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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTen Year Action Plan- Staff Suggested Format & TextTable 7-1: Ten Year Action Plan Open Space & Wildlife Habitat Goal 1: Protect and maintain the maximum feasible amount of open space to enhance environmental quality, expand recreational opportunities, and preserve community character. Coordinate an inventory of all of the Town’s recreation and open space areas and amenities defining existing status and priority improvements. Create database of properties in Barnstable with conservation restrictions. Develop a policy across Town entities with defined criteria to evaluate and prioritize acquisition of private land for conservation restriction. The criteria shall include but not be limited to the following:  Within proximity to groundwater protection areas  Meets regulatory buffer standards for wells within MassDEP Zone I areas  Protects drinking-water recharge areas, water quality, and future well fields  Preserves future marsh habitat and allows dunes and beaches to migrate naturally  Connects upland wildlife corridors, with priority given to parcels in Hyannis and near marshes and ponds  Adjacent to anadromous fish runs  Enhances floodplain management and/or potential for managed retreat  Adjacent to coastal resource areas for public access and resource protection Develop a policy for the Town to exercise right of first refusal for acquisition of land under Chapter 61, 61A, or 61B that is intended to be converted to a non- chapter use. Goal 2: Promote policy and regulatory measures to protect open space. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Town’s Open Space Residential Development ( “cluster”) ordinance in preserving open space and develop recommendations for its improvement or revision. Develop Nature Guidelines to provide a consistent framework with best practices related to integrating native plant communities, stormwater management, habitat connectivity, and climate adaptation for public and private properties. Goal 3: Promote stewardship of protected open spaces through volunteer engagement and partnerships with community organizations. Host inclusive volunteer cleanup and stewardship events at trailheads and beaches, paired with educational signage and recycling initiatives to promote cleanliness. Pursue coordinated efforts to eliminate roadside litter through public education, village-based initiatives, and partnerships with business and tourism organizations Goal 4: Continue and expand ongoing maintenance of conservation areas. Update the Town’s Wildland Fire Preparedness Plan to include the entire Town and implement recommendations. Goal 5: Coordinate open space protection measures with efforts to protect wildlife habitat and augment the Town’s green corridors and spaces. Continue to develop and prioritize sites for green infrastructure strategies to enhance climate resiliency. Upgrade golf course facilities and enhance environmental practices to support habitat and wildlife. Prioritize tree planting and park greening by continuing the Town’s Greening the Gateway Cities Grant program within greater Hyannis and collaborate with the Town’s Tree Warden to plant trees throughout Town with a focus on high-use open space and recreation sites. Recreation Facilities & Amenities Goal 6: Provide diverse recreational opportunities and equitable access throughout Barnstable to meet current and future needs of all user groups. Plan, design, and construct new or upgraded recreation amenities such as splash pads, indoor and outdoor pools, playgrounds, basketball courts, and soccer cages at strategic sites to meet year-round demand, including the Hyannis Youth & Community Center grounds, Hamblin Pond, Veterans Memorial Park, Hathaway’s Pond, Former Marstons Mills Elementary School Site, Ridgewood Park, and potential new acquisitions. Develop a playground plan for the town that includes all seven villages. This plan should document existing conditions and needs for each village and include a list of potential projects to increase and/or upgrade playgrounds. Assess the availability of recreational facilities and programs in areas with significant Environmental Justice populations and determine whether additional or modified programs and facilities are needed. Create new loop walking trails around the Barnstable Adult Community Center to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for seniors. Develop parks and open space for Hyannis Village to support of the Growth Incentive Zone land use objectives. Implement open space and recreation goals identified through public engagement and design of the former Marstons Mills Elementary School site. Enhance amenities at the Town’s existing dog park and explore opportunities for an additional dog park. Develop youth-oriented mountain biking loops and ropes or adventure course areas at Hathaway’s Pond and/or the Marstons Mills Pickleball Courts area to diversify recreation opportunities and engage teens. Attract and support the development of an indoor recreational facility through completion of a feasibility study for indoor recreation facility to obtain project costs and identify possible locations. Identify location for multi-use passive recreation field in Downtown Hyannis. Enhance and expand existing park area at Kalmus beach. Upgrade and maintain the trail system, bathhouse, and picnic area at Hathaway’s Pond. Goal 7: Prioritize opportunities to protect land for farming and community gardens while balancing groundwater protection and supporting locally grown produce. Explore the impact of adopting a Right to Farm bylaw. Work with Barnstable County Cooperative Extension to support farmers markets. Expand opportunities for horticulture, including by increasing the number of community garden plots available to the public, particularly in Environmental Justice communities. Water Resources Goal 8: Coordinate open space protection efforts with initiatives to protect freshwater and marine wetlands and surface waters. Support the strict enforcement of regulations that protect coastal and freshwater wetlands, including no build and no disturb buffer zone requirements. Protect town-owned land surrounding Joshua’s Pond and Micah’s Pond in Osterville with a permanent conservation restriction. Maximize the ecological health of the Town’s five herring runs. Identify and map obstructions along the herring runs. Continue to update water treatment technology to address regulatory mandates and emerging and known contaminants. Continue to research the feasibility and strategic options for the Hyannis Water District to increase ownership and control of Zone I areas. Evaluate and, if necessary, amend the Town’s Groundwater Protection Overlay District to strengthen the protection of the zones contributing to public water supplies. Goal 9: Plan and develop strategies to mitigate effects of climate change as it relates to open space. Continue to study sea level rise and prioritize implementation of coastal resilience actions defined within recent planning efforts including the Hyannis Harbor Master Plan and the Town’s Hazard Mitigation. Evaluate the status of completed tidal restoration projects and use findings to develop best practices for future tidal restoration. Explore opportunities to enhance existing water bodies with self-sustaining improvements, such as a Coastal Mitigation Nursery. Goal 10: Pursue opportunities to enhance coastal and freshwater access. Maintain Town Ways to Water, including clarifying deeds and titles, improvements and maintenance, identifying grant opportunities, enhancing parking facilities, and pursuing new public access opportunities. Increase water access for paddlers by identifying, designing, and implementing new or improved kayak and canoe launches with adequate parking, signage, and shoreline protection. Inventory and analyze boat ramps and parking areas with nature based solutions and stormwater best management practices to protect ponds and estuaries, and incorporate Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -compliant dock and ramp upgrades. Support public shellfish propagation programs and maintain public access to designated Shellfish Recreation Areas. Connectivity & Accessibility Goal 11: Coordinate planning for the Town’s greenway network to maximize opportunities for trailways, bikeways, Cape Cod Pathways, and connections between open spaces. Examine the Town’s existing bikeway network plan and identify priority projects in coordination with the Town’s Complete Streets Prioritization Plan. Conduct research regrading public access rights at key connecting locations for the Cape Cod Pathways Program in order to complete the trail in Barnstable. Continue planning and design for a connection to the regional bikeway network through the MassWildlife Hyannis Ponds property, across Route 132, and into Sandwich. Connect villages, parks, and trailheads through a continuous network of sidewalks and shared use paths linking open spaces through coordination with Barnstable’s Complete Streets initiative, including routes to Hathaway’s Pond, Ridgewood Park, Burgess Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Hamblin Pond. Add bike infrastructure at open space destinations by installing secure bike racks, shade structures, signage, and wayfinding at major trailheads and beaches to encourage non-motorized access. Improve pedestrian safety and comfort near parks and beaches by adding sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, shade structures, and refill stations at major access points. Implement a coordinated Trailhead Safety and Management Program, including routine inspections for encampments, clearer enforcement of regulations, and enhanced lighting where feasible. Goal 12: Identify and implement priority Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements. Evaluate the Town’s ADA Self Evaluation and Transition Plan and identify priority accessibility improvements among the Town’s beaches, parks, playgrounds, municipal golf courses and recreational facilities. Develop and prioritize a list of accessibility improvements at Ways to Water sites and major conservation and recreation areas. Pursue Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other funding sources to support accessibility improvements. Upgrade parking and access at priority open spaces and water access points by designing and constructing expanded or reconfigured parking areas that include ADA spaces, bicycle racks, and stormwater best management practices. Communication & Marketing Goal 13: Promote coordination and communication on community open space and recreation needs within Town government and among stakeholder groups. Coordinate implementation through the Planning & Development Department, engaging municipal departments, boards, and private stakeholder groups in developing annual action plans and reporting progress. Convene regular meetings with the water and fire districts, conservation commission, and private land trusts to review land management, acquisition, and protection priorities. Initiate the process to update the Open Space and Recreation Plan in 2034. Goal 14: Promote public awareness of and support for protect open space protection and enhancement of recreation resources. Educate and engage the community through local media, outreach, and public forums to communicate the environmental, aesthetic, and economic value of open space protection. Develop a comprehensive, user-friendly web portal and printed maps showing all open spaces, amenities, rules and accessibility features and update them annually. Provide public information to landowners regarding opportunities to preserve open spaces with natural and scenic through conservation restrictions or Chapter 61 designations. Develop an outreach and communications plan to ensure that Environmental Justice populations are aware of open space and recreational facilities located throughout Town. Install new signage along roadways at walking trails to increase visibility and awareness of town’s open spaces. Develop an online reporting form, accessible via QR code signage at parks and playgrounds townwide, to allow residents to report maintenance, safety, or accessibility concerns directly to the Town staff. Implement a townwide pond protection toolkit including vegetated buffer standards, access management, cyanobacteria response, and public education with information for near term projects. Develop educational materials with best practices for property maintenance around water bodies.