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BREWSTER VISION ADVISORY GROUP
SUMMARY PAPER
COMMUNITY CHARACTER
OCTOBER 2017
I.Background
The Brewster Vision workshops identified the preservation of community character as an
important issue, with responses like ‘small town feel,’ ‘historic charm,’ ‘scenic Route 6A,’ and
the landmark ‘Grist Mill herring run’ appearing in 36% of comments about town “Treasures.”
Community Character also played a big 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, part of the social character.
The concern voiced most often was the potential for inappropriate new development to
negatively impact the town. Brewster has a distinctively small-town feel with a consistently
modest scale of development that many would like to see preserved. Greater development
scale in commercial areas was a particular concern, along with the potential for new
development to harm the town’s historic buildings. People also commented about the lack of a
town center and adequate social infrastructure.
The community character building block encompasses both Brewster’s physical and social
character. As such is it closely inter-related to several other vision building blocks including
open space, economy, housing, and infrastructure. Positive actions on those building blocks will
also have a positive impact on community character.
Current Status
Physical character
Brewster has a large collection of significant historic properties, with the great majority located
along Route 6A and Stony Brook Road. The town has two large National Register Historic
Districts: one includes approximately 375 historic buildings along Route 6A and Lower Road,
roughly from Paine’s Creek to Sea Pines Drive; the other includes almost 70 structures along
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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 includes all properties along the town’s old
roadways of Route 6A, Lower Road, Stony Brook Road, Satucket Road, Route 137/Long Pond
Road, Tubman Road and several smaller connecting roads. The Historic District Commission has
authority to review and approve all exterior alterations and demolition proposals.
The majority of Brewster is developed residentially, but the town has two types of commercial
zone: Village Business and Commercial. The four small Village Business zones are located along
Route 6A 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 Route 6A are outside of the
commercial zones and operate as home occupations within residentially zoned areas.
The town’s existing zoning regulations guide the size and shape of development through
dimensional regulations: a height limit of 30 feet, a limit on the amount of lot area that can be
covered by buildings, and a set back from the front property line. In terms of design review, all
Village Business areas and home occupations along Route 6A require review by the Old Kings
Highway Historic District Committee. The Commercial district on Underpass Road is outside the
historic district, but is instead governed by Planning Board Site Plan Review. Certain uses such
as multi-family dwellings, outdoor commercial, and hotel/motel are allowed only in the
Commercial district and by Special Permit, which requires specific development criteria to be
met. Restaurants and drive-through financial structures are allowed by Special Permit in both
the Village Business and Commercial district.
The town’s zoning regulations acknowledge that many areas related to the Town’s character
(like Route 6A) are subject to design review per the Historic District. The town also has well-
developed Site Plan Review standards dealing with transportation and access for commercial,
multi-family and industrial uses. Site Plan Review standards could be evaluated to provide
enhanced landscaping, architecture and building design. Special Permit criteria could be
enhanced to address pre-existing non-conforming uses and structures that seek to alter or
expand. While the town’s current dimensional regulations will limit building size and scale on
most small to medium size lots, they still allow large buildings on large 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
Route 6A—the Library, Senior Center, Town Hall, and the Eddy Elementary School.
Brewster’s character is heavily influenced by the amount of open space and natural resources
that it protects and that are accessible to the public. Places like the Punkhorn, Drummer Boy
Park, Nickerson State Park, and Stony Brook help define the distinctly open community
character of the town.
Formula retail businesses are expanding in many communities on the Cape, submitting
proposals to expand existing structures or rebuild. Chains such as CVS, Cumberland Farms, and
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various gas stations have sought to increase building size and expand the range of products
they offer. In other parts of the Cape, retail square footage appears to be overbuilt, with a
significant amount of vacant space partly due to the increase in on-line purchasing.
Social character
Brewster’s population is changing in ways that are similar to the Cape in general. Currently,
49% of the population is over 55 years old and this segment of the population is increasing. On
the other hand, the age groups from 25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 significantly declined since
2005. In past years, Brewster has been known as a community that attracted young families
because of affordable housing and high quality schools. These demographic trends indicate
those attributes may now be less of an influence. At the same time, the desire to maintain
demographic diversity was clearly stated at the vision workshops.
While not always visible to the general population, the Town provides a variety of social
services to families and individuals in distress. Most of these services are provided through not-
for-profit service organizations such as Cape Cod Children’s Place, the Alzheimer’s Support
Center, Gosnold, the Homeless Prevention Council, Independence House, and Lower Cape
Outreach. The opioid crisis is also present: the Brewster Police Department reports 7 suspected
opiate overdoses with one fatality in 2015, 6 suspected overdoses in 2016 with two fatalities,
and 12 suspected overdoses with two fatalities to date in 2017.
Recent Actions by Brewster:
Physical Character
The Town has long been committed to purchasing open space for both the inherent value in
open space (habitat, passive recreation, preservation of scenic views and vistas, etc.), as well as
to protect the Town’s drinking water and surface water quality. Recent Town investments in
open space include the Boehm Conservation Project, the expansion of the Drummer Boy Park
complex, and the purchase of a proposed subdivision on Freeman’s Way to protect drinking
water supply.
The Brewster Historical Commission is currently documenting the history of houses older than
75 years within the historic district.
Social character
In 2016 the Brewster Council on Aging presented its needs assessment: The Future of Aging in
Brewster. The assessment process included a survey of over 3,000 Brewster residents age 45
and older, a survey of seasonal residents and focus groups. The survey found that the typical
senior wants to stay in Brewster and is aging with sufficient resources and social support.
However, there are segments that struggle financially, experience isolation, have limited access
to transportation and services, and for whom health events may challenge their ability to age in
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place. Transportation, caregiving services, and health and wellness programs were seen as
priorities. The survey also found that most seniors feel the current COA building is inadequate
for community needs. Many felt that the creation of a community center in which the COA
would be located was the preferred solution. This finding mirrors many statements in the
visioning workshops about the value of a community center to meet the needs of Brewster’s
diverse population and a place that would bring all age groups together.
II.Key Issues Moving Forward
Challenges:
•Maintain Rural Character
•Protect Historic Resources
•Guide New Development Appropriately
•Expand services to meet the needs of the town’s changing demographic profile
•Provide Community Gathering Spaces
•
Opportunities:
1) Adjust regulations and zoning to direct new development—some towns (Wellfleet,
Provincetown) are exploring ways to improve formula business bylaws that can hold up in
court, and considering clearly defined exclusion districts like the one on Nantucket. Falmouth
uses a numerical grading system to categorize and limit formula restaurants from certain village
areas. Towns like Chatham are considering changes to dimensional standards such as setting
minimum and maximum front setbacks to better match historic streetscape patterns and
require more pedestrian-friendly small building setbacks in designated village commercial
areas. In 2017, Truro voters approved a restriction on house size for residential properties in
the Cape Cod National Seashore zoning district, but rejected restrictions on house sizes in other
districts. Chatham and several off-Cape towns are offering incentives to reuse historic buildings
by granting relief from dimensional standards, reduced parking requirements, or allowing
additional residential units within historic structures. Other towns have incorporated more
detailed Special Permit standards to address key concerns such as building scale and design,
location of gas pumps, development adjacent to historic areas, and expansion of existing uses.
2) Support more land acquisition efforts to provide pocket parks and to maintain rural
character in key locations, such as Brewster’s previous acquisitions at Betty’s Curve and the
Quivett Marsh Vista.
3) Engage civic and private institutions in the community to leverage their services and provide
more multi-generational opportunities for community gathering places and social interaction,
including the Council on Aging, Brewster Ladies Library and several churches that are all in close
proximity along Route 6A. Non-profits like the Museum of Natural History, the Brewster
Historical Society Museum, the Grist Mill and others could also play a role. A recurring theme by
workshop participants was creating a Community Center where programming for all ages could
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bring residents together and foster the goal for a more socially inclusive community. The Eddy
School was consistently referenced as a location the Town should consider for this purpose.
III.Discussion and Draft Goal
Discussion Items:
•How much additional commercial development does the town want and what scale is
appropriate?
•Does the town want to limit formula retail businesses?
•Are additional zoning regulations or design standards needed to direct the style of new
development?
•Does the Town of Brewster have adequate strength and guidelines to protect historic
resources in the community?
•What are the elements of a town center that people want? Does a town center need to
include commercial uses or can it be focused on a concentration of institutions and civic
buildings? What area lends itself to a town center?
•What types of social programs are needed? How can the Town be both more senior
friendly and young family friendly?
Vision Goal:
Sustain and foster Brewster’s historic setting, rural nature, small town feel, and socially
inclusive spirit.
Purposes:
1) Provide social opportunities and services for all.
2) Maintain the Town’s historic heritage and style.
3) Protect the Town’s small town feel and scale through appropriate development.