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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-04 BarnstableOSRP_StakeholderInterview_WaterResources Barnstable Open Space & Recreation Plan Update Stakeholder Interview Questions Date: September 4, 2025 Time and Location: Zoom Interview Questions Group 3: Water Resources Attendees: Aqsa Butt – BSC Group, Senior Planner Adam Duchesneau – BSC Group, Planner Kyle Pedicini – Assistant Director of Planning & Community Development Kate Maldonado – Senior Planner Peter Bertling – Community & Economic Development Planner Alice Marcus-Krieg – Grant Coordinator Griffin Beaudoin – Town Engineer Rob Steen – Department of Public Works, Assistant Director Dave Paananen – West Barnstable Fire Department, Fire Chief Brian Morrison – West Barnstable Fire Department, Deputy Fire Chief Peter Burke – Hyannis Fire Department, Fire Chief Brian Taylor – Harbormaster Derek Lawson – Marine and Environmental Affairs, Director Sam Wilson – Barnstable Municipal Water Supply Board, Chair David Churbuck – Cotuit Fire District Water Commissioner Wayne Miller – West Barnstable Water Commissioner DJ Crook – Shellfish Committee John Townes – Barnstable Association for Recreational Shellfishing Written Comments: – Sean Anderson – Barnstable Fire District Water Department – Scott Horsley – Cotuit Fire District Water Commissioner – Tom O’Neill – Sandy Neck Board 1. What aspects of Barnstable’s water resources are currently being managed well? Sam Wilson – The Hyannis Water System has been doing a good job of delivering clean water to consumers. David Churbuck – The winter of 2024 Town Council meetings were successful public awareness events. Wayne Miller – The freshwater ponds have not been handled well for household usage and they need greater attention than in the past. In terms of water usage, if one village has a problem, the whole town suffers. We need a way to unify the town in terms of its water usage and water management. Sean Anderson – PFAS removal/treatment in the Hyannis Water System. Scott Horsley – I would say that management is excellent, but the challenges continue to mount. 2. What are the biggest challenges facing Barnstable’s water resources today? Sam Wilson – We are situated in one of the densest parts of Cape Cod, and will eventually need more wells but have no place to put them. We will need to build more wells in probably ten years and will need to look outside our boundaries to access these resources. Dave Paananen – The lack of water is a struggle and the lack of access to water for fire protection is also an issue. Access points to ponds and streams are no longer available. The remaining access points do not lend themselves to fire trucks. We have trouble finding drafting areas to test new equipment. The situation is critical in West Barnstable where there are a lack of fire hydrants. Some areas of West Barnstable do not have credible water sources for fire protection. John Townes – Pollution is a challenge for both fresh and saltwater marshes. Invasive species are also an issue. Members of the club (the Barnstable Association for Recreational Shellfishing) are in the water quite a bit assisting the public with how to shellfish. Pollution endangers the sport and the quality of life on Cape Cod. Over development is also a big issue. Griffin Beaudoin – Nutrient loading and PFAS are challenges. Nutrient loading is the reason why the Town has embarked on a $1.4 billion comprehensive wastewater management plan/initiative. PFAS has been found in a large part of the community as well. David Churbuck – There have been increases in sodium levels in water. The wells adjacent to Route 128 make it a state issue. Sean Anderson – PFAS and manganese. Scott Horsley – A) Implementing the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (cost), B) Stormwater management, C) Protection and restoration of ponds, and D) Source water (drinking water) protection. Tom O’Neill – Major issue we discussed is managing the dilemma of allowing access while providing protection to resources. Our assumption is that pressure for more human use of these resources will increase over time as will development due to housing shortages, etc. This will create significant challenges in maintaining a balance between flora, fauna, and humans. And not only the humans who use beaches for recreation, but also the impacts of development, septic systems, etc. 3. What barriers exist in protecting water resources? Derek Lawson – Nitrogen loading in bays and fertilizer are major components. John Townes – The area of concern is the continued growth in the number of docks in town. Applicants go through a process to install or modify a dock. Every dock that goes in is not put in by the final dock owner. If docks are not appropriately sized, larger boats will sometimes sit on the bottom at low tide and this destroys the shellfish habitat. Docks also impede the ability for people to walk in that area of the water. Docks impede access to public waters for people birding or shellfishing, which we feel is an injustice. Wayne Miller – West Barnstable has an overwhelming area which is really reasonable for over water development. Many areas which would be good for water development are well protected. We need to look at ways to utilize everyone’s best resources to make the town prosper. If something happens in West Barnstable and the Fire Department cannot put out a fire, due to a variety of reasons, the entire town would suffer from this. We need to unify the usage of these resources. Sam Wilson – I agree with Wayne’s comments and we need to look at this from a town-wide perspective. Salt is ten times more difficult to fix than PFAS and it is something we can start to address now. Scott Horsley – Cost, and continued development and implementation of innovative technologies (example I/A septics). Limitation of financing programs such as SRF due to purported limitation of spending public money on private property. This is a perceived barrier that I am not sure is valid (example: Long Island, NY). 4. What emerging approaches should Barnstable consider supporting or exploring? David Churbuck – A few years ago, the Cotuit Water District banned the connection of new irrigation systems that could tap into the existing water system. This was to prevent exceeding the overall water usage permit. A 15% reduction in water usage has occurred since this went into effect. We continue to urge people to get off health related water systems for irrigation purposes. Sam Wilson – The hydrological pipeline is right under Route 6. We need to push our water reliance away from this location due to contamination concerns. Sean Anderson – Effluent discharges from the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Scott Horsley – A) I/A septic technologies now referred to as nitrogen-reducing (NR) septic systems, B) Innovative approaches for pond restoration/preservation including cluster/neighborhood wastewater treatment systems. Another emerging technology is wetland restoration in cranberry bogs. The Marstons Mills BCWC project may provide a cost effective alternative for nutrient reduction. 5. What land acquisition opportunities should Barnstable prioritize to protect drinking water supplies, groundwater recharge, wetlands, or coastal buffers? John Townes – There is a horse farm for sale on Route 149 in West Barnstable. Horse farms are major polluters, worse than golf courses. Golf courses get a bad rap but they have tried to clean up their act in recent years through a variety of techniques. The Barnstable Land Trust is active in acquiring land for purposes of halting development. The Barnstable Clean Water Coalition and the Association to Preserve Cape Cod are active as well. Wayne Miller – A concentration of one horse per acre is the same as a 3-bedroom dwelling unit on the same acre. With a horse farm or boarding stable, the Board of Health can get involved. However, one horse on a property with a 5-bedroom house is more of a problem. It becomes problematic when a large piece of land becomes available and it needs to be determined how it will be used. John Townes – A Conservation Restriction could be put on the land. This goes with the title to the land and passes down from owner to owner. This essentially means the land cannot be developed in the future. The Cotuit High Ground Golf Course (9 holes) was recently purchased and has been looked at by a developer for 5 to 8 large dwelling units. Where there are cranberry bogs that have been abandoned or are no longer viable, there has been an effort to restore them to a more natural setting. Doing this reverts the land back and new wetlands or a meadow can be restored. Coonamessett in Falmouth is an example of this. Scott Horsley – Land acquisition/preservation is critical. We should also consider transfer-of- development rights as possible means to relieve development pressures on remaining developable land. Explore possibilities for un-development in coastal hazard areas and other critical water resource areas. 6. Is there anything else you would like to share that could help improve the community’s protection and use of water resources? Dave Paananen – I think it would be worthwhile to hold a meeting with emergency services personnel which would allow them to discuss their concerns and issues with open space in the community from their perspective. These stakeholder interviews are not the best setting to have this discussion. Scott Horsley – Can the Open Space and Recreation Plan address re-naturalizing ("open space") areas on private properties, such as converting lawns to vegetated buffers? Tom O’Neill – A final suggestion which you may be already doing, is to grade each opportunity in the final plan by degree of impact versus ease of implementation versus cost/benefit to help the Town to develop a prioritized plan rather than just a huge list.