Cape Cod Sea Camps Planning Update

The Select Board held a joint meeting with the Bay and Pond Property Planning Committees on Wednesday October 4 to provide policy guidance on the conceptual plans being developed for both properties for the next community forum, which will be held on Thursday November 30. The committees discussed key considerations going forward including a community center, housing, municipal uses, and potential partnerships.

To date, the Town has held two public forums and has issued two surveys seeking community feedback on future uses of the properties. In finding consistent themes from these input sessions and other recent community engagement efforts, the following guiding principles have been reviewed and adopted by the committees to help inform decision making:

• Expand opportunities for community uses with a focus on wellness, recreation, arts, and education
• Protect and conserve important natural habitat and water resources
• Contribute to the Town’s affordable housing goals
• Balance cost with revenue generation
• Re-use buildings and amenities where feasible
• Provide resources for all ages
• Build partnerships for activities and stewardship
• Foster awareness of sensitive ecologies and demonstrate sustainability
• Build upon Brewster’s historic, small-town, and socially inclusive character
• Plan for long-term needs of the Town

Resident input at the forums and through the surveys has demonstrated strong interest in the idea of reusing buildings on the bay property as part of a community campus.  However, residents have also expressed interest in many activities and programs that may not be accommodated by only renovating existing structures.  After some discussion, there was consensus among the committee members and Select Board that a new standalone community center should remain on the table as an option, but that options for reuse should also continue to be considered.  At the next forum, it is expected that cost estimates will be developed for both scenarios along with information about the level of programming they could each support. 

Feedback from residents regarding housing on the properties has been mixed.  Many residents support the concept of building seasonal workforce housing on the bay property. Concerns about the potential environmental impacts of housing on the pond property have also been raised by some. Committee members discussed the fact that if at least one of these properties is not used to create new year-round deed restricted housing, the Town will need to purchase more land in order to build housing in the near future to meet the Town’s 10% affordable housing requirements under state law. There was agreement among committee members and the Select Board that the Town’s consultants, Reed Hilderbrand, should develop one scenario for each property that includes appropriately scaled affordable housing for the November 30 forum.

The Reed Hilderbrand team explained that survey and forum feedback showed that many residents would like the Town to pursue a partnership with Mass Audubon on both properties. The Select Board and committee members agreed that discussion about a potential Audubon partnership should be continued, but that further information about the parameters of this relationship would be needed, particularly regarding the bay property.

The surveys and forums also demonstrated that there is a community consensus for the Town to pursue a partnership with Brewster Conservation Trust (BCT) on the pond property.  Committee and Select Board members agreed that the pond property plans for the next forum should include an area designated for conversation that covers at least 60% of the parcel, recognizing that further conversations with BCT would be needed to clarify their specific interests in terms of potential future uses of the property. 

The Select Board and committees also acknowledged that the long-range plans for both properties should be flexible enough to accommodate potential future municipal uses that may not yet be known, citing land that was previously acquired by the Town that has since been used for various community purposes.

Reed Hilderbrand explained that the next forum in November will be virtual, and it will provide residents with details on proposed conceptual plans for both properties and opportunities to weigh in. There will be one more forum for both properties this winter to share the draft plans that will be presented to voters at Spring Town Meeting in May 2024. Updates will continue to be provided on the Cape Cod Sea Camps project page.