Local Comprehensive Plan

Project Goals

The project goal was to establish a long term community plan to guide land use decisions and policies in Brewster for the next ten or more years. 

Local Comprehensive Plan

Brewster’s LCP is intended to help guide land use decisions and policies in the Town for the next 10+ years.  It describes how Brewster looks today and where it wants to go in the future. The Plan addresses many important issues like providing housing opportunities for our aging citizens and young families, protecting our drinking water supply, preserving our historic and small town character, improving water quality in our ponds, and supporting our local small businesses.   

The 2018 Brewster Vision Plan serves as a foundation for this LCP.  Similar to the Vision Plan’s structure, the LCP includes a Vision Statement and is organized by “Building Blocks:” Community Character; Water Resources; Open Space; Housing; Coastal Management; Local Economy; Governance; Community Infrastructure; Solid Waste Management; and Climate Mitigation and Adaptation. The heart of the LCP is the Action Plan, which includes goals, purposes and an ambitious list of recommended actions associated with each Building Block. 

The LCP also includes a summary of conditions for each building block and a Capital Facilities Plan which aligns capital projects recommended in the Action Plan with the Town’s on-going budgeting and planning processes.  The LCP will be implemented, and its actions prioritized, primarily through the Select Board’s annual strategic planning process.  This process will also include monitoring and reporting to the community, which are crucial to the successful implementation of the LCP.  Resident feedback on specific recommended projects and initiatives will be critical as the Town considers and works through implementation details. 

The LCP has been developed with general guidance from Cape Cod Commission (CCC) staff according to its regulations, adapted to Brewster’s specific needs and circumstances.  After its local adoption, the Town may elect to forward the LCP to the CCC for review to certify its consistency with the Cape Cod Regional Policy Plan.  CCC certification entails some continuing obligations but also affords the Town certain planning and regulatory benefits.

After more than two years of public meetings and input from residents and Town staff, the Vision Planning Committee (VPC) completed and released a final draft Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP) in September 2022.  Upon the recommendation of the VPC, it was approved by the Select Board and Planning Board following a public hearing on October 12, 2022 and was placed on the Fall 2022 Town Meeting Warrant to consider its adoption. Despite some very favorable comments about the draft LCP and the Committee’s work, Town Meeting did not vote to adopt the LCP but instead voted to remand the LCP to the VPC for further consideration.  Town Meeting had concerns about the proposed Wing Island Boardwalk project, which, although independent of the LCP, was referenced in the LCP.  The Select Board has since decided not to pursue the Wing Island project any further.

Pursuant to a revised charge, the Vision Planning Committee recommenced its work on the draft LCP in March 2023.  Reflecting comments, concerns and changes in circumstances since fall 2022, and with continuing efforts to make the document even more clear and readable for all stakeholders, the VPC prepared and released an updated draft for July 2023.  The VPC then undertook public outreach and education on the draft LCP through the summer and fall and the draft was ultimately adopted by Town Meeting in November 2023. 

Please feel free to reach out to brewplan@brewster-ma.gov with any questions.