HomeMy Public PortalAboutBay Parcel Planning -- 2023-07-25 MinutesTown of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
MINUTES OF THE BAY.PROPERTY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
DATE: July 25, 2023
TIME: 4:00 PM
PLACE: Hybrid Participation — Zoom/2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA
PARTICIPANTS: Town'Manager Peter Lombardi, Chair Amanda Bebrin, Selectperson Mary Chaffee,
Selectperson David Whitney (remote), Karl Fryzel, Katie Jacobus, Caroline McCarley, Thomas Wingard,
Patricia Hughes (remote), Peter Johnson, John Phillips, Clare O'Connor -Rice; Liaisons/Representatives:
Sharon Tennstedt, Kathleen Walker, Jan Crocker, Gary Christen; Town Staff: Mike Gradone (Recreation
Department Director), Elton Cutler (COA Director), Griffin Ryder (DPW Director); Tennis and Pickleball
Members: Bill Dermody, Daryl Bladen, Amy Jacobson
Call to Order, Declaration of a Quorum, Meeting Participation Statement and Recording Statement:
Amanda Bebrin called the meeting to order at 4:03 pm and read the meeting participation and recording
statements. Ms. Bebrin announced all members of the committee who were present, a quorum was
declared. There were no public announcements or comments.
Public Announcements and Comments
None
Review Updated Presentation Materials and Format for Second Community Forum & Survey
Town Manager Peter Lombardi reminded committee members about the upcoming second forum on
Saturday August 5. Tliere will be three public engagement sessions held in the Bay Property Dining Hall on
the 5th, at 1PM, 2PM`and 3PM. The property will be open to the public to explore on foot from 12PM to
5PM that day. There will be a dozen buildings open for residents to explore during the forum. A map will be
available before and at the forum so residents can take their own self -guided tour. Representatives from the
Town will be at most of the facilities to answer questions from residents. Volunteer docents will be provided
with a synopsis of key'talking points. Registration was opened up two weeks ago for the forum, and a second
announcement was posted on the website to remind residents to sign up in advance. 130 residents have
signed up so far, the majority of those for the first session. Depending on the number of residents who sign
up, the Town may decide to combine the second and third public engagement sessions.
Mike Gradone asked about the Town's parking plan for the forum. Mr. Lombardi responded that parking will
be on the grass lawn area to the right, similar to the last forum. The COA is also offering transportation to the
forum for anyone whb is interested. The Town is planning on following the forum with a survey, in an effort
to get additional feedback.
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Mr. Lombardi introduced the latest materials prepared by Reed Hilderbrand for the upcoming second forum
on Saturday August 5.` Reed Hilderbrand has incorporated committee feedback from the last meeting.
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Potential partner organizations (MA Audobon, BCT & YMCA Cape Cod) will be present at the forum to
answer questions about the services and programs they currently provide and may be interested in providing
at the Sea Camps. The packet contains the high-level feedback from the first forum and first survey, and the
key takeaways for each property. This is a way of easily accessing the data that Reed Hilderbrand has
compiled. Mr. Lombardi explained that, before each session, the Chairs of each committee will give a one
minute introduction, and Reed Hilderbrand will talk about the goals of each forum – these remarks will take
less than 10 minutes.,Ms. Bebrin explained that Reed Hilderbrand will be providing instructions to attendees
on how they can use stickers on the boards even if another attendee has used one to indicate a similar
preference. Mr. Lombardi then displayed the draft boards that the Reed Hilderbrand consultants have put
together for the forum.
Mr. Fryzel asked about Option 3/Central Campus : this shows a new community center that contains both
the Recreation Department and the COA, but the administration building is also listed as the Recreation
Department – is this intentional or an error? Selectperson Mary Chaffee said that she believes this is simply
intended to convey possible use options. Mr. Fryzel said that the administration building is large, and asked
why the only possible use option for it is housing the Recreation Department. Mr. Lombardi responded that,
based on the first forum, there wasn't a lot of support from residents to relocate other existing Town
departments there. Mr. Lombardi added that the options outlined are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Clare O'Connor -Rice asked if training would be provided for volunteers working at the table. Mr. Lombardi
responded that volunteers will meet at their stations 45 minutes before the forum to discuss the planned
approach. Mr. Grador'e said it was important to keep buildings open so that residents have a clear idea of
what is and isn't feasible within each structure. Mr. Fryzel asked why a possible newly constructed
community center for .'the Y was not included in these options. Mr. Lombardi responded that the group did
not want to include different options for the community center in these display boards. Gary Christen asked
what would happen with the plans for a community center if the Eddie School space became available in the
next few years. Ms. Bebrin responded that this consideration was not part of the charge of the committee.
Mr. Lombardi said that there has been talk about school consolidation and using the Eddie School as a
community center for; roughly 20 years, but this is not something that is going to happen in the near future,
and plans for the bay property shouldn't be based around these kind of theoretical scenarios.
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Mr. Lombardi introduced a slide examining shared community parking. The idea here is to consider shared
parking areas that ma'y make sense in different scenarios, though they would not all necessarily be needed.
The following slide examines dwelling types – the existing buildings that are on the site and the high-level
costing for reuse opti�ns and new builds. At the bottom of this slide is the Harwich Community Center,
included as an example of how a community center of that size would fit into this property. Lastly, Mr.
Lombardi noted that a station at the forum would be devoted to asking residents what they would want to
see as a community c6nter. Selectperson Chaffee noted that most community conversations have focused
on the desire to have 'a multigenerational community center, and this is important to keep in mind.
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Mr. Lombardi explained that, in terms of proper nomenclature, what the committee has referred to as
"workforce housing" should instead be called "attainable/affordable housing" –this is due to negative
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connotations associated with the term "workforce housing".
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Update on Potential Partnerships YMCA Cape Cod & Mass Audubon
Mr. Lombardi explained that the YMCA remains interested in partnering with the Town. They recognize that
the feedback from the forum and survey was mixed in terms of a potential partnership. This continued
interest is why there will be a separate station at the next forum for potential partners, so residents can ask
questions. At this point the plan is to revisit what a partnership might look like after the second forum and
survey, when we havo,more feedback from the community. In terms of Mass Audubon, this partnership has
been entirely conceptual. A meeting took place with David O'Neill, President of Mass Audubon, and his team,
and they remain interested in partnering with the Town on both properties, and providing educational
programming, and, if the Town decides, holding a conservation restriction in the northeast corner of the
property. They also expressed an interest in having a nature center and office space on the property. In order
to maximize their ability to provide programming, they have emphasized that some of the buildings would
need to be reused for�staff housing.
Debrief from Harwich CommunitV Center Site Visit
Ms. Bebrin said that the committee visited the Harwich Community Center on Tuesday, July 18. She asked
for the feedback of committee members about what had stuck with them from the tour. Caroline McCarley
said she was struck bythe usage of the building in terms of numbers. Selectperson Chaffee said that if the
community in Brewster indicates that it wants to proceed with new construction, there can be many
valuable lessons learned from what has happened in Harwich — i.e., a need for a large amount of storage
space, and many windows throughout the facility. Another important point to consider, noted Selectperson
Chaffee, is that it took Harwich 3 Town Meetings to approve the building of the community center. Mr.
Fryzel noted that the key item which had to be dropped from the original plans was the removal of the
swimming pool. Ms. Rebrin noted that she found it impressive how every square inch of the building was
being used, and the potential of the building was being fulfilled. In addition, the community center has the
support and approval of Harwich residents. Mr. Lombardi noted that if Brewster residents decide that they
want a community center, this would not be the only site visit —there is a list of 5 or 6 that the committee
can visit for research.r
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Discuss Potential Uses of New Athletic Courts —Tennis, Pickleball etc.
Bill Dermody, of 4 Daisy Lane, noted that members of the tennis community and pickleball community would
like to share the details of some of their recent conversations. Both groups currently share a facility, and this
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causes some issues. They share a facility at Stony Brook Elementary School, where there are 4 dedicated
pickleball courts and 4 tennis courts — 2 of those tennis courts are shared with pickleball players. Pickleball
demand continues to `rise — there are currently 200 dues paying members, and it is capped at this amount.
There is currently capacity for 32 pickleball players, but demand is in excess of this, and tennis players have
first preference to use, the shared courts. Mr. Dermody explained that he believes the answer to this is a
dedicated tennis facility and a dedicated pickleball facility — he asks the committee to consider making the
building of tennis counts part of the masterplan of the Sea Camps properties. Noise from pickleball courts can
be considerable, and the current location of Stony Brook is ideal in terms of isolating this noise. The existing
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tennis courts there could be repurposed as pickleball courts if new tennis courts are built on the bay
property. He added that he believes this is also the most efficient use of Town money. Mr. Lombardi
commented that newtennis courts are part of two conceptual design options that will be presented at the
August 5 public forum;. In both scenarios, these will be 4 full sized tennis courts, and 4 junior tennis courts.
Peter Johnson asked if Mr. Lombardi's description of the conceptual tennis court plans on the bay property
would be sufficient tosatisfy the demand for tennis. Daryl Bladen, of 1186 Stony Brook Road, said that one
of her concerns is ens;Gring that if the public tennis courts are moved, they will still be accessible to the
general public year-round and not just Brewster residents. Selectperson Chaffee asked if the current process
was first -come -first-served, and if there is no way of registering in advance to avoid people waiting. Mike
Gradone, Brewster Recreation Director, said that people can register in advance by calling the Recreation
Department. Selectperson Chaffee asked if there was a fee paid to the Town of Brewster for registering in
advance. Mr. Gradond responded that it is $5 an hour per court, but that there is no charge for dropping in
to play.
Mr. Fryzel asked if any of the existing courts on the property would be repurposed in any of the Town's
design options. Mr. Lombardi responded that such courts no longer exist on the property, so any courts
would be new constrictions. Ms. Jacobus asked if the senior tennis group is comprised of solely Brewster
residents, or if anyone can join. Mr. Gradone responded that anyone could join, but that the tennis group is
made up of approximately 80% residents, in comparison to roughly 70% in pickleball. Thomas Wingard asked
what the plan was fo�'the existing basketball courts on the bay property. Mr. Lombardi responded that
decisions need to be made about these courts —they could be used for parking or basketball courts. Mr.
Gradone added that rio full-size regulation basketball court currently exists in Brewster, and this is something
that would be desirable for residents.
Amy Jacobson, of 86 Stone Henge Drive, explained that she is a member of both the tennis and pickleball
communities. In here Xperience, the two shared courts are not always used by pickleball players. From what
she has witnessed, it rs not the case that tennis demand pales in comparison to pickleball. Ms. Jacobson said
she would like to see Some objective data showing that the current facilities are inadequate for
accommodating the demand for pickleball. She added that she would like to know at some point what the
cost to residents will be in terms of taxes if new courts are constructed. Mr. Lombardi responded that it is
important to convey the cost to residents of all of these potential plans. The planned third forum will include
cost estimates for residents' design preferences in addition to financing options and possible funding
opportunities.
Mr. Lombardi said that it is important to keep in mind that whether or not the Sea Camps had been
purchased, the Town would have been looking for a solution to the increased pickleball demand anyway. Mr.
Gradone responded tb Ms. Jacobson's earlier question regarding data, noting that it was currently being
collected.
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Tn Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
Update on Brewster Community Pool
�Mr. Lombardi explain that the pool temporarily closed for 3 days for unexpected maintenance and sanitation
work, but reopened an Monday July 24. Two more test -swim days will occur on July 28 and August 6. Almost
700 season passes have been sold to date, and over 300 guest passes. $111,000 in revenue has been brought
in so far, and this is consistent with pool operating expenses. The original pool furniture order was delayed,
but Willowbend in Mashpee donated some furniture to the Town as a short-term solution. This furniture will
be used for the remai)ider of this season, and then the Town will reevaluate for next season.
Selectperson Chaffee -asked if the closing date of the pool could be extended. Mr. Lombardi responded that it
could not be extended beyond the current end date of August 20. This is primarily due to staffing availability
— most staff are not local, and are visiting family for the summer. Mr. Fryzel asked if the Town had to pay
Willowbend for the furniture. Mr. Lombardi responded that Willowbend donated it to the Town, and a letter
will be presented to the Select Board in order for the Town to formally accept the donation. Mr. Fryzel asked
if anything could be done to prevent the event which caused the pool to close from happening again. Mr.
Lombardi responded that there was no specific event, rather an issue that came up during routine testing.
However, some of the' maintenance protocols have now been changed, and some regulations have been
tightened since this incident to try and prevent it from happening again. Mr. Wingard asked Mr. Gradone to
discuss the extension of swim lesson programming. Mr. Gradone said that the Recreation Commission has
decided that they would like to offer infant swim lessons for an extra week. This would occur at 9am in the
swimming pool with in instructor, and parents would be required to be in the water with their infants.
Immediately following these lessons, the instructor would be available to provide lessons for residents or
non-residents at Long -.Pond at 10am.
Selectperson Chaffee moved to approve an extra week of infant swim lessons at 9am for the week of August
6 at the Brewster Community Pool. Mr. Fryzel second. A vote was taken. Selectperson Chaffee — yes, Clare
O'Connor -Rice — yes, Selectperson Whitney —yes, Pat Hughes — yes, Karl Fryzel — yes, Caroline McCarley —
yes, Katie Jacobus — y4s, Thomas Wingard — yes, Amanda Bebrin — yes, John Phillips — yes, Peter Johnson —
yes.
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Review Upcoming Approved Interim Uses and Vote on Proposed New Interim Uses
Mr. Gradone reminder members that the Family Friendly DJ Dance Party is occurring on July 27 at 6pm on
the bay property, and' 'the Family Movie Night (Angels in the Outfield) is being held on August 4, beginning at
approximately 8.30pm — a sandlot game for kids will be held on the soccer fields beforehand at 7pm. Touch -
a -Truck is happening on August 25 at Spm —an ice cream truck, a food truck, a monster truck, along with
other Town vehicles, will be on the property that evening.
Mr. Gradone explained that the Recreation Department is requesting usage of the bay property for two of its
fall programs — Run Club, which would take place on Wednesday and Fridays from 3-4pm for the month of
October, and the Outdoor Club from 3-4pm the second week of November.
Selectperson Chaffee moved to approve usage of the property for both the Run Club and the Outdoor Club.
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