Housing Trust Lays Out Plan For Pond Property Feasibility Study

BREWSTER – The Brewster Affordable Housing Trust is developing a preliminary work plan outlining a 10-step process for a feasibility study of the Sea Camps Pond Property, which was approved earlier this year by the select board. 

 Donna Kalinick, assistant town manager, and Jill Scalise, housing coordinator, wrote the draft report based on a number of factors including comparisons with other feasibility studies across the Cape, including studies done in Wellfleet and Falmouth. They also referenced the initial proposal by Bohler Engineering for professional master planning services. 

 The work plan, reviewed at the trust’s Feb. 5 meeting, does not elicit any action by the select board until step 10, which asks the board to conclude what decision points will be brought to town meeting. The remaining nine steps seek in-depth information regarding the parcel, community engagement and due diligence. 

Step one asks the trust to apply for a technical assistance grant from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), which provides grants to municipalities to support affordable housing planning, developing and zoning compliance. Part of the application process would be identifying a scope of the feasibility study. 

The Bohler Engineering proposal for the Spring Rock Village feasibility study references an offer of preliminary due diligence and conceptual design services. This is part of the scope of the study. 

The work plan notes that MHP would assign an engineering firm to produce a due diligence report. 

Step two is a general introduction to the parcel. The AHT has not worked with the Sea Camps properties closely until now, so will need a full presentation and understanding of the background materials. This will include a history of the public engagement measures taken by the Pond Property committee. Scalise said this will be available to the public as well to provide more insight into the property and the process for determining its uses. 

Paul Ruchinskas, the community preservation committee representative to the AHT, asked who would be presenting the information. Kalinick said it would require additional support staff who have been involved in the process from the beginning. 

The third step looks to explore different community engagement options. Kalinick said they will likely be reaching out to the Barnstable County Shared Regional Housing Services program to discuss community engagement practices. 

Step four is a more detailed review of the pond parcel including assessing the previous reports. If the technical grant is approved, the MHP, along with an assigned engineering firm, will start to review past reports including the wastewater feasibility study. They would also speak with key staff including the water resources task force to understand all aspects of the parcel including zoning, infrastructure and the specifics of the integrated wastewater planning efforts. 

This step would also invite Town Planner Jon Idman and Water Superintendent Paul Anderson to present information regarding zoning and environmental regulatory considerations. A joint meeting between the AHT and the water resources task force is encouraged, especially to discuss the updated integrated water resource management plan. 

Step five is a reference to the due diligence study which will likely be an ongoing process. The plan asks the AHT to be readily available to look at specific items in greater detail and complete regular check-ins with the MHP and the engineering firm. Scalise mentioned the need for a more in-depth stormwater feasibility study in the case of Spring Rock Village. The need for greater detail in specific areas will not be known until further investigation takes place. 

Step six notes that the select board’s approval of the feasibility study came with specific constraints including quarterly reports to the board. These will be conducted in a public meeting throughout the process. Maggie Spade-Aguilar called for a specific schedule determining what would take place during AHT meetings versus what would take place during select board meetings. The remaining members agreed this was a good way to keep the public informed. 

A draft due diligence report will be shared with the select board in step seven and then further shared with the public in step eight. This would also include a community forum where the public could provide feedback. 

If the due diligence report finds the site feasible, step nine would explore conceptual planning for what the affordable housing site could potentially look like. Under this step, the AHT will conduct extensive community engagement. 

Step 10 will then bring the vote for affordable housing, in one form or another, to town meeting. The exact decision point will be determined by the select board. Because the process for the feasibility study is anticipated to take between 12 to 18 months, the work plan sees the town meeting vote taking place in either May or November 2027. 

Timothy Hackert requested an additional step to explain a Wellhead Protection Area, known as a Zone II, and to describe previous kinds of development that have been allowed within a Zone II in Brewster.

“So the public has an idea early in the process before we even get to the feasibility study that this is something that has happened before,” he said. “And at least they understand that we are not trying to do something that is completely unique and not done before in Brewster.”

He referenced a number of public developments that have been completed previously within a Zone II and noted that this information should be public. He suggested adding it to step two. 

Kalinick said she was worried about how to showcase the financial feasibility. 

“We don’t address that here and I don’t know how to address it,” she said. “Because we’re not going to get the financial feasibility until it’s determined that it’s feasible and then you look at concepts.” 

Somewhere on the work plan, she said, it should explain the ins and outs of a feasibility study including how the financial aspects play out. 

“I think it’s important that [the public] do understand that in many ways it is a fact-gathering mission,” Kalinick said. 

Trust Chair Ned Chatelain said he would be comfortable leaving out the financial aspect because it doesn’t come into play until the feasibility is determined. 

The next steps will involve Kalinick and Scalise taking the feedback, reworking the plan and bringing it back to the trust for an official vote. The AHT is scheduled to meet next month.