waste — have been added recently to address
emerging areas of community concern.
Water Resources: A Top
Priority for Our Community
Protecting water quality emerged as a top priority in the Vision Planning process
and remains so today. The Integrated Water Resources Management Plan
created in 2015 and updated in 2022 describes Brewster’s drinking water quality
as high, with protected open space comprising 40% of the land area contributing
to the town’s drinking water supply.
Recent Actions & Trends Runoff from stormwater, fertilizer, and septic systems contribute to phosphorus
and nitrogen levels. PFAS have been found in other drinking water supplies on
Cape Cod, BUT so far not in Brewster!
At Fall Town Meeting 2021, our community passed the Stormwater Bylaw, which
requires that stormwater be treated using best management practices where it
hits the ground and is restricted from flowing onto neighboring areas.
Here’s Where You Come In!
Community collaboration with leading organizations such as the Brewster Ponds Coalition and Brewster Conservation
Trust is key to monitoring and protecting water quality and advocating for the goals, purposes, and actions of the Draft
LCP. A powerful advocate for maintaining, protecting, and enhancing the quantity and quality of our water resources,
the Brewster Ponds Coalition will play an important role at the upcoming Town Meeting in Fall 2023 when the LCP
will be voted on.
Learn more about the LCP on the town website at brewster-ma.gov/local-comprehensive-plan and come to
Town Meeting this November (date TBD) to vote YES for Brewster’s Local Comprehensive Plan!
WATER RESOURCES BUILDING BLOCK
Provisions of the Draft Local Comprehensive Plan
Each Building Block in the Draft LCP consists of Goals, Purposes, and Proposed Actions, ranging from the
general to the specific. Every Proposed Action is a starting point for town-wide conversation and decision-making
to determine appropriate next steps to reach the goal, be it a new program, project, bylaw, or zoning change.
WATER RESOURCES GOAL: Protect Brewster’s groundwater, ponds, wetlands and their buffers, and marine
watersheds. Purposes and Proposed Actions are found below:
Purpose 1 PRESERVE ADEQUATE QUANTITY & HIGH QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER
PROPOSED ACTIONS
• Continue land purchases to protect drinking water
• Coordinate aquifer protection with neighboring towns
• Continue to communicate with and educate the public about water conservation practices and programs
Purpose 2 MAINTAIN & IMPROVE POND WATER QUALITY
PROPOSED ACTIONS
• Explore innovative alternative septic systems, other non-traditional wastewater
solutions, and the feasibility of cluster sewage treatment systems for multi-family
housing areas and neighborhoods that will impact pond water quality
• Educate the community about pond water quality issues and how citizens can make a difference in their own homes
• Fully implement the stormwater bylaw and share further information with the public
Purpose 3 PROTECT & RESTORE WATER QUALITY IN MARINE WATERSHEDS
PROPOSED ACTIONS
• Explore innovative alternative septic systems, other non-traditional wastewater solutions
• Explore the feasibility of cluster sewage treatment systems for multifamily housing
areas and neighborhoods that will impact marine watershed water quality • Continue exploring nitrogen-reduction practices on golf courses
What is a Local
Comprehensive Plan
(LCP)?
The Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) is an important planning tool used to guide the growth and
direction of a community while balancing a wide variety of needs, including economic growth,
protection of environmental resources, quality of life, and community character.
How Does an LCP
Work?
The LCP is a vehicle for each town to define its vision for how to plan for growth and change and
protect shared resources on Cape Cod. The LCP offers policy direction to help guide town land use
decisions, housing, and other policies for the next five to ten years.
In addition to articulating a vision and growth policy, the LCP is a source of information about existing
and expected conditions within a town that will change over time as the values and expectations of the
community evolve.
How Does the LCP
Relate to Brewster’s
Vision Plan?
Brewster’s LCP is the next step in Brewster’s Vision Planning Process. The Brewster Vision Planning
Committee (BVPC) – comprised of local citizen volunteers – drafted the LCP utilizing Brewster Vision
Plan “Vision Statement” and “Building Blocks” as its foundation. It does not replace the Vision Plan; it is
simply an evolution and development of that document.
How Was Brewster’s
LCP Created?
The BVPC utilized the town’s 2018 Vision Plan, Vision Statement, and Building Blocks as its
cornerstones. As with the Vision Plan, the Draft LCP was developed over 2+ years involving extensive
input and communication with Brewster citizens, town committees, staff, and a broad range of
organizations including local business, environmental, housing, seniors, etc.
In early 2022, the BVPC prepared a “Next Steps” survey which solicited community input on the Draft
LCP’s Action Plan and the full LCP. Over 2300 citizens participated in this survey! Survey results and
community input were announced and posted on the town’s website during Summer and Fall 2022.
Why is the LCP
Important to
Brewster Citizens?
Preparing and updating an LCP helps ensure that Brewster and all Cape communities respond to
changing needs in a sustainable manner. It can also serve as a guide and resource for elected officials,
board members, and community residents for future decision-making.
For example, the LCP “Action Plan” describes a range of issues cited as important to Brewster
residents such as expanding housing opportunities for young families, workers, and seniors; protecting
our water supply; preserving the water quality of our ponds; preserving community character; fostering
local small businesses; and mitigating and adapting to climate change.
What Happens After
Town Meeting Adopts
the LCP?
Once adopted, the LCP will be implemented through the Town’s standard capital budgeting and
Select Board’s annual strategic planning processes. Residents will have ongoing opportunities for
input and feedback on specific projects and initiatives.
The Select Board will report annually through various channels on LCP implementation progress.
Where May I Get
More Info on the LCP?
You may learn more about the LCP on the Town website at brewster-ma.gov/vision-planning-
committee, or by attending public meetings of the BVPC.
Brewster Local
Comprehensive Plan FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepared by the Brewster Vision Planning Committee, Summer 2023