By Rich Eldred reldred@wickedlocal.com
Posted by Cape Cod Daily News via Wicked Local Cape Cod
BREWSTER — To go to the beach you’ve got to park near the beach. At least that’s the case for many Brewster residents and visitors. But beach parking lots are eroding into the sea.
Paine’s Creek Beach lost most of its parking lot to storms and waves several years ago. The town has rebuilt the beach and recovered 20 or so parking spots but Brewster officials would like to add more, 15 or 16, at 375 Paine’s Creek Road, a five- to 10-minute walk from the beach depending on your pace, by purchasing 0.95 acres for $195,000.
That proposal is on next week’s Town Meeting Warrant (Article 8) and it was discussed at a public forum sponsored by the Brewster Community Network last Thursday at the Ladies Library. The land is held by the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts on behalf of the Brewster Conservation Trust. They bought it for $330,000 in 2015. Prior to that it was abandoned and there was an $80,000 accumulated property tax bill on the books.
The BCT had purchased nine landlocked acres behind that parcel in 1996. That lands run alongside the Stony Brook marsh and Paine’s Creek. Four years ago the town tracked down 50 heirs to the property and they paid off the tax bill so they could sell the land to the compact.
“The compact is an umbrella service bureau for all the land trusts on the Cape,” explained former BCT President Peter Johnson. “We often make use of their services. The land is upland so it would be a nice building site.”
The BCT wanted it for access to their nine acres and for conservation. It’s opposite Capt. Young’s Road, and there is an open lowland marshy field to the south and homes to the north along Paine’s Creek Road. There was an old shack, now demolished, on the property.
“While that was going on the town was doing planning for coastal properties,” Johnson said. “It became clear they might be interested because of the way Paine’s Creek Beach had retreated and there seemed to be interest in having part of the property we had purchased become adjunct parking.”
The BCT wants a walking trail on their nine acres so they’d like parking for a trailhead. The BCT contacted the town and they expressed interest. The BCT will hold a conservation restriction on the land.
“The Trust was willing to engage with the town and there were meetings in September,” Johnson said. Town officials contacted the Community Preservation Committee and a proposal was made to the selectmen to put the article, requesting the use of the funds ($195,000), on the warrant. However the plan has alarmed neighbors.
“We’ve owned our small house north of 375 Paine’s Creek Rd. for 10 years but I’ve been vacationing here since I was a baby and I scooped ice cream at Mike’s,” Molly Sharon said. “My roots in Brewster run deep. This is a rural road with lots of charm.”
Brewster has been addressing beach access for years and Sharon pointed out there was neighborhood opposition to parking plans at Breakwater Beach, Crosby Landing and now Paine’s Creek.
“It’s unclear why the BCT is willing to sell the property at a significant loss,” Sharon wondered. “In a plan there are 20 to 25 spaces. I’m also told there will be a pilot shuttle bus program.”
Town Administrator Michael Embury prepared an informational forum that will happen after The Cape Codder goes to press this week and he said the parking lot would be downsized to 15 to 16 spaces and there are no plans for a shuttle. That would be impractical for a small lot.
Sharon recalled that Brewster purchased the Jolly Whaler property opposite Luke’s Liquors at the intersection of Paine’s Creek Road and Route 6A years ago. That includes the flat triangle of land at Lower Road, that could potentially be used for parking. It was purchased with storm water drainage in mind.
“We were told by the BCT that they would put in a traditional three to four car lot (for the trail and there would be a lot of discussion and neighborhood involvement,” Sharon said. “All of a sudden in September there’s the CPC discussion with no neighborhood notice. The selectmen discussed it with no neighborhood notice. There was no notice until Oct. 20. What happened to the (inclusive) strategy?”
After the Breakwater Beach parking controversy, where land donated for preservation was turned into a parking lot, Sharon noted, the Brewster Coastal Advisory Group recommended more public involvement earlier in the process. However, Embury has pointed out, there is no formal design or parking plan, only a request to buy land at this point. If there is a plan, public hearings will be held before the appropriate boards. The parking would be centered on the lot and buffered on all sides including the road.
Sharon also cited a recommendation that parking not be in residential neighborhoods.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” she said. “Why now? The conservation trust has owned that property (in back) for 22 years and the town owns a vacant parcel of land (the triangle) that’s been unused for 12 years. The trust has owned this for two years and at a time of year when a lot of homeowners are not there this is given the express train (treatment).”
She urged the town to stop, collaborate, and listen.