Bay Property Planning Committee July 25 Meeting Recap:
Town Manager, Peter Lombardi, began the July 25 Bay Property Planning Committee meeting by reminding committee members of the upcoming second forum on Saturday August 5. There will be three public engagement sessions held in the Bay Property Dining Hall on this day, at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. The property will be open to the public to explore on foot from 12pm to 5pm. A dozen buildings will be open for exploration during the forum, and a map will be available for residents to take their own self-guided tour. More information can be found here.
Committee Chair, Amanda Bebrin, introduced the topic of the recent committee site visit to the Harwich Community Center. Caroline McCarley said that she was impressed by how many people she saw using the facility. Selectperson Mary Chaffee agreed and noted that “many valuable lessons can be learned from Harwich” should Brewster residents indicate that they would like to see a newly constructed community center on the bay property. Mr. Lombardi explained that there are at least five or six other similar community centers that the committee could visit for research purposes in the future if residents are interested in further exploring construction of a new facility.
Members of the tennis and pickleball community then presented information to the committee on current capacity issues at the Stony Brook Elementary School courts. Brewster resident, Bill Dermody, explained that both groups currently share this facility, but that the recent surge in pickleball participation has made it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the community. Mr. Dermody indicated that both groups support the construction of new dedicated tennis courts at the bay property, allowing the current Stony Brook courts to become a dedicated pickleball facility. Mr. Lombardi informed the committee that adequate space for new courts on the bay property are part of two conceptual design options that will be presented to Brewster residents at the August 5 public forum.
Finally, the committee discussed the ongoing operation and management of the Brewster Community Pool. Members agreed that the first season has so far been successful, and that the pool has proved to be a popular amenity for Brewster residents. Mike Gradone, Brewster Recreation Director, requested approval for an extra week of infant swim lessons at the pool for the week of August 6, beginning at 9am. The committee unanimously approved this request.
The next meeting of the Bay Property Planning Committee will be on August 22.