HomeMy Public PortalAboutBay Parcel Planning -- 2023-09-19 MinutesTown of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone: (508) 896-3701
Fax: (508) 896-8089
MINUTES OF THE BAY PROPERTY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
DATE: September 19, 2023
TIME: 4:00 PM
PLACE: Hybrid Participation — Zoom/2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA
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PARTICIPANTS: Assistant Town Manager Donna Kalinick, Chair Amanda Bebrin, Selectperson Mary Chaffee,
Selectperson David Whitney, Karl Fryzel, Katie Jacobus, Caroline McCarley (remote), Thomas Wingard,
Patricia Hughes, PeterJohnson, John Phillips, Clare O'Connor -Rice; Liaisons/Representatives: Jan Crocker,
Kathleen Walker, Gary Christen; Maggie Spade -Aguilar Town Staff: Mike Gradone (Recreation Department
Director), Griffin Ryder (DPW Director), Elton Cutler (COA Director), Reed Hilderbrand Consultants: Elizabeth
Randall, Madeleine Aronson
Call to Order Declaration of a Quorum, Meeting Participation Statement and Recording Statement:
Amanda Bebrin called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm. Karl Fryzel read the meeting participation and
recording statements. Ms. Bebrin announced all members of the committee who were present, a quorum
was declared. There were no public announcements or comments.
Review Second Forum & Survey Summary & Discuss Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Madeiline Aronson provided a brief schedule update, noting that a joint committee meeting with the Select
Board will be held on October 4, to be followed by a virtual joint community forum on November 30. Ms.
Aronson noted that the purpose of the forum and survey was to share information on the design process and
hear community feedback. Overall, the responses in all three forum sessions and in the survey were quite
similar in terms of tone and content of responses. Ms. Aronson added that it is important to note that the
assessment of the forum and survey "results" is not an exact science, and Reed Hilderbrand is making an
effort not to get caught up in specific numbers or "votes". For forum feedback, they have relied on their
collective observations, a shared understanding of conversations and feedback, and a careful reading of the
comments and stickers that attendees placed on the boards. Similarly, the survey feedback provides insight
into community priorities. Reed Hilderbrand intends to balance first choice selections with the multiple
community priorities that came forward and Brewster's visions as a town.
In terms of common themes, Ms. Aronson noted that Reed Hilderbrand has repeatedly heard that cost —for
new facilities, for renovation, and for upkeep — needs to be a part of the discussion. Re -using existing
buildings was also a common theme. There were many comments questioning the need for a new
community center and many suggested prioritizing re -purposing an existing building for this use.
For the secluded zone, Ms. Aronson explained that survey respondents preferred Option 1: Seasonal
Workforce Housing, whereas the forum attendees preferred Option 4: Arts/Science/Nature option. Both
groups agreed that the site should be "all -age friendly". Both groups ranked year-round housing (affordable
or attainable) last in terms of preference. For the arrival fields, there was a consensus that converting parts
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of the existing lawn into a pollinator meadow is a good idea. The survey basically ranked all three options
equally in terms of first -choice preference (with Option 1: Community Center and Flexible Outdoor Gathering
edging the others by a tiny margin), whereas the forum attendees preferred Option 2: Partial Re -Wild.
In terms of the central campus, Option 1: Re -Use & Extensively Renovate for Community Campus was the
most preferred option across both platforms. There was unified agreement on wanting to re-use/remodel
existing buildings and limit construction. There were also several comments regarding considering the Eddy
school first before thinking about putting a community center at the Bay Property.
For the cabin glade, there was most interest in Option 1: Remove Cabins and Restore Woodland and Trails
from the survey, but this option was the second least popular from the forum. Both platforms were strongly
opposed to short-term rentals but also expressed confusion as to what exactly this means. There was unified
agreement on the boathouse being re -used as either a restaurant or an events rental space.
For the pond reserve and woodland, Option 1: Expand Trails and Nature Based Education, was the most
preferred option from both the forum and the survey. There was unified agreement on nature -based
education. Whilst the forum results seemed to be neutral towards having a new nature center, results in the
survey showed mixed feelings towards that idea. Many felt that the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is
already an excellent resource and that building a new nature center would be redundant. There was shared
agreement on conducting dune enhancement activities to improve dune stability and coastal resiliency.
Ms. Aronson then reviewed and listed Reed Hilderbrand's guiding principles throughout this process. Ms.
Aronson noted that the design team has distilled the feedback from the community forums and the
subsequent surveys into a set of guiding principles. These principles will help shape the final plans for each
property and will act as guidelines for decision-making. They are reflective of input from the community and
echo many of the sentiments that were adopted as part of the Town of Brewster Vision Plan. The values and
interests reflected in these principles are complementary and balanced equally; none is more important than
others. In order to achieve shared community goals, each of these principles will be realized in a balanced
form in the final plans. Ms. Aronson displayed a slide listing the 9 guiding principles, including bullets such as
"plan for the long-term needs of the Town", and "balance cost with reuse and revenue generation".
Selectperson Chaffee said that the bullet, "balance cost with reuse and revenue generation" was somewhat
confusing in the way it was worded — perhaps it should instead be "balance cost with revenue generation".
Assistant Town Manager Donna Kalinick noted that she and Town Manager Peter Lombardi worked very
closely with Reed Hilderbrand on the guiding principles — but this bullet could be wordsmithed more to make
it clearer. Ms. Kalinick added that it was hard to distill these very big concepts down to guiding principles.
Selectperson Chaffee responded that she believed this bullet should probably be split up into separate
points. Pat Hughes said that some residents did not seem to understand the level of work needed in order to
allow for reuse of certain buildings on the property. Mr. Fryzel said that re -use really hinges on what the
desired community use for the property ultimately is.
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Clare O'Connor -Rice noted that the third bullet, "contribute to the Town's affordable housing goals" implies
that there will definitely be some affordable housing units on the property, and she isn't sure that's what
people really want. Ms. Kalinick responded that it was important to keep in mind that these are the guiding
principles for both properties, not just one property. Gary Christen said that he got the impression that that
the bay property was more suitable for housing Town workers, temporary summer workers and lifeguards,
and that the pond property was a more appropriate location for affordable housing — perhaps the guiding
principle bullets should be changed to clarify this. Ms. Bebrin said it was important not to dwell on this point
in too much detail, as there is a considerable amount of other content in the packet that needs to be
discussed.
Mr. Fryzel said it appeared the Town was going about this process in the right manner, and thanked the
consultants for the considerable amount of work they have put into collating this information. Mr. Fryzel
asked if one of the Reed Hilderbrand consultants could explain the bullet "build partnerships for activation
and stewardship", as its meaning was unclear. Elizabeth Randall explained that perhaps the clarity of this
point could be improved — in essence, it means that partners such as BCT or Mass Audubon can come up
with ideas for programming on the property to be run by groups other than the Town.
Katie Jacobus said that a number of comments in the survey referenced reusing the Eddy School — this
conversation has been going for a number of years, but decisions about the Eddy School are beyond the
charge of this committee. Ms. Bebrin concurred with this point. Ms. Kalinick stated that any decisions
pertaining to the future of the Eddy School lie with the Brewster School Committee.
Mr. Fryzel stated that, to avoid any confusion, he would like it clarified for the record that there is no
"Brewster Museum of Natural History", as some of the materials in the packet referred to it as. Mr. Fryzel
also asked for clarification about the coastal dune restoration idea — he had seen some comments about this
in the materials but was unclear on the meaning. Ms. Randall said she would have to look into this, but that
the comment likely referred to keeping an open mind that structures such as the parking lot might have to
be moved back in 20-30 years' time. Ms. Hughes said that the current parking lot should be considered
temporary — due to the way that dunes roll -back on themselves and sand keeps on moving, parking should
be planned for in another location in the long-term.
Mr. Roy Cuniff of 873 Harwich Road said that he was a former Town employee and worked as a gate
attendant at the property. He asked if the committee was comfortable that they are getting enough
feedback from members of the community — his experience working at the property suggested a lot of
people weren't familiar with the planning process. He also said he felt as though the Town could charge
more for accessing First Light Beach. There are 65 community gardens in the Brewster, but there is a
significant waiting list —the new property could potentially be a new location for them. He also advocated a
feasibility study be done to examine the possibility of opening the pool year round, and allowing non-
residents to use it for an increased fee. Ms. Bebrin responded to Mr. Cunliff's initial question, noting that
resident engagement and making sure enough people contribute to the process and are aware of it is an
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ongoing challenge. Ms. Randall said that Mr. Cunliff's comments were welcome and it was good to have
residents attending and asking questions at these meetings.
Maggie Spade -Aguilar said that all of the different possible uses require employees. Residents should be
asked if they want this property to be used year-round, or in the summer only. If residents favor the property
being used year-round, then the plans should probably incorporate year-round housing.
Ms. O'Connor -Rice said there are opportunities for grants that the committee should consider for the
property. Ms. Kalinick said that, with the exception of a planning grant that they have secured, the Town is
reluctant to apply for any grants before the future use of the property is known.
Mr. Fryzel asked if there was more space set aside for the uses of the arts, would there be enough to
demand to fill this space — there seem to be a lot of artist spaces that already exist on Cape Cod. Jan Crocker
responded that there is demand, a lot of the studio spaces Mr. Fryzel is referring to have waiting lists. Ms.
O'Connor -Rice said that there is a large arts community on Cape Cod and that demand exists. Creating space
for artists could also help with revenue generation.
Ms. Bebrin suggested that the committee look at some of the other responses that came through. Ms.
Randall said there was notable interest among residents in passive recreation and trails on the property. Ms.
Bebrin and Mr. Fryzel agreed that the comparative lack of interest among survey respondents in active
recreation was interesting.
Mr. Cunliff said he would be happy to volunteer to get some initial estimates on the cost of enclosing the
pool, and the cost of operating all of the nearby pools. Ms. Bebrin responded that the committee already has
this information on file. Mr. Fryzel said, on the subject of the pool, he has gotten a sense that residents
would like to keep access to the pool limited to residents —this is difficult to balance with the need for
revenue generation.
Ms. Bebrin closed by thanking the Reed Hilderbrand team for the considerable work they put into
aggregating this data.
Update on Shootinp, Range Remediation
Ms. Kalinick reported that the Town went out to bid to remediate the shooting range, and received healthy
bids. This is very specific work that needs to be done, and they have hired a consultant who is an authority in
this area. Although the low bid that the Town was received was far lower than the other bids, they have
informed the bidder that they do not believe their methodology will meet the specifications. In the
meantime, the Town has been checking the work and references of the second low bidder. Before the end of
the week, the Town will confirm with the low bidder that they are not accepting their bid and will award and
move to contracting with the second low bidder. The Town had hoped to do this work right after the beach
closes. The only potential problem is that the Town could receive an official bid protest through the State of
Massachusetts.
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2198 Main Street
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Fax: (508) 896-8089
Review Upcoming Approved Interim Uses and Vote on Proposed New Interim Uses
Ms. Crocker reported that the Movement Arts Festival, which was rained out in the spring, will be occurring
instead on Saturday, September 23 from fpm-4pm outside the boat house, with a rain date on Sunday,
September 24. Ms. Bebrin added that the parking will be on the front lawn.
Ms. Bebrin reminded committee members that the first Brewster volunteer fair will be on Saturday,
September 30, from 10am-12pm in the dining hall. From 12pm-fpm there will be a volunteer appreciation
luncheon with pizza and cookies. This will be an opportunity to recognize the good work that Brewster's
volunteers do. A raffle will be held during the volunteer fair for free 2024 beach, pool, recycling, and shellfish
permits.
Chatham Bars Inn will be holding a "Fall Frolic" on Saturday, October 7, from 11am-5pm. They will have a
police detail during the event. They have requested the use of the front lawn on the bay property for event
parking. Mr. Fryzel moved to approve the use of the front lawn on the bay property for overflow parking for
Chatham Bars Inn's "Fall Frolic" on Saturday, October 7, from 11am-5pm with the stipulations of a police
detail, volunteer parking assistance, and the insurance policy listing the Town as additionally insured. Ms.
Hughes second. A roll call vote was taken. Selectperson Chaffee — yes, Clare O'Connor -Rice —yes,
Selectperson Whitney — yes, Pat Hughes — yes, Karl Fryzel — yes, Caroline McCarley — yes, Katie Jacobus — yes,
Thomas Wingard — yes, Amanda Bebrin — yes, John Phillips — yes, Peter Johnson — yes.
Public Announcements and Comments
None
Vote on Meeting Minutes: August 22, 2023
Selectperson Chaffee moved to approve the meeting minutes from August 22, 2023. Ms. Jacobus second. A
roll call vote was taken. Selectperson Chaffee — yes, Clare O'Connor -Rice — yes, Selectperson Whitney — yes,
Pat Hughes — yes, Karl Fryzel — yes, Caroline McCarley — yes, Katie Jacobus — yes, Thomas Wingard — yes,
Amanda Bebrin — yes, John Phillips — yes, Peter Johnson — yes.
Discuss Future Meeting Agenda Items
The next meeting on October 4 will be a joint session with the Pond Property Planning Committee and Select
Board and will be in a hybrid format. This meeting will be helpful in coordinating the respective planning
processes of these groups.
Next Meetines
October 4 (Joint Meeting with Pond Property Planning Committee & Select Board) and October 17, 2023.
Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair:
John Phillips asked if the Reed Hilderbrand cost proposal information included in the packet was just
included as an FYI. Ms. Kalinick responded that the Town has exceeded the services and scope that they
were originally quoted on. Multiple surveys were not anticipated, and that was one of the add-on services.
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There have been more meetings between the consultants and staff than were originally anticipated. The
Town has therefore executed a change order to the contract.
Adiournment
Ms. Jacobus moved to adjourn at 5.36 pm. Selectperson Chaffee second. A vote was taken. Selectperson
Chaffee — yes, Clare O'Connor -Rice — yes, Selectperson Whitney — yes, Pat Hughes — yes, Karl Fryzel — yes,
Caroline McCarley — yes, Katie Jacobus — yes, Thomas Wingard — yes, Amanda Bebrin — yes, John Phillips —
yes, Peter Johnson —yes.
Respectfully submitted by Conor Kenny, Project Manager
Approved:
10/18/2023
Signed:
Accompanying Documents in Packet: Agenda, Community Forum 2 and Survey Feedback Summary Packet, Committees Memorandum,
BPPC 8.22.23 Minutes, Reed Hilderbrand Additional Service Request Proposal, Reed Hilderbrand Scope of Services, Select Board FY24-25
Strategic Plan
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