Sea Camps Advisory Committee Shares Final Resident Feedback Report

BREWSTER – A report on feedback the Sea Camps advisory committee collected from residents regarding the next steps for the comprehensive plan showed concerns in a number of areas, including open space, affordable housing and the tax implications of the plan.

Last December, the Brewster community voted down funding for the implementation of the comprehensive plan for the bay and pond properties in a special election. 

 In the summary, residents were mainly concerned with seven broad topics related to the Sea Camps properties: community value; financial and tax implications; access; ecology, habitat and open space; affordable housing and wastewater treatment; community center; and planning process and communication. 

 In the beginning of 2025, the Sea Camps advisory committee hosted two in-person listening sessions and sent out a town-wide survey. A total of 75 people attended the listening sessions and 1,431 people responded to the survey, around 15 percent of the age-eligible residents in Brewster. Just over 59 percent of the responses were from the 61-to-80-year-old demographic, and 67 percent of respondents were full-time residents. 

 Many residents supported the purchase of both properties in 2021 and believe it will bring value to the community. The Brewster recreation department has already moved its summer programming to the bay property this year. Most of the feedback surrounding the properties’ value was positive. 

 One of the topics of most concern was the financial and tax implications of future plans. 

 “Costs are too high,” said one resident. “Property taxes are becoming unaffordable with other projects impacting them as well.” 

 Many residents requested more exploration of alternative means of funding the projects addressed in the comprehensive plan. Some suggested generating revenue at the properties to create a constant stream of income to be used for upkeep. According to the report, the town is working with a value consultant to reduce costs, revisit phasing scenarios and identify potential grant opportunities. 

 A few respondents wanted open access to the properties without permits or parking passes. General access is available to the public year-round, but resident-only parking is monitored at the beach and pool parking lots. The community pool is restricted to residents only. While the focus remains on providing preferential access to residents, many town officials have said they are not looking to make it exclusive. This will likely be a topic of discussion for committee members as they brainstorm ways to move forward. 

 In 2021, many members of the community felt that purchasing the properties would help restore the natural habitat and preserve the land from being overdeveloped. This is still a concern, based on the survey results. Respondents rated preserving open space on the bay property as their number one priority, with the top priority for the pond property being protecting the natural habitat and existing watershed. 

 Over the last few months, the town has used federal funding to remediate the shooting range that once existed on the bay property, eliminating harmful metals and toxins and restoring the area. Mass Audubon and the Brewster Conservation Trust will place conservation restrictions on a total of 66 acres of the properties. 

 The topic of affordable housing and wastewater treatment have been controversial. Many residents said that they didn’t have enough information regarding the potential for affordable housing on both properties, but predominantly the pond property. In addition, they requested more transparency for the wastewater treatment plans that would need to be developed for additional housing. 

 “We need to see where plans for affordable housing fit into the town’s overall plans for affordable housing with costs and benefits for each alternative explained,” said one survey respondent. 

 This month, the town will be conducting an assessment of potential wastewater solutions on the pond property funded by a grant provided by the state Department of Environmental Protection. This information will help inform the revision of the comprehensive plan. Additionally, the bay property section of the plan has already determined that existing structures on the property can be used for seasonal workforce housing.

 A community center has been widely debated among residents. Currently, Brewster does not have a building in town that provides the same recreational functions and activities as a community center. While it was proposed for the Sea Camps, many were not partial to the location or the price tag. In November, town meeting appropriated funding to conduct a community center needs assessment, which will take place over the next year. The council on aging revisited its strategic plan in 2024 and found deficiencies in the existing facilities, citing a strong preference for a new building to house a multi-generational community center. 

 Although no decisions have been made on the construction of a new community center, town officials are hoping the needs assessment will help to identify potential next steps. 

 Finally, residents are hoping to see the comprehensive plan chopped into smaller phases with smaller funding requests, so residents can prioritize needs versus wants. According to the report, 94 percent of the survey respondents would like to pursue the bay property first. 

 With the finalized report, the sea camps advisory committee now has tangible evidence of residents’ desires when it comes to the Sea Camps properties. The committee is planning to host a community forum, which will be announced in the near future. For more information on the project, visit the town’s website and navigate to the Sea Camps project page.