HomeMy Public PortalAboutVPC September 5, 2023 Meeting PacketTown of Brewster Vision Planning Committee
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2198 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631
brewplan@brewster-ma.gov
(508) 896-3701
VISION PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA
2198 Main Street Room A
Tuesday, September 5, 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
COMMITTEE of the members of the public body will attend the meeting in person and members of the public are welcome to attend
NAME 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
Sharon Tennstedt being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hearing will not be suspended or terminated if
Chair 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
Amanda Bebrin includes an applicant and its representatives, should make plans for in -person vs. virtual attendance accordingly.
Vice Chair 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
Andi Genser To request to speak: Press *9 and wait to be recognized.
ZoomWebinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/7 930388203?pwd=VHEvUURMM1ZFdUJNREJIbEN3SFdOZzO9
Patricia Hess Passcode: 317154
To request to speak: Tap Zoom "Raise Hand", then wait to be recognized.
Suzanne Kenney 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
Fran Schofield live, in real time, via Live broadcast (Brewster Govemment TV Channel 18), Livestream ( - q-, ,a 6t \ryF" r r: t._ ),
or Video recording (tv.brewster-ma. eov ).
Alex Wentworth
Town Planner
Jon Idman
Administrative
Assistant
Ellen Murphy
Select Board
Liaison
Kari Hoffmann
Finance
Committee Liaison
Please note that the Vision Planning Committee may take official action, including votes, on any item on this agenda.
1. Call 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 August 21, 2023, meeting minutes
6. Review revised Select Board Strategic Plan and Capital Facilities Plan
7. Review and discuss LCP Implementation Diagram
8. Vote to recommend the draft revised LCP to the Select Board and Planning Board for
public hearing
9. Discussion of public outreach and education process, including timeline and proposed
"script"
10. Update from Bay and Pond Property Planning Committees
11. Review Action Items from the August 7th meeting
12. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
13. Next Meeting tentative: Monday, September 11
14. Adjournment
Date Posted:
8/ 29/ 2023
Date Revised: Received by Town Clerk:
Page 1 of 2
TOWN OF BREWSTER
VISION PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
Monday, August 21, 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, Andi Genser, Fran Schofield, and Alex Wentworth were present. A quorum
was determined.
Also present: Jon Idman, Town Planner and Ellen Murphy, Administrative Assistant
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 August 7th meeting minutes
Amanda made a motion to approve the August 7th meeting minutes, Andi seconded the motion, a roll call was
taken, and the August 7th meeting minutes were unanimously approved.
Discussion and review of Implementation Process Diagram
The Committee stepped through the Implementation Process diagram. Sharon informed the Committee that
Fran and Jon created the document with input from her and Amanda. The diagram intends to illustrate what
happens once the LCP is adopted. She informed the Committee that text was also drafted that outlines the
process. Sharon stepped through the process for clarity indicating the purpose of the diagram is to depict the
relationship among the LCP, Select Board Strategic Plan, and 5-year Capital Improvement Plan, and includes how
the LCP will be implemented relative to these other major Town plans both year-to-year and over a 10–15-year
period. The Committee reviewed the document and discussed the flow. It was decided that the diagram will be
reconfigured as a circle and the text will be included in the slides going forward if they can be put into a
PowerPoint format. This diagram will be included in the LCP under Section 7. Sharon asked the Committee to
review the current updated draft of the LCP in Section 7 to re-educate on the process and the relationship of
each component in the diagram. Ellen will send out the draft with the words to the Committee.
Discussion of public outreach and education, including timeline
Sharon made some edits to the spreadsheet taking out attendance at Community events based on the feedback
from the last meeting and added some groups that were not included. Assignments were not added. The
Committee talked about a script and articles for newsletters, which will be the next step. Patricia informed the
Committee there is an article in the Wednesday Cape Cod Chronicle written by reporter Bronwen West who
covers Brewster. A more detailed article will be in the Cape Cod in the Fall.
Discussion of schedule moving into the Fall
September 5th is the first meeting in September. It is a Tuesday due to the Monday holiday. The Committee
needs to take a vote to send the LCP to the Select Board and the Planning Board for the September 27th public
hearing. This should occur on September 5th. Jon informed the Committee the primary text should be what is
approved not a complete formatted version. Sharon stated the census and housing data has been updated and
there is a first draft of the outreach activities, other than one paragraph on the COA, everything else has been
updated. The updated text will be available on Tuesday, September 5th for review and approval to vote. Patricia
asked if the Capital Facilities Plan will be ready. Jon stated the same Capital Facilities Plan will be used with
Page 2 of 2
updates removing the references to the Wing Island Project and Drummer Boy Park Master Plan proposed
projects. Jon will work with Donna to get an updated copy to the Committee. The Public Hearing on September
27th will be joint between the Select Board and the Planning Board and will not include the VPC. Sharon as Chair
will attend the meeting as the VPC representative. Amanda and Alex will be serving in the capacity of the
Planning Board. The Select Board and Planning Board both are acting on the recommendation of the VPC.
Sharon asked if there was a need to hold a meeting on September 18th. After discussion, it was decided to meet
on September 5th and if needed hold a meeting on September 11th but cancel the September 18th meeting. This
will free the Committee up for Community outreach.
Update from Bay and Pond Property Planning Committees
Suzanne encouraged the Committee to view the video of the Pond Property tour, which is available on the Town
Website, and the next Pond Property meeting is September 20th.
Amanda provided an update on the Bay Property; the 2nd survey for both properties is opened until August 25th.
Touch a Truck was Friday, August 18th, the pool closed on Sunday, August 20th, First Light Beach will be opened
daily until Labor Day, after Labor Day it will be opened on the weekends until Columbus Day. The next set of
forums will be separate for each of the properties.
Review Action Items from the August 7th meeting
The script will be written for review at the next meeting.
Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair:
Amanda discussed the 1st Annual Volunteer Fair held at the Bay Property September 30th from 10-12, and
appreciation lunch following. It will consist of a Board and Committee Fair with representatives from each
Board and Committee to inform the public. The appreciation lunch will be for all Board and Committee
members. Please let Ellen know if you are attending the Fair and representing the VPC. The handout for the fair
will be the two-sided FAQ/Building Blocks.
Next Meeting Tuesday, September 5th
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 4:38 pm.
Select Board FY24-25 Strategic Plan
DRAFT 08.10.23
Vision Building Block Goal #Goal Description Timeline Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY23-24 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Sea Camps SC-1 Provide interim public access to and activities on both
Sea Camps properties FY24-25 X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; Recreation Commission;
Recreation Dept; Town Staff
SC-2 Continue community planning process, engaging
residents and stakeholders, to develop long-term
comprehensive plans for both Sea Camps properties
FY24-25 X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons and
Representatives, and Town Staff
SC-3 Continue to explore potential partnerships and revenue
generating opportunities that mitigate tax impacts
and/or provide enhanced services, programs, or
amenities for residents on both Sea Camps properties
FY24-25 X X
Town Administration and Bay &
Pond Property Planning
Committees
Select Board; BPPC & PPPC Liaisons and
Representatives, and Town Staff
Governance G-1 Evaluate strategies to reduce tax burden on residents,
including examining revenues and targeted local tax
relief options, and managing school budgets FY24 X Finance Team Select Board; Finance Committee
G-2 Develop and implement communications plan, with
focus on municipal finance and taxes, to best inform
residents and local businesses about Town affairs
FY24-25 X Town Administration Select Board; Town Staff
G-3 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
FY24-25 X X Town Administration, Human
Resources, & Finance Team Select Board; Finance Committee; Town Staff
G-4 Conduct assessment of community recreation needs,
develop implementation plan, and provide staffing
supports to deliver enhanced recreation services FY24-25 X X Town Administration
Select Board; Finance Team; Human
Resources; Recreation Dept & Commission;
Natural Resources Dept; Department of
Public Works
Community Character CC-1 Complete Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion audit of Town
policies, provide DEI training to Town officials and staff,
and integrate DEI considerations into Town programs,
events, and activities
FY24-25 X X Town Administration Select Board; Human Resources Department;
Town Staff
CC-2 Develop and implement FY24-28 Age-Friendly
Community Action Plan based on 2023 COA community
needs assessment
FY24-25 X X Council on Aging Board &
Department
Select Board; Town Administration; Social
Services Team
CC-3 Evaluate feasibility of potential childcare subsidy
program, and implement in equitable and sustainable
manner
FY24-25 X Select Board Finance Team; Finance Committee; Housing
Department
CC-4 Evaluate impacts of short-term rentals on the
community and consider potential policy solutions FY25 Select Board & Town
Administration
Board of Health; Health Department; Housing
Department; Building Department; Planning
Department
Open Space OS-1 Develop standard criteria and process to evaluate
potential land acquisitions and consider establishing
municipal land acquisition committee
FY24 X X Select Board
Town Administration; Open Space
Committee; Affordable Housing Trust; Water
Commission; Town Staff
OS-2 Identify priority goals of 2021 Open Space and
Recreation Plan and begin implementation, including
making targeted accessibility improvements to Town-
owned conservation land
FY24-25 X
Natural Resources Advisory
Commission & Dept; Recreation
Commission & Dept
Town Administration; Select Board;
Conservation Commission; Water
Commission & Dept
1
Select Board FY24-25 Strategic Plan
DRAFT 08.10.23
Vision Building Block Goal #Goal Description Timeline Vision Plan / Local
Comprehensive Plan FY23-24 SB Plan Primary Responsible Party Other Key Stakeholders
Housing H-1 Promote and encourage support programs that help
residents stay in their homes FY24-25 X X Housing Dept
Select Board; Town Administration;
Affordable Housing Trust; Human Services
Committee; Council on Aging
H-2 Continue implementing Housing Production Plan FY24-25 X X Affordable Housing Trust &
Housing Dept
Select Board; Planning Board; Housing
Partnership; Town Administration; Planner
H-3 Continue to provide support for Millstone Community
Housing initiative FY24-25 X X Town Administration & Housing
Dept
Select Board; Affordable Housing Trust;
Community Preservation Committee
Local Economy LE-1 Develop Guide to Doing Business in Brewster
FY25 X X Town Administration
Building Dept; Health Dept; Planning Dept;
Natural Resources Dept; Town Clerk;
Chamber of Commerce
Coastal Management CM-1 Identify and implement priority goals and strategies of
Coastal Resource Management Plan (Phase I)FY24-25 X Natural Resources Commission
& Dept
Select Board; Conservation Commission;
Town Administration
CM-2 Advance intermunicipal shoreline management plan
initiative with Dennis and Orleans FY24-25 X Natural Resources Dept
Natural Resources Advisory Commission;
Town Administration; Conservation
Commission
Water Resources WR-1 Continue Integrated Water Resource Management Plan
implementation and update as needed to reflect current
alternatives analyses, prioritize pond water quality, and
identify timelines FY24-25 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 manage Pleasant Bay watershed permit,
develop new watershed permits, and educate the
community about changes to Title V regulations and
new DEP nitrogen sensitive watershed permit
regulations
FY24-25 X Water Resources Task Force
Town Administration; Select Board; Board of
Health & Health Dept; Pleasant Bay Alliance;
Golf Commission & Dept; Brewster Ponds
Coalition
Community Infrastructure CI-1 Collaborate with Brewster Ladies Library Association
Board to determine priorities for library renovations and
possible funding options/opportunities FY24 X Select Board & Town
Administration
Finance Team; Brewster Ladies Library
Association Board & Library Dept; Community
Preservation Committee; Finance Committee
CI-2 Lead approved capital projects through to successful
completion and continue to communicate and engage
with residents
FY24-25 X Town Administration Select Board; Town staff
Climate Mitigation &
Adaptation
CA-1 Identify and implement priority energy and climate
mitigation/ adaptation goals and strategies consistent
with the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan,
Green Communities Energy Reduction Plan, and Hazard
Mitigation Plan
FY24-25 X Energy & Climate Action
Committee; Energy Manager Town Administration; Select Board
Solid Waste Management SW-1 Establish improvement process for Department of Public
Works and Recycling Center campus based on results of
site assessment
FY24 X X DPW Director Town Administration; Select Board; Recycling
Commission
2
Existing Infrastructure Systems, Challenges or Constraints
Infrastructure System Name Address Description 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 Main Street
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 and
accessibility.
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, elevator needs to
be upgraded, accessible
upgrades required
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 and the Brewster
Whitecaps facility
Needs Major repairs to
heating system and roofs
which may trigger
additional code compliance
upgrades.
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 and
energy upgrades
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.
Spruce Hill Building and
Conservation Area 3171 Main Street
24.53 Acres of land with a
former dwelling and associated
outbuildings under the care of
the Select Board, majority of
the land has a conservation
restriction on it under the care
of the Conservation
Commission with walking trails
maintainted by Brewster
Conservation Trust. Small
Parking area is used for beach
permit parking June to
September. Spruce Hill is
located adjacent to the Cape
Cod Sea Camps Bay parcel.
Main Building was formerly
leased by Brewster
Historical Society and has
been vacant for 6 years.
Buildings require repairs
and accessible upgrades.
Parking area is very small.
Walk to beach is
approxiametly 1/4 mile.
There are stairs to the
beach which have been
damaged in storms. Future
planning is part of the Cape
Cod Sea Camps Bay Parcel
Comprehensive planning
process.
Cape Cod Sea Camps Bay
Parcel, including First Light
Beach and Brewster
Community Pool 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. Portion of the property
in OKHD.
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.
Portion of the property in
OKHD.
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. Town installed
bike lights at major
crossings.
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.
Open Space/ Conservation/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. More pickleball
courts needed.
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 Main Street
Land taken/ acquired by Town
in 1961 for public beach use;
access is within a paper layout;
access path partly consists of
rough planks across marsh,
beginning at Cape Cod
Museum of Natural History
Access path is informal and
floods twice a day. Town
does not have dedicated
public parking. Town is
pursuing a formal
conservation restriction on
Wing Island.
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, used at a common
meeting space and rented to
groups-including fairs, town
band, walking trails
A new advisory committee
has been established to
revisit Master Planning to
date and recommend next
steps.
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. Accessible
access needs to be
improved.
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
Commerce Park
Commerce Park Road (a
named driveway) north off
of Freeman's Way
The Town owns and
established Commerce Park
(100+ contiguous acres) for
light industrial uses in the
1980's (originally taken by the
town in the early 1970's). For
parts of Commerce Park the
Town does not reserve for its
own use (e.g. the Water
Department offices are located
here), the Town has entered
into long-term groundleases
with private parties. The Park
is both industrially zoned and
located in the Zone II
Other Services
Power Distribution
Ground Mount Solar
Comcast Cable & Internet
Capital Facilities and Infrastructure Projects Needed to Support Growth or Redevelopment (Capital Facilities Plan- CFP)
Project Name Action Plan #
SB Strategic Plan
(FY24) Description
Funding Sources
and Strategies Priority (High/Med/Low)
Anticipated Capital Cost
($/$$/$$$)
How this Capital Investment
Supports the LCP Vision, Goals,
Purposes and Action Plan
On Town 5 Year Capital
Plan (FY23-27)
Community Center
Design/Construction CC1, CI2
SC-3 (The Strategic Plan
contains dedicated
Goals for the former
Sea Camps properties);
G-4, CC-2
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 $$$
Supports recreational opportunities
cited in Vision Statement;
Community Character social
opportunities and services YES
Elementary School
Facilities Upgrades and
Accessibility CC3, CC5 CI-2, G-1
After the Feasiblity
Study, the School
Committee
determined that
Consolidation would
only be feasible if
there are (3)
classrooms per
grade
Investment in
two school
elementary
schools will be
determined
based on long
term plans by
the School
Committtee.
Stony Brook
requires a new
heating system
and new roofs
which will
require code
compliant
updates. A code
complaint study
will be
conducted.
Funding for
capital repairs
could be through
MSBA, Green
Communities
and Local match
funds Med $$$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
provide infrastructure to ensure that
all citizens are safe, healthy, and
supported, and Community
Character social opportunities and
services YES
Planning for Potential
Town Activity Centers CC9, LE4
Explore
identification/
designation of Town
Centers, including
mixed use potential
Zoning, Land
Management &
Infrastructure
planning 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, WR13, WR20,
OS3, HO10 WR-1, H-2,OS-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 $$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
protect water resources, Water
Resources/Housing Purposes and
Actions YES
Acquire open space for
recreation, trail networks OS9 OS-1, OS-2
Continue to acquire
open space,
recognizing varied
purposes such as
emphasizing the
importance of
recreation, the
potential for
establishing or
extending trail
networks, habitat
benefits and the
positive effect of
woodlands in
climate mitigation
as criteria for land
acquisition.
Acquisition of
land is
accomplished
through a variety
of funding
sources and
partnerships:
CPC, LAND
Grants, BCT,
Water
Commission and
debt exclusions Med $$
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
Pond Property OS1
SC-2, SC-3 (The
Strategic Plan contains
dedicated Goals for the
former Sea Camps
properties).
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
potential 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
Yes, funding for
comprehesive planning
and short term uses, not
for long term capital
investments until plans
are adopted at Town
Meeting
Evaluate re-use of Town-
owned buildings for
housing, including Sea
Camps Bay property HO1, HO8 SC-2, 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 $$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
offer housing that is affordable to
residents of all ages and economic
standing; Housing Goals and
Purposes
Yes, funding for
comprehesive planning
and short term uses, not
for long term capital
investments until plans
are adopted at Town
Meeting
Evaluate need for and
feasibility of alternative
transport for off-site
retreat parking for
various town beaches
and landings CM4, CI7 CA-1, CM-1, SC-2
Town has created a
resident only beach
at First Light, freeing
up more spots at
other locations.
Town is working on
a bike/pedestrian
path to Linell &
Crosby with State
DCR. Town created
overflow parking at
Crosby. Town
created additional
parking at
Breakwater. Town
will continue to look
at opportunities for
expanded access for
parking and
pedestrian access.
Grant Funds,
Free Cash
allocations
through Capital
Plan Med $$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
protect bayside coastline; Coastal
Management Goals and Purposes Yes
Complete long-term
planning for First Light
Beach CM6 SC-1, SC-2, G-4
Town established a
resident beach at
First Light in the
summer of 2022,
including interim
parking.
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 CM-1, OS-2, G-4
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, OS-2, CC-2
Consider
accessibility when
modifiying town
buildings and in
planning town
projects
Grant Funding,
Town capital
plan, CPC funds Medium $$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
provide infrastructure to ensure that
all citizens are safe, healthy and
supported and Community
Character social opportunities and
services Goal and Purpose No
Complete comprehensive
planning processes for
and begin
implementation of plans
for Bay and Pond former
Sea Camps properties CI4 SC-1, SC-2, SC-3
Working with
planning
committees,
consultant,
stakeholders and
residents to
complete
comprehensive
plans for both
parcels and bring to
Town Meeting.
Continue to provide
and expand interim
short term public
access. Beach
opened Summer
2022 and
community pool
opened Summer
2023.
Re-use of
existing article,
grant funds, free
cash, debt
exclusion, ARPA
funds High $$$
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-2, G-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 Medium $$$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
provide infrastructure to ensure that
all citizens are safe, healthy and
supported and Community
Infrastructure Goal and Purpose Yes
Pursue development of
Cape Cod Rail Trail
extension from Nickerson
State Park to Cape Cod
Bay CI6 G-4, CM-1
Work with State
DCR and MA DOT to
create a bike and
pedestrian trail to
Linnell Landing and
potential
connection to the
Sea Camps Bay
Property
Funding through
State DCR capital
plan state grant,
or bond bill with
some local
match Low $$
Supports Town Vision Statement to
provide infrastructure to ensure that
all citizens are safe, healthy and
supported and Community
Infrastructure Goal and Purpose Yes
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 $$
Supports Solid Waste Management
Goal, Purposes and Actions Yes
Locate solar
panels/arrays on Town
buildings and facilities CA3 CA-1, G-1
Town recently sited
two car solar
carports at the
Captains Golf
Course. Town
through its Energy
Manger will review
town buildings and
sites for other
opportunities
and/or enter into off-
taker arrangements.
Typical solar
initiative
involves a
private-public
partnership and
results in either
reduction in
energy bills for
town or lease
payments Medium $
Supports Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation Goals, Purposes and
Actions No
Purchase alternative
energy Town vehicles
when due for
replacement CA3 CA-1, CI-2
Town is a Green
Community and is
working through its
Energy Manager and
Master Mechanic to
review town fleet to
develop a 5 year
plan as appropriate
for replacement
with Hybrid or EV
vehicles
Funding through
Green
Communities.
Vehicle
replacement is a
standard item on
the town's 5 year
capital plan,
supported
through free
cash. Medium $$
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 CA4 CA-1
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 Medium $
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-1, CA-1
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. Medium $$
Supports Climate Mitigation and
Adaptation Goals, Purposes and
Actions No
Spring Rock Village
(Millstone Road)
Community Housing HO1, HO6, HO10 H-2, H-3
Development of 45
units of rental
housing on town
owned land.
Comprehensive
Permit issued Spring
2023
Developer to
apply for Low
Income Tax
Credits and other
state funding.
Local funds of
combined CPC
and BAHT
expected to
contribute. High $$
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
Water Quality Planning &
Wastewater
Infrastructure
WR4, WR5, WR11,
WR12 WR-1, WR-2
Update and
implement
Integrated Water
Resources
Management Plan.
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
LCP IMPLEMENTATION
The purpose of the diagram is to depict the relationship among the Local Comprehensive Plan, Select
Board Strategic Plan, and 5- year Capital Improvement Plan, including how the LCP will be implemented
relative to these other major Town plans both year-to-year and over a 10-15 year planning horizon.
1. The LCP’s Action Plan sets out projects, programs, and initiatives the Town might pursue to advance
various LCP goals. Capital projects contained in the Action Plan are also included in the LCP’s Capital
Facilities Plan (CFP).
2. Any Town capital project, including one appearing in the LCP’s CFP, must advance through the 5-year
Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
3. The annual Select Board Strategic Plan is based on categories—or “Building Blocks”—established in
the 2018 Vision Plan and carried over into the LCP.
4. In some cases, capital projects might advance directly from the CIP to Town Meeting for citizen
approval.
5. In other cases, implementation of projects, programs, and initiatives, including from the LCP, will be
overseen by the Select Board from year to year through its Strategic Plan, including prioritization of
actions to be pursued and delegation of responsibilities to boards, committees and/or staff. Many, if not
most, Select Board Strategic Plan decisions will ultimately require Town Meeting approval to advance.
6. All capital expenditures, and all new town bylaws or bylaw amendments, require town meeting
approval.
7. The Select Board Strategic Planning process also allows the Town to monitor LCP progress by
documenting Action Plan items that have been implemented and completed.
8. Public input and engagement inform the entire implementation and decision-making processes
among the Plans through the public hearings and Town Meeting votes required to fund actions or
approve initiatives such as zoning amendments.
SELECT
BOARD
STRATEGIC
PLAN
LOCAL
COMPREHENSIVE
PLAN
CAPITAL
FACILITIES
PLAN
ACTION
PLAN
CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
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Brewster
Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP)
VPC Revisions to Draft
version 4.0: July 2023
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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
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Section 5 Capital Facilities Plan
Section 6 Housing Production Plan Summary
Section 7 Implementation and Performance Monitoring
Section 8 Supporting Regulation, Plans and Policies
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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 which provided guidance and support throughout the process, especially Ellen Murphy, whose diligence,
dedication, attention to detail, and ability to see the big picture kept us well-informed and on track through the many years of work.
●Tighe & Bond, who provided consulting services to the Town
The Brewster Vision Planning Committee
Sharon Tennstedt, Chair
Amanda Bebrin, Vice Chair
Andi Genser
Patricia Hess
Suzanne Kenney
Fran Schofield
Alex Wentworth
Kari Hoffmann, Select Board Liaison
Honey Pivirotto, Finance Committee Liaison
Prior Brewster Vision Planning Committee members
Hal Minis, Chair Emeritus
Sue Searles
Garran Peterson
Kari Hoffmann
Paul Wallace
Ned Chatelain, Select Board Liaison
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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, a Town can choose to submit the LCP to the Cape Cod Commission for certification of the LCP’s consistency with the
Regional Policy Plan. Potential benefits of Cape Cod Commission LCP certification include: the ability for the Town to enter into Development
Agreements as a type of land use permitting; prioritization for planning technical assistance; and the establishment of the LCP as review criteria
for Districts of Critical Planning Concern and Developments of Regional Impact. Certification would require that the Town regularly
communicate progress on the LCP to the Cape Cod Commission, that the LCP be updated to remain consistent with updates to the Regional Policy
Plan, and that the Town’s land use by-laws and regulations be consistent with the LCP. 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): similarly, after adoption, the Town can choose
to file a copy of the LCP to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) (formerly the Department of
Housing and Community Development- DHCD).
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.
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The heart of the LCP is the Action Plan, which includes an ambitious list of strategies, policies, and actions associated with the Building Blocks.
The Action Plan sets out these proposed strategies, policies, and actions to advance the vision, goals, and purposes of the LCP. The Action Plan
calls for Town government, in partnership with its residents, businesses, organizations, to pursue a variety of initiatives over the next 10+ years.
More broadly than Town government, the Action Plan is also intended to guide future decision-making and actions by community organizations,
businesses, 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 strives 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 (VPC). The LCP planning effort began during the
COVID pandemic, and thus was constrained by restrictions on public meetings. Nevertheless, the VPC 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 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 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.
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In addition, the Committee partnered with Town Management to organize workshops of Town staff, officials 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. A final draft LCP was recommended by the Vision Planning Committee and endorsed by the Select Board and Planning
Board following a public hearing in October 2022. In November 2022, the LCP was presented to Town Meeting. Primarily because of concerns
about a potential Wing Island Boardwalk project and related references in the LCP, Town Meeting voted to remand the draft back to the VPC
for further study and re-drafting.
With an eye towards completion and adoption of the LCP, the Select Board revised the VPC’s charge and the VPC re-commenced its work on
the LCP in March 2023. The VPC carefully reviewed the 2022 draft, deleting all mentions of a proposed Wing Island Boardwalk and included
the creation of the reconstituted Drummer Boy Park Advisory Committee to review and potentially revise the Drummer Boy Park Master Plan.
The Committee also took this opportunity to carefully review all aspects of the 2022 draft LCP. This review resulted in edits to simplify, clarify,
and streamline language for improved readability and comprehension. Text was added to underscore the importance of two-way communication
between government and residents, businesses, organizations, and other stakeholders. Text was also updated to reflect events and timeline since
September 2022.Similar changes to the Action Plan were made to reflect current status.Following Town staff review, draft LCP V.4.0 was
posted on the Town website for public view. (Ed note: include VPC action, Planning Board/ Select Board public hearing, Town Meeting
action, etc. as they occur).
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 the 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 to reflect changing conditions in Brewster and to align them with the goals of the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.
Draft July 17, 2023 w/ further revisions Sept. 5, 2023 (data updates) Page 8
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, which is a process that involves soliciting public input. Each action serves as a jumping-off point that will trigger its own
process of consideration, discussion, and refinement by the appropriate Town Departments, Board/Committee, community groups, and the
general public. Any program, project, or activity decision must be representative of the will of Brewster residents and the circumstances then
present. In this way, the Action Plan is neither binding nor definitive.
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.
Among other input, the Action Plan was reviewed by Town staff and local organizations to assess the accuracy, relevancy, and feasibility in
implementing each action, and the VPC revised the Plan based on input received. As part of this process, the VPC held an interactive workshop
with Town staff, Board and Committee chairs and representatives of local organizations in Summer 2022 on the first draft of the Action Plan. 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. The Town annually revisits
and updates the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan to align with community priorities based on available financial resources. Per Code/ Charter, the
Town also publishes annually in the May Town Meeting Warrant Booklet a summary of the capital improvement plan, identifying all
proposed capital expenditures for the next 5 years estimated to cost $100,000 or more.
Housing Production Plan Summary
The Town has recently completed, and the State has approved, the 2022-2027 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
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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 FY24-25 is included in the LCP Appendices. Inclusion of any LCP action in the Select Board’s strategic planning begins the
community conversation with applicable stakeholders, including year-round and seasonal residents, businesses, community organizations and
relevant Town Boards, Committees, and Departments, to discuss what, if any, program, project, or action the community wants to pursue. Similar
to the Capital Improvement Plan, the Select Board Strategic Plan is updated on an annual basis to reflect current needs and priorities.
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. Any new
bylaws or amendments to existing bylaws require a public hearing and Town Meeting approval. 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.
1
SECTION 1: BREWSTER’S VISION
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, and the Town’s acquisition of the former Cape Cod Sea Camps properties.
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 discussion of “town centers”: 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.
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 locally, one of the great global challenges of our day, 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.
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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 sharing information and
shaping 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.
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SECTION 2: 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 surveys. 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 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
inform the Brewster public about the planning effort and to solicit 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, 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.
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 VPC
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 a recommended draft 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 or potential 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 “town centers”. While 20% of survey
respondents preferred no designated “town center”, the area around Foster Square was identified most frequently (44%) as a potential “town
center” (see Figure 1 below). Other frequently mentioned areas were 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%). Respondents would prefer sidewalks,
bike lanes/paths, small parks, and small-scale commercial development in these areas. There was strong support for regulations such as
architectural design controls, height limitations and landscaping improvements, 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.
Discussions around the concept of a “town center” have since revealed confusion as to the meaning or intent of this term, for example, that a
center does not necessarily connote the geographic center of town or a ‘downtown’; that there can be more than a single “town center”; or that
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areas deemed “centers” are more significant or important than other areas not deemed centers. Therefore, going forward, the Plan refers to such
areas as “town centers”. For purposes of the Plan, “town centers” is defined as “a distinct geographic area - sized to be walkable but which could
range from a single parcel to a neighborhood or district - that attracts people for its concentration of economic, social, civic, recreational and/ or
cultural vitality that owes to the mix of uses, development, amenities, infrastructure, activities and services present.
Pie chart here based on the above percentages.
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[Brewster LCP Potential Town Centers – Panel 1]
[Brewster LCP Potential Town Centers – Panel 2]
[insert photo of flyer prepared for 2021 survey]
In addition, the Committee partnered with Town Management to organize workshops of Town staff, officials, and key local organizations to
review and comment on the 2022 draft Action Plan.
Following review and revisions to the 2022 draft LCP, the Committee again used a broad range of outreach methods to inform and educate the
public about these revisions. These methods included presentations to community groups and organizations; print and electronic media
announcements; electronic distribution of FAQs and summary materials to community groups, organizations, and churches; attendance at
community events; and telephone outreach. (Ed note: include VPC action, Planning Board/ Select Board public hearing, Town Meeting action,
etc. as they occur).
In anticipation of the possibility of Cape Cod Commission (CCC) LCP 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.
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SECTION 3: 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.
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.
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 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.
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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 developed, and 40% remains undeveloped as natural or open land but is not permanently conserved.
**INSERT ZONING FIGURE – ADD KEY TO THE FIGURE
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.
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.
[Figure # - Land Use]
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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 2023 was $800,000 for single-family homes and
$621,000 for condominiums (Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors- CCIOAR). Under the 2023 HUD-defined Barnstable County Area
Median Family Income ($124,300), a family could affordably purchase a home at a maximum of $405,000, significantly less than the median
single-family home sales price. As of July 2023, there is an inventory of only 17 single-family homes and 3 condominiums for sale in town
(CCIOAR). The Census Bureau classifies 42% of all housing units in Brewster as vacant most of the year and held for seasonal or recreational use
(2020 US Census).
Today, there are 15 lodging businesses and one resort on Rt. 6A/Main Street, with all but one in residential zones. 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 Property and 55-acre Bay
Property 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.
[insert photo of Sea Camps property]
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 support
more housing choice. The 2022 Brewster’s Next Steps survey included questions on potential locations for identification or designation of “town
centers” 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.
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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.
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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 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 built prior to1925. 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.
[Figure 4 – Historic Resources]
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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 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 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 2023, the 65+ Brewster population has increased to 44% of the population (2023 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 (2023 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 2023 (2023 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, rental units, and housing for older adults.
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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 Property 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. The Town has a
Human Services Committee which annually funds approximately 15 to 20 local non-profit organizations that assist Brewster residents. The Town
also has a good neighbor fund available to residents who income-qualify. The Town offers both a rental assistance program through the Brewster
Affordable Housing Trust and Housing Rehabilitation and Child Care Vouchers through a Community Development Block Grant for income
eligible residents.
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 (Ed note:this paragraph to be updated based on results of 2023 COA assessment now being
compiled) 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 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.
The Select Board adopted a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) pledge in 2021. The Town has undertaken a DEI report and has received a State
Grant to perform a DEI audit and training for municipal staff and officials. The Town will look to engage stakeholders in this important
community conversation.
Key Issues Moving Forward
As noted in the summaries for Community Infrastructure and Local Economy, there are several areas in town where maintaining community
character is a key issue, including potential “town centers” along Rte. 6A/Main Street, the Bay Property and Long Pond Property, and a potential
multigenerational 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.
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[Figure # - Priority Natural Resource Areas]
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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 2020 characterized Brewster as 34% protected open space, 26% developed, and 40% vacant or
undeveloped. In comparison to Brewster, 40% of Barnstable County is protected open space according to the Regional Policy Plan. 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 636 acres of permanently protected land and an additional
246 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 limited number of privately held properties.
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. In spring 2023, the Town established the
Drummer Boy Park Advisory Committee to re-assess the master planning conducted and adopted to date for Drummer Boy Park .
Wing Island is another open space asset cherished by those in town and beyond. The Town has decided not to pursue an elevated boardwalk
system to Wing Island as had previously been discussed but instead will pursue more formal recognition of Wing Island as protected for
conservation and open space purposes.
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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. Another important consideration is enhancing accessibility to public trails for
people with mobility, vision and other challenges or impairments.
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 Town has established planning committees for both the Bay and Long Pond Properties, 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 and interests.
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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 was 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 (42% 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 372 units or 7.2% counted as affordable and needs to add 145 affordable units to meet the 10% goal. The
10% metric, however, understates the range of housing needs that exists in town. Currently, 305 of the affordable units are rental units. The
median rent in 2021 was $1,340, a 22% increase in 2 years.
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 2022, the median sales price of a single-family home in Brewster was $775,000, an increase of 44% over
$540,000 in 2020, and an 99 % 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. In terms of ownership, 85% of Brewster year-round households own their own homes,
31% of which are housing-cost burdened (paying over 30% of their income on housing), while 64% of Brewster year-round rental households are
housing cost burdened (ACS, 2021).
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Recent Actions by the Town
Over the past six 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), Town 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 adopted a policy to allocate 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. The Housing Coordinator role has
since been expanded to support all housing initiatives in the Town, including providing day-to-day resident support with housing questions. In
recognition of the growing housing challenges and needs in the community, a part-time housing assistant position has been created and funded
beginning FY24.
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 24 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,
Brewster 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.
Partnerships with non-profit organizations and effectively using Chapter 40B Comprehensive Permits were additional strategies in the HPP. 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 40B Comprehensive Permits were additional strategies in the Housing Production Plan (HPP) that have been pursued. Brewster
Woods, comprised of thirty affordable rental apartments for those in the low to moderate income bracket on Housing Authority land off Brewster
Road, opened in February 2023. 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. Construction was completed in July 2022. At Serenity, 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 assesses 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 was so certified by the Commonwealth. Funded with a Community Preservation Act grant, the 2022 HPP was prepared by Barrett Planning
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Group with a robust outreach process led by the Housing Partnership. The Select and Planning Boards approved the HPP update in July 2022;
state approval followed in August 2022
Key Issues Moving Forward
In the current housing market, finding year-round attainable and seasonal workforce housing has become more challenging. 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. 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 continue to be needed
to both create and preserve housing.
Education is a key part of both understanding and addressing housing challenges. 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. Finally, zoning remains an area of
potential housing opportunity, including reassessing the current ADU bylaw provisions.
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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, 2017 ES-202 data via the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce
Development. http://lmi2.detma.org/lmi/lmi_es_a.asp).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 homeownership or rental 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 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 2023, Brewster’s population is 9,724 (2023 Town
Census, Town Clerk, 8/10/2023) 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-four
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 57% of the total population.
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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 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
Brewster Select Board Strategic Planning has 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 2022, the Town commenced electronic permitting through the OpenGov platform. In addition, the Town acquisition of the Cape Cod
Sea Camps properties gives the Town control over future land uses for these key assets and associated economic development opportunities.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Brewster has an opportunity to review and revise local bylaws and investment strategies to meet its economic and community 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.
One of the approaches the Town could take to support its economy and local businesses, while also supporting Community Character, is
considering, in appropriate areas, zoning that focuses more on the physical form rather than on specific uses.
Further evolution of “town centers,” 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 for residents and visitors. Planned
or proposed public facilities, including a multigenerational community center, will also play a key role in supporting “town center” planning.
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, including year-round and seasonal workforce
housing, 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 physical
infrastructure in locations where it can be supported without compromising natural resources or community character.
[Economy Graphic?]
[Figure # - Coastal Resources]
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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 11 coastal beaches or landings on Cape Cod Bay, all with public parking areas, including the resident-only First Light Beach.
Figure 1 shows the 7 miles of Brewster shoreline.
[insert graphic of beaches]
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From an access standpoint, the Town maintains approximately 349 parking spots across all coastal beaches and landings and 50 interim spaces at
First Light Beach, 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 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.
The Town has added 80 parking spaces (for total of 138 spaces) for access to Crosby Landing Beach. The Town replaced an unsafe footbridge
over the Freeman’s Pond creek to facilitate access to the large Town-owned beach located between Mant’s Landing and Paines Creek. In 2021, the
Town replaced the culvert under Crosby Lane, accompanied by Low Impact Design-type stormwater management improvements, with the goals
of increasing tidal flow to salt marsh, improving water quality, and making the road infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change,
while preserving a corridor for wildlife passage. Also in 2021, the Town purchased the former Cape Cod Sea Camps bayside property, with 800
feet of shoreline that extends to the Spruce Hill beach. Public access to this beach for residents was established in 2022 along with 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.
The Town, jointly with Dennis and Orleans, is also the beneficiary of Coastal Resilience grant in 2022 from the Massachusetts a Coastal Zone
Management office to develop a comprehensive shoreline management plan and database for the 14.5-mile shoreline between Bass Hole and Rock
Harbor for the purpose of addressing the impacts of climate change. A potential follow-up grant could fund a public data portal and mapping for
the data collected.
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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.
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[Figure # - Water Resources]
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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
Massachusetts-Dartmouth 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 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
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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 proportionate
share of nitrogen to Pleasant Bay, which was the first permit of its type in the Commonwealth. 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. The bylaw will help
ensure that stormwater is treated prior to discharge, using best management practices to treat for nutrients and other pollutants that could drain into
nearby surface waters or groundwater. It also assists the Town in maintaining compliance with MS4 permit requirements under the Federal Clean
Water Act. Regulations and guidance documents that explain how the bylaw will be implemented have been adopted and promulgated by the
Town.
In 2023, consistent with the Select Board’s strategic plan, the Town established a Water Resources Task Force, a technical working group made up
of Town staff and certain other ex officio members, which aims to coordinate the multi-pronged, water resources work in the town.
Key Issues Moving Forward
Effective July 7, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Regulations has promulgated new regulations for Watershed Permits and
amended “Title 5” wastewater regulations to address nitrogen-impaired estuaries and embayments on Cape Cod. For Brewster, these watersheds
are Pleasant Bay, Herring River, Bass River and Swan Pond River. Brewster already shares a Watershed Permit from DEP with Harwich,
Chatham and Orleans for the Pleasant Bay watershed (a first-of-its-kind permit in the Commonwealth, which is referenced in and serves as a
model for other Cape Communities under the new Watershed Permit regulations). The Town is actively considering long-term funding strategies,
including through participation in the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative.
In addition to the low-cost nitrogen management practices being adopted at the Captain’s Golf Course to lower the nitrogen loads, the Pleasant
Bay Watershed Permit requires that any remaining reductions required for existing loads could be met through combined solutions such as
neighborhood-scaled wastewater treatment facilities, the use of individual nitrogen reducing onsite system treatment systems, or nitrogen trading
with other watershed towns. Planning for future load management could involve other initiatives like regulatory changes or open space
acquisition. 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
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future nitrogen inputs include amendments to Town bylaws or regulations. For the Herring River watershed, there is no 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.
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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, then by Town Meeting vote in Spring 2021 followed by state approval in January 2023.
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 with 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 1000 current subscribers. The Town has also created dedicated webpages such
as for the Bay and Pond Planning Committees established for the former Cape Cod Sea Camp properties where interested persons can learn about
meetings, specific projects, or planning status. In response to public input, a more user-friendly website was designed and developed, with launch
in March 2023.
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. 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 was used initially for purposes of remote, and now hybrid, board and committee meeting participation that is open
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to the public for viewing and participation as appropriate. Viewing is either live or by recording. The option of in-person attendance at these
meetings was reinstated in March 2023.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, continuing after in-person participation was resumed.
Other Online Communication Tools - Starting with FY23, the Town began publishing 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 transitioned 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. While the Committees are unable to respond to public comment,
issues raised can be placed on future agendas for further discussion with the public. 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 Management
regularly hosts public forums. The purpose of these sessions is two-fold: first, to present information and/or progress reports, for example,
providing overviews of warrant articles prior to Town Meeting or project updates on public works efforts. The second purpose is to provide an
avenue for the public to give their input and insight on those same matters for consideration and incorporation moving forward. Similar
informational sessions are provided through other community groups like the Brewster Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters.
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 for Standing Committee appointments to increase volunteerism. A
future “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 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. This is reinforced through
Town Manager quarterly meetings with staff and monthly meetings with Department heads. Town Management and the Brewster Chamber of
Commerce cohost biannual meetings with local business owners. Town Management and the Select Board also started holding public office hours
in 2023.
The Town launched an electronic permitting platform to replace its paper-based applications for Building, Health, and Planning Departments.
Online applications for beach, recycling, and shellfish permits have been implemented along with the FY23 use of license plate reader technology.
To facilitate resident or business owner communication with the appropriate Department, a seasonal, volunteer Town Hall “Greeter” position was
instituted in 2019. After being discontinued due to the pandemic, the volunteer position was reinstated in 2022. The Town runs a robust Senior and
Veteran’s Volunteer work-off program which both assists residents with their tax bill and provides volunteers throughout Town departments.
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Key Issues Moving Forward
While the Town has made substantial progress since adoption of the 2018 Vision Plan, the Town is committed to further enhance communication,
transparency, and customer service, and continue to identify and pursue the most effective methods for engaging residents of all ages. The Town
is preparing to embark on the development of a “Communication Plan,” aimed at dealing with how Town Government can best communicate and
share information with residents.
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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 multigenerational 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, Local Economy, and Coastal
Management. This section will focus on the issues of a potential multigenerational 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 CCRT 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.
Among other projects, 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. The Town has designed proposed improvements from Rte.137 at Rte. 6A/Main Street to the
intersection of Rte. 124, including re-surfacing, drainage improvements and accommodations for bike and pedestrian traffic. The main 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 or
pursuing local transportation projects within State road layouts can also be a challenge. The majority of roads in Brewster are private.
[Figure # - Transportation Resources]
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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 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 repurposing. Further action will be determined by the School
Committee. As of 2023, in light of continued stable enrollment, the School Committee voted to table the discussion of consolidation until
enrollment levels necessitate a change. The recent purchase of the former Cape Cod Sea Camps properties, particularly the Bay Property on Rte.
6A/ Main Street, offers significant potential as a location for a multigenerational community center, as well as beach access and a variety of
recreation activities. The Town established Planning Committees for both the Bay and Long Pond Properties at the end of 2021 to develop
comprehensive plans. A consultant team was hired in 2022 and the public engagement process to inform long-term planning began in the Spring
of 2023. In the interim, the Recreation Department has been using the Bay Property for a number of programs, First Light Beach opened to
residents in 2022, and the Brewster Community Pool opened in June 2023.
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. As supported by the PMP, in Spring 2023, the Town received $186,000 in Winter Recovery
Assistance Program (WRAP) funds to resurface Foster and Breakwater Roads to ensure safe usage by vehicle, cycle, and foot travelers, which was
completed in April 2023. Additionally, the Town coordinated with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) to add a bus stop at the
newly-constructed Brewster Woods housing complex on Brewster Road in FY23.
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 in CPA funds for the installation of
warning lights at the four Cape Cod Rail Trail (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.
An updated Master Plan for Drummer Boy Park was approved by Town Meeting in Fall 2021. In Fall 2022, Town Meeting voted to remand the
Plan back to committee for further study rather than move forward with its implementation, due in large part to concerns over a potential elevated
boardwalk to Wing Island referred to in that plan’s appendix. The Select Board approved the charge for the new Drummer Boy Park Advisory
Committee in March 2023. Member selection for that Committee is expected to conclude in June 2023. It’s anticipated that this newly
reconstituted committee will report to Town Meeting in Spring 2024. Town Meeting also approved funds to improve accessibility at the Freemans
Way fields. As noted elsewhere in the LCP, the Bay and Pond Properties represent a significant opportunity for active recreation facilities, and the
Recreation Department is making use of existing fields and facilities for interim programming.
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Key Issues Moving Forward
Priority community facilities and infrastructure needs for the coming years include reevaluation 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. The Bay and Pond Properties 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.
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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 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,
cardboard and glass to save money and better manage these materials. Collections for e-waste, hazardous waste, mattresses, and yard waste
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.
Barnstable County Extension offers a household hazardous waste collection program, funded in part by the Town. Collection events occur
regularly throughout the year, are hosted at the Harwich Transfer Station, and are advertised on the Town website and at the Brewster Transfer
Station.
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. The 2023 Spring Town Meeting approved a ban on the sale of miniature
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single use containers, i.e., “nips”, effective on January 1, 2024. 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.
In November 2022, Massachusetts extended its waste ban to include textiles. This provides the Town and private markets opportunities to address
textiles in reuse or recycling.
It has been recognized that better education is needed for landlords and seasonal renters regarding waste and recycling, including available
facilities and services.
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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.
•The Town established the Energy and Climate Action Committee in 2023 to evaluate the economic and practical feasibility of all
energy-related projects and climate change-related activities on Town municipal property, including energy efficiency, energy
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conservation, and greenhouse gas reduction. Committee work includes review of Town bylaws, regulations and policies as well as
educational outreach to residents and businesses on climate change mitigation and adaptive strategies. The Committee is also charged
to lead Town efforts to address climate mitigation and adaptation goals, as identified in the Town’s Municipal Vulnerability
Preparedness Hazard Mitigation Plan, Climate Emergency and Net Zero Declaration, Local Comprehensive Plan and Select Board
Strategic Plan.
•Three of the buildings at the Bay Property (former CCSC) have roof-mounted solar panels which provides ‘clean’ on-site power to the
property and lowers operational costs.
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 Town has also entered into a new ‘off-taking’ agreement with Truro which will
significantly reduce the Town’s net utility expenses in the coming years. 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.
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.
Low Lying Roads
•In partnership with the Cape Cod Commission, the Town has participated in a regional initiative supported with state Municipal
Vulnerability Preparedness grant funds to consider traditional, green, and hybrid solutions and associated cost estimates for
three low-lying road segments (Betty’s Curve at Route 6A/Lower Road, Lower Road at Freemans Pond, and Route 6A at the Dennis
town line).
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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 is interested in pursuing resources and programs to support
additional electric vehicle charging stations in appropriate locations to help reduce the local GHG emissions in support of State goals.
One of the ways the Town can consider mitigating climate change while simultaneously addressing other Building Blocks is by focusing future
development in previously developed areas of the town with infrastructure capacity, served by transportation routes conducive to walking, biking,
transit or the like.
The Town employs a part-time energy manager to analyze the energy uses of the Town and find ways to save money and reduce dependency on
fossil fuels. The Town could consider updating energy assessments on its buildings as part of its Green Communities designation, including
working with available programs offered by the Cape Light Compact.
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/solar-screening-tool/.
The Commission has also prepared a model bylaw for large-scale, ground mounted solar arrays:https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-
work/model-solar-bylaw/.
Brewster is also working with the Cape Cod Commission on 1) updating and strengthening local bylaws to better address coastal development and
redevelopment with the goal of building coastal resiliency, and 2) participating in the regional Low Lying Roads project to examine vulnerabilities
in the roadway network and identify adaptation alternatives, with funding support provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration
(EDA) and the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program.
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SECTION 4: THE ACTION PLAN - BUILDING BLOCK GOALS, PURPOSES, AND ACTIONS
The Action Plan is intended to advance Building Block goals over the next 10+ years. The constituent actions, strategies and policies represent a
menu of possible options that have been identified as important or essential to contributing to these goals but are not a complete or exclusive list of
all that the Town could do. 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 identification of these planning actions represents the very early, beginning of the process,
not the end. Decisions about whether and how to pursue any one of these actions will be made through a participative, public process.
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.
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, residents, and other stakeholders as to how and when specific actions are implemented. These discussions will take into
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account changing circumstances, available Town resources, the regulatory framework, and other conditions and challenges. The implementation
of many or most actions will require Town Meeting approval.
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COMMUNITY CHARACTER (CC)
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:
CC1.Expand, enhance, and support social opportunities, recreational activities and services for all at the Bay and Long Pond Properties,
Brewster Ladies Library and a potential multi-generational community center.
CC2. Identify, develop, and support new services as needed to strengthen 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
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.
PURPOSE 3: Maintain Brewster’s small-town feel and scale through appropriate planning and design
Actions:
CC9. Explore and support the designation of “town centers”, including identifying what uses might best support such areas.
CC10. Explore and establish, as desired and appropriate, building design standards and enhanced site design standards in the zoning
bylaw for commercial areas.
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WATER RESOURCES (WR)
GOAL:Protect Brewster's groundwater, ponds, wetlands and their buffers, and marine watersheds
PURPOSE 1: Preserve an adequate quantity and the high quality of our drinking water
Actions:
WR1. Continue land purchases to protect drinking water.
WR2. Consider further strengthening drinking water supply protection in industrial zones.
WR3. Evaluate actions to limit further development in drinking water supply areas.
WR4. Evaluate the feasibility of testing for PFAS and other contaminants of emerging concern.
WR5. Continue to educate and communicate with the public about water conservation practices and programs.
WR6. Continue to update and implement the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan.
WR7. Coordinate aquifer protection with neighboring towns.
PURPOSE 2: Maintain and improve pond water quality
Actions:
WR8. Promote, research, and pilot innovative alternative septic systems and other non-traditional wastewater solutions.
WR9. 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.
WR10. Fully implement the stormwater bylaw and share further information with the public.
WR11. Continue to update pond water quality data and report to the public.
WR12. Educate the public on pond water quality issues and what people can do to make a difference in their own homes.
WR13. Pursue land acquisition to protect pond water quality.
WR14. Research and consider the feasibility of the Town offering public incentives and financing for their use, including upgrades of existing
systems in order to encourage innovative alternative septic systems and other non-traditional wastewater solutions,
WR15. Research and consider the feasibility of centralized operations and management models for innovative alternative septic systems.
WR16. Continue to update and implement the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan.
PURPOSE 3: Protect and restore water quality in the marine watersheds to which we contribute
Actions:
WR17. Promote, research, and pilot innovative septic systems and other non-traditional wastewater management models
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WR18. 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.
WR19. Continue exploring nitrogen reduction practices on golf courses.
WR20. Pursue land acquisition to protect marine watersheds water quality.
WR21. To encourage innovative alternative septic systems and other non-traditional wastewater solutions, research and consider the feasibility of
the Town offering public incentives and financing for their use, including upgrades of existing systems.
WR22. Research and consider the feasibility of centralized operations and management models for innovative alternative septic systems.
WR23. Continue to update and implement the Integrated Water Resources Management Plan.
WR24. Continue to meet the ongoing obligations of the Pleasant Bay Watershed Permit, including the identification and implementation of
nitrogen mitigation strategies.
WR25. Develop new Watershed Permits for the Herring River, Swan Pond River and Bass River Watersheds and begin applying the permitted
nitrogen mitigation strategies.
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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 as appropriate
Actions:
OS1. Consider an integrated trail system for the Long Pond Woodlands and the abutting former Sea Camps Pond Property.
OS2. 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 conservation
Actions:
OS3. Continue to prioritize land acquisition in public drinking water supply areas.
OS4. Emphasize and educate about the importance of open space for pond and fragile habitat protection.
OS5. Revise regulations and bylaws to direct growth toward developed areas of the town with infrastructure, public services, economic
activities, and transit, and away from environmentally sensitive areas.
OS6. Develop design standards to prevent fragmentation of environmentally sensitive areas.
PURPOSE 3: Document the process for the acquisition and maintenance of open space to better engage and educate the public
Actions:
OS7. Develop and maintain an inventory of all protected open space in town.
OS8. Develop and implement stewardship plans for Town-owned open spaces.
OS9. Formalize the criteria to evaluate open space acquisitions and use, recognizing and balancing 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.
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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 2029
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.
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
Actions:
HO4. Continue to 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.
HO5. Support creative funding and collaborative partnerships (public/private) in the development of community housing, including incentives
for year-round rentals.
HO6. Work collaboratively with other towns to increase opportunities for attainable housing.
HO7. Review, evaluate and consider revising 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.
HO8. Prioritize and incentivize the adaptive reuse of existing buildings for housing.
HO9. Evaluate the use of Town-owned properties for creative housing solutions, including reuse of Town-owned buildings for housing.
HO10. Evaluate the acquisition of land by the Town for housing, including for joint purposes such as open space uses.
HO11. Encourage housing in areas near transportation, public services, and economic activities.
HO12. Explore potential housing programs, opportunities, and funding for those earning 80% to 120% of Area Median Income (AMI).
HO13. Consider programs and regulatory amendments to allow for and support seasonal workforce housing.
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PURPOSE 3: Preserve existing year-round housing
Actions:
HO14. 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.
HO15. Explore solutions to allow residents to age in place, including funding or subsidizing building adaptations, support programs, co-
housing, and co-pairing situations.
HO16. Continue to 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.
HO17. Support creative funding and collaborative partnerships (public/private) in the preservation of community housing, including incentives
for year-round rentals.
HO18. 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
PURPOSE 1: Protect coastal resources in ways that preserve coastal ecosystems and the character of the town and coastal
neighborhoods
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 2: Maintain and expand public access to the coast
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. Evaluate, explore, and advance opportunities to preserve or enhance public access to the shoreline and coastal beaches.
CM6. Complete long-term plan for beach access at First Light Beach.
CM7. 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:
CM8. 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.
CM9. Explore regulatory options for managed retreat of existing development from high-risk coastal resource areas.
CM10. Explore and evaluate the need for, and feasibility of, potential retreat parking, including for Paine’s Creek and Mant’s Landings.
CM11. Participate in the development of a comprehensive shoreline management plan with Dennis and Orleans and consider recommended
implementation strategies.
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PURPOSE 4: Provide access for coastal water dependent activities
Actions:
CM12. Provide access and opportunities for commercial aquaculture by updating regulations, evaluating the designation of an Aquaculture
Development Area, and analyzing the costs and benefits of expanding shellfishing and aquaculture.
CM13. Expand propagation and other activities to support recreational shellfishing.
CM14. Manage competing uses at town landings and mooring areas.
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LOCAL ECONOMY (LE)
GOAL:Promote a sustainable economy that builds on Brewster’s natural and human assets, addresses the needs of local
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
and attract local businesses
LE2. Maintain a regular line of communication and working relationship between the Town and the local business community, including the
Brewster Chamber of Commerce .
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 identified or designated “town centers” through Town or other public capital investments.
PURPOSE 2: Maintain and attract local businesses and promote year-round employment
Actions:
LE5. Review and potentially revise bylaws and regulations to allow a greater variety of small businesses throughout town, including in-home
businesses.
LE6. Review and potentially revise use regulations in the commercial and industrial zoning districts.
LE7. Develop a guide to doing business for local businesses in Brewster, including permitting guidance.
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GOVERNANCE (GO)
GOAL:Provide an inclusive Town government that encourages participation by all residents by engaging in communication,
expanding volunteer opportunities, and providing customer friendly service
PURPOSE 1: Continue to communicate Town plans and activities to, and engage with, residents
Actions:
GO1. Develop a written Communications Plan to better inform residents and local businesses about Town affairs and opportunities for the public
to participate.
GO2. Continue to provide relevant news, information, updates, and announcements on the Town website and other media, including regarding
Town finances, projects, permitting processes, and other Town initiatives.
PURPOSE 2: Expand the volunteer base to increase the use of citizen expertise and build diversity in decision-making
Actions:
GO3. Develop and launch a Citizens Leadership Academy to help introduce residents to government
services and volunteer opportunities.
GO4. Continue the use of town-wide activities and ad hoc committees to engage residents in Town affairs.
GO5. Develop a central database of volunteers to assist with recruitment of qualified volunteers across all Town Departments and appointed
Committees.
GO6. 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.
GO7. Continue to partner with community organizations on matters of public importance.
PURPOSE 3: Continue to strengthen the customer service approach to Town services
Actions:
GO8. 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.
GO9. Develop a ‘How-to Guide’ for homeowners to explain permitting processes.
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COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE (CI)
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, safe
multi-modal transportation options, and expanded recreational opportunities
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:
CI1. Include enhanced universal accessibility where feasible on Town properties and projects.
CI2. Conduct a needs assessment for a multi-generational community center, including considering reuse or redevelopment of other Town
facilities/properties.
CI3. Re-evaluate Drummer Boy Park master planning to date.
CI4. Complete the comprehensive planning processes for and begin implementation of the plans for the Bay and Pond Properties.
PURPOSE 2: Provide enhanced and safe multi-modal opportunities, access, and facilities for all, including for recreational purposes
Actions:
CI5. Develop a town-wide plan for improving and/ or expanding bike and pedestrian paths and sidewalks.
CI6. Consider pursuit of the proposed 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.
CI7. Continue to coordinate with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) on additional bus routes and stops and other
alternative transportation options.
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
Actions:
CI8. Factor, budget, and set aside long-term improvement and maintenance costs in the funding for capital projects.
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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (SW)
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
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.
PURPOSE 2: Improve the efficiency of the solid waste facility
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.
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CLIMATE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION (CA)
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
Actions:
CA1. Develop a Net Zero Energy Roadmap 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. Consider provision of incentives and/or assistance, including financial, for installation of solar panels on private homes.
CA6. Work with private entities to install public charging stations at appropriate municipal or publicly accessible locations.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
Actions:
CA8. Review zoning bylaws and develop amendments for consistency with this goal, including small-scale solar installations, and the
promotion of compact, walkable and bikeable development patterns.
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.
PURPOSE 3: Build awareness about the nature of climate change and Town efforts to mitigate climate change
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.
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SECTION 5: 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, and other capital
needs, with associated funding information. The CFP also contains a spreadsheet that describes the Town’s existing capital facilities, assets and
infrastructure. 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 Manager 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. Unless an alternative funding
source is available, all capital items/ appropriations are presented to Town Meeting for approval. The current CIP is for FY23-27. The Town also
per Code/ Charter publishes annually in the May Town Meeting Warrant Booklet a summary of the capital improvement plan, identifying all
proposed capital expenditures for the next 5 years estimated to cost $100,000 or more.
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. The CFP does not supersede the Town’s normal capital budgeting process represented in the CIP. All Town capital projects, whether
in the LCP or not, must be included on the CIP. The CIP and Strategic Plan contain more detail about estimated capital costs, funding sources and
timing. 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 ongoing or proposed capital projects related to 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
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Comprehensive Plan are aligned, inform each other, and address and account for consensus community needs and future growth, and collectively
provide an implementation framework to support achieving the community’s LCP vision.
[Insert spreadsheets]
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SECTION 6: HOUSING PRODUCTION PLAN SUMMARY
This section summarizes the 2022 Town of Brewster Housing Production Plan (HPP) Update, which was approved by the Commonwealth in
August 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 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 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.
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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:
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.
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.
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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 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.
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SECTION 7: IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING
An overarching consideration of implementation is to align the LCP, the Town’s Capital Plan, and the Select Board’s Strategic Plan.
Implementing the LCP will be the responsibility of numerous Town Boards and Departments and organizations in the community. The Select
Board will oversee implementation, including delegating responsibilities and identifying priorities. The primary vehicle for LCP implementation
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, Department Heads and residents. A
copy of the most recent Strategic Plan is included in this section. The Select Board 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. Implementation of any
particular goal or initiative identified in the Strategic Plan will follow and incorporate resident feedback.
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 progress and
reporting to the community will be another important aspect of the implementation process.
To assist in understanding the process by which the Town will implement action items, there is a diagram depicting the relationship between the
LCP, the Strategic Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan included herein.
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.
Monitoring progress and reporting to the community will be another important aspect of the implementation process. 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. If the Town elects to pursue LCP certification, the Town will also provide the Cape Cod Commission this
annual report to communicate progress on the LCP.
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[Insert Select Board Strategic Plan FY24-25 here]
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Insert revised Implementation Diagram
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SECTION 8: SUPPORTING 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
●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 Annual Strategic Plan, adopted by Select Board
●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)
●Biking Brewster: A Strategy to Enhance Biking in Brewster, prepared by Brewster Bikeways Committee. March 2016
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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
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Brewster Stormwater Management Regulations
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
LCP OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TIMELINE
APPROACH SCHEDULE CONTACTS ASSIGNED COMPLETED
FAQs
Flyers and Posters
Ponds Summit 6/16/2023 Sharon
Conservation Day 7/8/2023 Committee Members
Brewster Men's Club 7/13 and 10/12 Sharon
DJ Dance Party 7/27/2023 Suzanne
Brewster Part-time Resident Association 8/26/2023 Sharon
Brewster Chamber of Commerce 9/22/2023 Sharon
Cape Cod Chronicle articles September and October Sharon and Amanda
Letters to Editor October-November Committee Members
Channel 18 Interview September Sharon and Amanda
Town website announcements Jon and Conor Ongoing
Announce posting of LCP draft on Town Website July Jon and Conor
Announce/Post Public Hearing early September Jon
Town Facebook and Twitter posts August to November
Radio PSAs October-November
Community Forum(s)October N/A Sharon and Amanda
Select Board Update 9/21/2023 Sharon and Amanda
Town Committee/Board Chairs September
Outreach at Transfer Station Early November Committee Members
Rec Department (email list)Mike Gradone
Housing Partnership and Housing Trust Jill Scalise
Brewster Historical Society Sally Gunning Patricia
Brewster Conservation Trust Amy Henderson Sharon
Brewster Ponds Coalition Susan Bridges Sharon
Brewster Association of Part-time Residents Greg Jones Sharon
Brewster Chamber of Commerce Kyle Hinkle Sharon
Museum of Natural History Bob Dwyer, Barbara Knoss Suzanne
Elementary Schools - PTO, Parent Square, digital whiteboard Principals Amanda and Alex
Democratic Town Committee Katie Jacobus
Republican Town Committee Dion Dugas ??
COMMUNITY EVENTS
MEDIA
GROUP OUTREACH -Presentations and/or emailed materials
MATERIALS
June-July Fran, Sharon, Amanda
LCP OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TIMELINE
APPROACH SCHEDULE CONTACTS ASSIGNED COMPLETED
MATERIALSHomeowners Association (separate list)
Telephone calls Committee Members
COA Elton Culter Sharon
Friends of Brewster Seniors Marilyn Dearborn, Meg Morris Sharon
Brewster Ladies Library Brittany Taylor Suzanne
Brewster Conservation Trust Amy Henderson Sharon
Brewster Ponds Coalition Susan Bridges Sharon
Friends of Captains Golf Course Suzanne
Homeowners Association (separate list)
Our Lady of the Cape Tracey Konecnik
Brewster Baptist Church
Bible Alliance Church Paula Peden Sharon
Trinity Lutheran Church
First Parish Church
Northside Methodist Church
GROUP NEWSLETTER ARTICLES
TALKING POINTS
As a member of Brewster ’s Vision Planning Commi ee, I am calling you/want to tell you about
the Local Comprehensive Plan.
This plan will be brought to Town Mee ng in November for adop on, and we want Brewster
residents to know what it is and why it’s important for us to have one!
The LCP is a long document, divided into several sec ons. It
describes Brewster today
is a way for us as a community to prepare proac vely for the future by balancing our
priori es
defines those priority areas, such as housing, economic growth, our water supply,
climate change, and community character
serves as a resource and guide for board and commi ee members, town staff, and
residents to make decisions, especially related to land use
The LCP includes:
informa on about exis ng condi ons in town and an cipated changes over me
priority areas are called Building Blocks – 10 of them; 8 are carried forward from the
2018 Vision Plan with 2 new ones
an Ac on Plan which is the heart of the LCP – includes recommenda ons for each of the
Building Blocks
The LCP:
was developed by a commi ee of resident volunteers and based on input from residents
such as the results of the Next Steps public survey in 2022
provides recommenda ons and guidance for decision making by elected officials and
town management
is not law or regula on
is a community-wide list of things we think are important to address and work towards,
but is not binding
Once adopted:
The select board will align their annual strategic plan with the LCP
resident input and feedback will con nue to be solicited on individual projects and
ini a ves
any major change that involves funding or regula ons will go to Town Mee ng for
approval.
The plan was presented to Town Mee ng last November but was sent back to our commi ee
because of concerns about a proposed boardwalk to Wing Island. In response to those
concerns, all men ons of a proposed boardwalk have been removed from the plan. We have
also made other revisions to update content and to make it easier to read.
I hope that you will take the me to become familiar with the plan. It is now on the Local
Comprehensive Plan page of the Town website. The Ac on Plan is the heart of the LCP. So if
nothing else, please take a look at it to understand the range of important issues that are
addressed. Come to Town Mee ng on November 13, and we hope you’ll vote to approve the
plan.
FOR POTENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Why do we need an LCP if we already have a Vision Plan?
The LCP builds on the 2018 Vision Plan and is the next step forward
The plan uses the Vision Plan as its founda on and develops it in greater detail
How was the LCP developed/wri en?
The dra LCP was developed over almost 3 years by a commi ee of volunteer residents
The Commi ee used the Vision Plan as its framework, including its Vision Statement,
Building Blocks and related recommended Ac ons
The LCP was developed with extensive community input from Brewster residents, Town
staff and commi ees, and a broad range of community organiza ons represen ng
environmental issues, housing, and local businesses among others.
A public survey – Brewster’s Next Steps – was conducted in 2022 to gather reac ons and
opinions about poten al ac ons to include in the plan.
The 2022 dra of the Plan was posted on the Town website, and there was a public
comment period last summer; comments were reviewed by the commi ee and revisions
to the plan were made then.
Based on the outcomes of the 2022 Fall Town Mee ng and 2023 Special Town Mee ng
last spring, all men ons of a proposed boardwalk have been removed from the plan. We
have also made other revisions to update content and to make it easier to read.