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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-04 BarnstableOSRP_StakeholderInterview_Conservation Barnstable Open Space & Recreation Plan Update Stakeholder Interview Questions Date: September 4, 2025 Time and Location: Zoom Interview Questions Group 2: Conservation 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 Ed Hoopes – Conservation Administrator Kris Clark – Town Council, Vice President Bill Hearn – Conservation Commission Angela Tangney – Conservation Commission Lindsey Counsell – Community Preservation Committee Andrew Gottlieb – Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Executive Director Janet Milkman – Barnstable Land Trust, Executive Director Jessica Rempel – Cape Cod Commission, Natural Resources Analyst Written Comments: – Tom O’Neill – Sandy Neck Board 1. What aspects of Barnstable’s open spaces, natural resources, and conservation lands are currently working well? Are there particular trails or areas that stand out as especially valuable? Lindsey Counsell – Barnstable’s trails are in good shape in terms of layouts but there is a lot of maintenance needed. Trees and shrubs are growing in quickly. There are many points of access to these trails and improved parking would be helpful. In terms of open space, connectivity could be improved. Bill Hearn – I think Barnstable has a lot of open space areas. Eagle Pond is wonderful. West Barnstable Forest is a huge area just south of Route 6. Crocker Neck is a large, nice place. The small parcel at the end of Long Beach Road is a good place. Sandy Neck is also spectacular. There are Audubon Society lands in Cummaquid. The Barnstable Land Trust is trying to make a network of properties in the Cummaquid-Barnstable Town line area along the Cape Cod Bay. The beaches in general are popular and active. Not sure about enhancements. The Long Beach land could be larger, but there may not be an option for that. Janet Milkman – I would say Barnstable has a lot of open space and wonderful conservation areas because there is such great local support by the citizens to raise their own taxes to pay for this (land bank and Community Preservation Act (CPA) programs). CPA is a successful way to acquire space for conservation. One area which has not been mentioned is the Sandy Neck and Great Marsh area, which is a great example of a way the Town has worked with many partners to protect an ecologically significant area and provide access. It is also an opportunity to enhance climate resilience. We do not think about it that often, but those areas are incredibly important. Kris Clark – Continuing the pathways through Barnstable from Yarmouth to Sandwich is important as well as continuing the Cape Cod Rail Trail through Barnstable, working around major roadways. I recognize the value of Sandy Neck and the legendary north side beaches, as well as those on the south side. Tom O’Neill – We feel that Sandy Neck (SNK) is a great example of a resource area which benefits from excellent teamwork. A combination of Sandy Neck management backed up by Town resources, e.g., DPW, Finance, etc; SNK Board and Barnstable Police all performing different roles but working together to achieve a common objective. The current coastal resiliency project is a good example of this teamwork in action. 2. What improvements or management practices would better meet residents’ needs? Where do you see the biggest gaps? Lindsey Counsell – Traveling through Barnstable you come across various lands and they are managed by various departments. Combining those protection and management strategies would provide a cohesive approach to the system and streamline the management process. The New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA) and other trail users input could be put into one system, which would be great. Handicap access is limited in many of these areas. Looking at user types and facilitating user access would also be great. Janet Milkman – Committing resources to manage protected open space is important to maximize the public benefit. Better access for all abilities, better parking, better signage, trail improvements, and plans to manage fire risks and invasive species. Beech leaf disease and the Southern Pine Beetle are issues in the forests as well as other invasive species. Perhaps there is a way to increase staffing. Land Trusts and mountain biking groups could be coordinated as volunteers. Some of the free resources are out there. Need to be thinking about connections with water quality protection/improvement, which is an enormous challenge. Land conservation can be an efficient and cost-effective way to address this, including nutrient loading. Bill Hearn – I think the boat ramps and boat ramp parking is quite poor in many locations. The Indian Ponds (3 of them) in Marstons Mills are high quality, but the boat ramp capability is poor there. Levels Pond, same thing. The Indian Ponds have a cyanobacteria problem and the leach fields around the Indian Ponds will keep a steady supply of phosphorus pouring into the ponds. The wastewater technology does not address phosphorus. We need to add in some of these areas to the wastewater treatment system. Shubael Pond in Marstons Mills was recently added into the system. Beech leaf disease is also an issue. Angela Tangney – We can use these trails much more for education. We need to inform people where can you bring frisbees, increase awareness, and bring classes to places such as Sandy Neck. Earlier education about these open space areas would be really helpful. Families need to be more well informed about how development could impact these open space and conservation areas. I see ways we can better inform the public. Ed Hoopes – Rampant fire risk, invasive species, and wildlife habitat improvement are three important items that are all related. We are examining several conservation areas for fire risk and reducing fuel loads (especially Crocker Neck). We have conducted controlled burns and we would like to do more, but we need fire and burn bosses who know what they are doing. One of the biggest issues is people see a nice green conservation area but what they do not understand is they are really looking at a lot of highly invasive vegetation which needs to be managed. Andrew Gottlieb – We need to encourage the Town to look at improvements in the conservation areas. There is a need to think about anything the Town is doing and how that might impact nutrient reduction and stormwater control. For example, new boat ramp structures could be designed and implemented in ways which limit stormwater impacts to freshwater bodies. Boat ramps, by design, contribute to the degradation of the resource people are using to access them. We need to think more broadly about improved access or restoration of boat ramps. We should think about how nutrients can be removed through bio-swales and consider these items when making parking lot improvements. Passive green systems can be used as well. Jessica Rempel – I was thinking about the Cape Cod Commission’s (CCC) role regarding Open Space and Recreation Plans, but regarding the particular questions, I wanted to bring up that the CCC is working on a grant for outdoor recreation which will result in a map and app to help people access open space and recreation opportunities. We are working to figure out how to best connect people with nature. We need to look at things wholistically. Kris Clark – As I see competing uses for open space in town, there are housing advocates that see the remaining open properties as opportunities for housing. As we get closer to buildout in Barnstable, some of our challenges to management are regarding how we balance more of this development pressure for housing and commercial purposes with open space needs. I have been trying to lobby the Town to advocate for open space opportunities to help protect future water uses. There are private properties out there which could be secured in the future to help protect the water supply in the years to come. Jessica Remple – The size of the open space matters. There are fewer and fewer large parcels, and any size parcel will matter moving forward. The Town should be looking at small parcels in downtown areas for pocket parks and parcels for water supply protection. The days of large conservation lands are coming to an end but there are still opportunities for smaller parcels to be added to the portfolio. 3. What barriers do residents face, especially underserved residents and vulnerable populations such as older adults, youth, and people with disabilities, when trying to access trails and conservation areas? What steps could be taken to reduce or eliminate these barriers? Ed Hoopes – In terms of underserved portions and areas of the town, in Hyannis there is no real conservation trail. We are exploring creating a new conservation area around Dunns Pond perhaps. This would serve those closer into town and even as an educational opportunity. We would like to try exploring this. We are also looking at implementing all person trails or something similar to what is along the National Seashore. Janet Milkman – Yes, there is a lack of conservation areas in Hyannis, especially in the west end. You do not need a huge area, but there will be an opportunity on the Twin Brooks Golf Course (par 3) property in Hyannis, and the Town should think about and plan for this acquisition. It would be an enormous resource for the immediate area and for the Town. This should be on everyone’s radar. Jessica Rempel – When the CCC reviews Open Space and Recreation Plans, the two age groups that seem to have lot to say about the resources in these plans are seniors and people with young families. Flat resting areas for seniors are needed along trails, and having good options and room for more facilities are important for young families. Getting people engaged in the environment. I am not sure what the particular barriers are in Barnstable. But how accessible are these spaces during the day? Can certain ones be opened up during different times. Janet Milkman – The issue of communication is important. A lot of people do not know these amazing trails and open spaces exist. If there is a way to make information more available to people who are not necessarily looking on the website, that would be great. Putting trail maps at kiosks or bringing maps to the public schools are some ideas. The Barnstable Land Trust would be happy to assist with distributing this information more broadly. Tom O’Neill – We have identified a need to proactively create opportunities for underserved residents, particularly children to experience Sandy Neck. In May, after a board discussion on this topic, the SNK team working with the Recreation Commission had a busload of 3rd grade students from Hyannis West visit SNK for the day. We need to do more of this type of outreach. Not sure if this is active across other Barnstable resources. 4. Are there emerging interests that the Town should better support or explore? Bill Hearn – The Conservation Commission got into a controversy recently with the administration of the Wetlands Protection Act (WPA). There was a proposed development on the west side of Hyannis which many members of the public were in opposition against. Based on the WPA and what the Conservation Commission could/could not do, the Conservation Commission ending up approving the project. On June 5, 2025, Town Council met and discussed what had transpired. There was discussion regarding implementing a moratorium on development. There were accusations the people of Hyannis were being taken advantage of with many of these new developments being located in one area, which already did not have much open space. We need to look for and protect open space wherever we can in Hyannis. Sea levels are rising and storms are getting worse. The dunes on Long Beach have been taken out due to recent storms. Hall’s Creek has a long spit that is being devastated by waves and a wetlands complex behind it is going to be exposed to storms in the near future. The Conservation Commission has been receiving requests to raise the bulkheads along the shoreline. In 50 years, we are going to look like Venice, unless there is some kind of retreat, but I am not sure how we get around that. Lastly, cranberry bogs are trying to make a go of it still. However, where there are cranberry bogs going up for sale, those are opportunities for open space and can be attractive areas when they are restored. We need to look at bog purchases when they come up for sale. Andrew Gottlieb – The Town needs to take a look at financing mechanisms for acquisition. The Town should think about CPA as a debt service model that could be used to support bond issues for early stage acquisition. Financing to support a program for aggressive acquisitions would be helpful. The Town needs to think a lot more about Town-owned properties that are available for a multitude of uses, and transferring, consciously and aggressively, those with high resource value over to the Conservation Commission or place Conservation Restrictions on them for permanent protection. From an open space perspective, the Town should be explicit in confronting the drumbeat to take protected properties and convert them to housing. The Open Space and Recreation Plan should make counter arguments to show how these open space properties can protect water quality, habitat, and other aspects, and these properties should be off-limits to new development such as housing. Jessica Rempel – For coastal resiliency, look at the CCC’s model bylaws for incorporation into Town regulations. Also look at the floodplain areas and opportunities for property acquisition for protection. Regarding freshwater ponds, the CCC has buffer guidance that can be incorporated into local regulations as well. Fire risk and drought need to be considered. Barnstable has always been viewed as a “greening the gateway” community and the Town could be a model. In terms of housing and conservation, where there are opportunities to conduct both of these items at the same time, together, in concert with one another, it should be explored. Kris Clark – In 2017 there was a study conducted to look for new water supply locations and Town-owned conservation land was the number one recommended area to explore. I support looking at private properties to address this issue and the conservation community should work hard to protect existing conservation areas. Tom O’Neill – Barnstable Harbor Water Quality - Essential both to economy, user experience, and future health of flora and fauna in the harbor and marsh. We need to understand current risks and develop a long-term plan to mitigate any issue which could impact the quality of water in the harbor and marsh. 5. In what ways could conservation areas foster community connections, health, and well-being? Angela Tangney – In terms of health issues, mosquitoes, ticks, and carry in/carry out, we need informational boards and education about these topics. People should be coming prepared to the conservation and open space areas to avoid the negative consequences of these items. Information boards or stations, or pamphlets, educating people about these topics is important. We need to change how we educate people and how people view these items. Lindsey Counsell – Sidewalks have been discussed quite a bit and perhaps we can connect conservation areas using sidewalks. They do add a cost, sometimes significantly, but it is something which folks are really interested in, particularly in Hyannis. 6. What land acquisition or conservation opportunities should Barnstable pursue in the next 5-10 years to protect natural resources and strengthen trail and habitat connections? Andrew Gottlieb – There should be an emphasis on remaining undeveloped areas in town and in particular, areas immediately adjacent to water resources to minimize nutrient loading. Also, areas adjacent to marsh areas where we know increasing sea levels will promote a desire for marshland species, and they will need places to move inland. Ed Hoopes – A very focused purchase that will promote wildlife corridors and open spaces to allow for wildlife movement is very important. We need to start addressing the idea of allowing coastal processes to take place. Purchasing property which may ultimately have houses or parking areas, to remove them from the tax roll, and to have all that area be used for where migration can take place, in terms of coastal migration. Janet Milkman – A lot of these recommendations were in the 2018 Open Space and Recreation Plan and we probably need to look at past action items for this current plan. You can have all of these great ideas with lots of assistance, but there will be no impacts unless there is a strong intentionality to build the capacity to do this work. The most important thing the Town can do is decide to invest in the capacity to buy land and maintain what the Town already has. Otherwise, this is a nice exercise, but what would actually happen with the Open Space and Recreation Plan is another item. Lindsey Counsell – An existing analysis of open space areas should be conducted. We need to also look at the buildout analysis for the town. Factual data by which decisions can be made is needed. Then create a bonding situation to acquire properties. If this is not done soon, the Town will be priced out of purchasing these properties. Jessica Rempel – There is a need for continued land acquisition of upland properties and coastal opportunities that will put the Town in a better position, but also the stewardship of existing properties is needed. There is limited staff capacity to steward these lands. Time, effort, and resources are needed to go into the maintenance of these properties, and this should be addressed in the Open Space and Recreation Plan. 7. Is there anything else you would like to share that could help improve the community’s experience with conservation lands? Kris Clark – In past Open Space and Recreation Plans, acquiring land for the protection and benefit of the municipal water supply had been the number one criteria for acquiring land. This fact needs to be given a strong weight in developing this current Open Space and Recreation Plan. We need to protect at least one new water supply source or the Town will be in a bind in the future. Without securing this space the task of finding a new space will be daunting. Janet Milkman – This new Open Space and Recreation Plan could really expand on the benefits of open space. There is limited space. The Barnstable Land Trust has been looking at a variety of benefits, but there is a significant group of values that conservation land provides. Having that understanding in a public document is important because the pendulum of what people think of open space and how it effects the tax base swings. People are saying that taking land off the tax rolls is not a good idea financially, but this is not exactly true. Lindsey Counsell – The Town completed a recreation plan several years ago, and it included other aspects such as playgrounds and where those might be located. Ensuring there is an evaluation of those uses would be helpful in this new Open Space and Recreation Plan. In order to solve the issue of taking land off the tax roll to support the Town budget, we need to look at the cost of services. Open space is the best deal going. When you take a property and preserve it as open space, you do not really lose any money in the long run as it raises the values of other properties in the surrounding area and that offsets those lost revenues. Andrew Gottlieb – The Open Space and Recreation Plan preamble should make a case regarding the economics of why taking land off the tax roll is not really hurtful in the long run. No town has grown its way out of budgetary constraints. This is really a small piece of the puzzle. A compelling argument can be made the constraints of prop 2½ is a loser for a town. The data is out there and is consistent. The best thing for the community is to invest as heavily as possible in open space areas. Janet Milkman – You would have to take something on the order of $40 million worth of property values off the tax rolls to impact the tax rate by one penny. Andrew Gottlieb – The tone of the Open Space and Recreation Plan should not be timid about the interests and ideas of the open space community. There is sometimes a need to discuss the balancing of uses within a community, but the Open Space and Recreation Plan should be unequivocally vocal regarding advocating for the protection of open space resources.