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Home My Public Portal AboutOpen SpacePage 1 of 4 BREWSTER VISION ADVISORY GROUP SUMMARY PAPER OPEN SPACE OCTOBER 2017 I. Background Overview Open space figured prominently in the first Vision 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. Related to open space, participants also noted the value of open space-based recreation including specific locations such as bike trails, Nickerson State Park, the Punkhorn Parklands, and the Captains’ Golf Course. Acquiring land for recreation and habitat protection and improving the use of Drummer Boy Park were noted as significant opportunities. Finally, open space was the second most mentioned theme in participants’ vision statements, with specific references to natural beauty, rural character, environmental responsibility, and a “green” community. By these characteristics, open space is closely linked to many other Vision building blocks including town character, the local economy, water resource protection, and community infrastructure. In other words, actions to protect open space will contribute to these other building blocks. These findings are consistent with the results of the survey conducted as part of the up-date of the Town’s Open Space Plan in 2013. The responses to that survey reflect many of the themes raised during the recent Brewster Visioning workshops, including the importance of preserving open space generally; protection of groundwater, drinking water, ponds, lakes, and watersheds, as well as wetland and upland habitats and endangered species habitats; and protecting beach access for recreational needs. In addition to beach parking and amenities, the next most important recreation facilities identified by survey respondents included walking/hiking trails, parks, and bike trails. In addition to the contributions to the Town’s character and recreational opportunities, open space contributes in many ways economically and financially to the town. In contrast to other Cape towns, Brewster’s past open space investments have, in part, allowed the town to avoid Page 2 of 4 the high cost of sewering large areas of town in sensitive watersheds. A recent study by the Trust for Public Land found that every dollar of investment in conservation generated $4 in natural goods and services to the Massachusetts economy. A study of the cost of services in Brewster in 2001 found that for every dollar of revenue generated, average residential development required $1.30 in public services while open space and farmland required only 31 cents making them net contributors to the town’s fiscal health. While Brewster residents and visitors appreciate the rural feel and low density development, it is important to recognize what is “open space”. Protected open space generally refers to the “green infrastructure” of a community. It may include woodlands, agricultural lands, marshes, scenic vistas, and recreation areas. Many people may perceive much of the undeveloped land in Brewster as permanent open space, but in fact much of it is not. A study by Mass Audubon in 2014 characterized Brewster as 29% protected open space, 29% developed, and 42% vacant. In comparison to Brewster, 34% of Barnstable County is protected open space. Although “vacant” land lends itself to the open space feel of the Town, much of it could be developed in the future by its private property owners. Current status and trends The Town of Brewster currently has many open space and recreation resources protected from development. The Town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan 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 municipally owned lands, and 822 town-owned acres controlled by the Conservation Commission. The not-for-profit Brewster Conservation Trust owns 533 acres of permanently protected land and an additional 250 acres through conservation restrictions on private land. 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 1980’s and early 1990’s 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. In the past five years, Town meeting has approved 10 open space acquisitions totaling nearly 60 acres. In addition, the Brewster Conservation Trust has led Cape land trusts in number of acquisition projects and acres protected. Despite these activities, the balance between developed land and protected land has been shifting. For example, data from the Assessor’s office indicates that in 2014 and 2015 a total of 57 acres shifted from vacant to developed while almost 15 acres shifted from undeveloped to protected. Many recent land purchases have involved multiple funding sources: this means that significant lands have been protected with only a portion coming from Town funds. For example, in 2015 Page 3 of 4 the Town purchased three acres adjacent to Drummer Boy Park for $500,000 which included a state grant of $260,000 and $100,000 from the Brewster Conservation Trust, leaving the Town to pay $140,000. Similarly the recent purchase of four pond front acres on Rt. 137 in East Brewster (also in the Zone II) for $400,000 by the Brewster Conservation Trust included a $100,000 Town contribution, a state grant, and private contributions. From 1999 to 2014, for every $1 invested in open space acquisition, the Town has leveraged $1.11 from other sources. As a heavily used public park and scenic vista, Drummer Boy Park represents a unique asset in Brewster. The Drummer Boy complex includes 17 acres of town land purchase in 1988, an acre owned by the Brewster Historic Society which houses the iconic Higgins windmill and BHS historic village, two acres of Windmill Meadows owned by the Brewster Conservation Trust, and the recently acquired three acre town property to the east of the open area. A comprehensive management plan that integrates these components has not been developed. With the acquisition of protected open space comes the responsibility for maintaining it: keeping trails open and picking up along roadsides. Currently, this is largely done by Town staff, BCT staff, and crews of volunteers. Recent actions by the Town Brewster’s Open Space Committee completed an update of the town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) in 2014. The OSRP is a comprehensive look at open space issues, needs, goals, and actions. The Plan identifies the following goals based on priorities identified from the 2013 survey: 1.Protect and maintain a maximum amount of open space for the purpose of ensuring protection of a sufficient safe drinking water supply to meet the needs of Brewster’s residents and visitors today and in the future. 2.Provide open space and recreation opportunities that maintain Brewster’s rural character and small coastal community identity. 3.Plan, coordinate and implement open space protection measures that preserve habitat diversity and protect marine and fresh surface water resources. 4.Provide a variety of recreation opportunities, which accommodate the current and future needs of the community, and that are in close proximity to all residential areas. 5.Promote greater coordination and communication about community open space and recreation needs among local stakeholders and residents as well as with surrounding communities and the region. Other recent actions by the Town include the adoption of the Natural Resources Protection District zoning change (2009), which is designed to encourage development that protects the most sensitive resources on a parcel of land and preserves up to 80% as permanent open space in Brewster’s water protection District of Critical Planning Concern designated in 2008. Also, since 2007, approximately 160 acres have been taken by the town for non-payment of taxes and transferred to the custody of the Conservation Commission. Page 4 of 4 II. Key Issues Moving forward As development outpaces open space preservation, what priority should be given to open space in Town funding? Given the variety of purposes open space serves in Brewster, what should be the open space priorities in the future? What should the Town and its open space partners do to improve coordination and leverage funding? Should the town consider additional regulatory measures that protect open space and sensitive natural resources? III. Draft Vision Goal Goal: Maintain and expand open space assets to provide public recreation, protect fragile natural habitat, and protect water resources Purposes: 1.Improve public access to and expand the use of recreation areas 2.Prioritize environmentally sensitive areas for preservation 3.Maintain the open space through density and development standards