Past BCN Forums
BCN Zoom Forum: Candidates for Town Election
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Managing Brewster’s development: How do zoning and all our planning boards work together now? Can this deliver on our Vision?
Building restrictions vary by planning zone, there are more restrictions near the coast and wetlands, and special historic district rules apply around selected roads. Businesses want to start or expand, as residents seek affordable housing, solar panels or enlarged homes; and sometimes call in lawyers to help. As a community, we want to protect our water and environment, respond to climate change, and realize our shared vision to maintain Brewster’s rural character. Oh – and this all needs to integrate with Cape-wide Comprehensive Planning.
How do all these planning pieces work together now? What can we learn from past experiences and from the Cape-wide planning framework? Is this everything we need to achieve our Vision? Each panelist will explain their respective planning roles now and answer questions, then we’ll discuss if this can deliver our Brewster Vision.
Planning Now:
Buildings – Victor Staley, Building Commissioner
Planning and Zoning – member of our Planning Board
Near Coast and Wetlands – Noelle Bramer
Old King’s Highway Historic District role – James Trabulsie
Cumberland Farms example
Planning Future:
The Cape Cod framework – Heather McElroy, Cape Cod Commission
Realizing our Vision – Hal Minis, Vision Group
Questions and Discussion
Those who missed the very informative December 12th BCN Forum on “Managing Brewster’s Future” may want to watch the video at:
BCN Forum: Fall Town Meeting: Consolidating Schools, Funding Housing, Banning Bottles & More
November 14, 630 – 8 pm
Brewster Ladies’ Library
Brewster Community Network is sponsoring a November 14 forum from 630-8 pm at the Brewster Ladies’ Library to help voters understand and ask questions about articles to be considered at the November 18 Special Town Meeting. The forum will feature a number of citizens and town officials, as follows:
Citizens Adam Lange and Helga Dyer will make their case for petitioned Article #10, “Elementary School Consolidation and Creation of a Community Center.” Jessica Larsen will present perspective as a parent and member of the School Committee, and Town Administrator Peter Lombardi will discuss whether the $150,000 community center feasibility study proposed under Article 3, “Capital and Special Expenditures,” can also explore the complex of issues associated with possible school consolidation.
Sharon Marotti of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), Housing Coordinator Jill Scalise, and Ben DeRuyter of the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust will introduce and help answer questions about Article 5, including the use of $80,000 in CPC funds to support the FORWARD (Friends Or Relatives With Autism & Related Disabilities) project in Dennis and $502,500 in CPC funds to protect the stock of existing affordable housing in Brewster.
Karen Whitney of the Charter Committee will provide a brief update in support of the request for $5157 for community outreach under the much larger Article 3. Sponsors of the petitioned Article 9, “Bottled Water and Beverage Ban,” have been invited to present the status of the Cape-wide municipal bottle ban and planned amendments, through which portions of the Select Board’s recently adopted plastic bottle reduction policy could be adopted as a new town bylaw.
And Mr. Lombardi has agreed to field questions on additional articles and place them in context with the town’s FY20-21 Strategic Plan. All in all, the forum is intended to help citizens in making informed decisions at Town Meeting on November 18.
Those who missed the very informative BCN Forum on town meeting
articles may want to watch the video at:
https://vimeo.com/373490871
BCN Forum: Brewster’s Financial Future – How Can We Afford It? September 12, 2019
Brewster Community Network hosted a forum from 7 to 830 pm on September 12 at the Brewster Ladies’ Library addressing the latest developments relating to Brewster’s financial situation, notably the potential budget impacts associated with renovating Nauset Regional High School. The forum is free and open to the public and will include time for audience Q&A.
Town Administrator Peter Lombardi will open the forum with a concise, big-picture look at where we are, where we are headed under certain assumptions, what are potential implications for taxpayers, and going-forward decision processes and public engagement opportunities. His presentation will be followed by panel discussion and Q&A focusing on the forces shaping the town’s present and future operational and capital budgets and on potential approaches for negotiating challenging terrain ahead while pursuing the Brewster Vision Plan.
Confirmed panelists include Dave Whitney, chair of the Select Board; Pete Dahl and Honey Pivirotto, members of the Finance Committee; and Greg Levasseur, former Select Board and Finance Committee member and current chair of the Building Committee for the Nauset Regional School Committee.
BCN Forum: Managing Coastal Resources: Shuttle, Shellfish & Plastics
On Thursday, August 1, Brewster Community Network will host a forum from 6:30 – 8 pm at Brewster Ladies’ Library. We’ll review our new Coastal Resource Management Plan (CRMP) and focus on three vital aspects of enjoying, using, and protecting Brewster’s coastal environments.
Knowledgable speakers will introduce each part of our discussions:
Mary O’Neill, from the Brewster Coastal Committee, on the objectives and priorities of the new CRMP.
Steven Tupper, from Cape Cod Commission, on a proposed pilot beach shuttle project to increase access to coastal landings without adding new parking.
Chris Miller, from our Natural Resources Department, on the current status of Brewster’s commercial shellfishing activities.
Chris Powicki, from Sierra Club’s Cape Cod Group, on proposed state legislation and Brewster-based efforts to ban the single-use plastics that kill ocean wildlife and degrade coastal resources.
The forum is free and open to the public and will include time for audience Q&A.
Presentations from BCN Coastal Forum – August 1, 2019
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