HomeMy WebLinkAboutCape Cod Commission Comments1
Maldonado, Kaitlyn
From:Jessica Rempel <jessica.rempel@capecodcommission.org>
Sent:Wednesday, November 26, 2025 11:00 AM
To:Pedicini, Kyle
Cc:Heather McElroy; Kupfer, James; Maldonado, Kaitlyn; Tara Nye Lewis; Tim Pasakarnis;
Elisabeth Kellam
Subject:RE: Barnstable's Draft Open Space & Recreation Plan
Hi Kyle,
Thanks so much for the opportunity to review the Town of Barnstable’s Draft OSRP and for keeping us informed of
opportunities to engage throughout the process. The draft OSRP is an impressive document showing the care and
attention the OSRP team has taken in its preparation. We were impressed with the format of the document and
how well survey responses and stakeholder feedback were incorporated into the draft.
Cape Cod Commission staff specializing in the issue areas of natural resources, coastal resiliency, water resources,
and cultural heritage reviewed the draft OSRP and offer the following suggestions to help make the draft OSRP
clearer and stronger:
Natural Resources / Coastal Resiliency
In addition to FEMA flood zones on Figure 4-2: Water Resources Map, consider also showing potential future
flooding, and/or add some language regarding potential future flooding in the “Flood Hazard Areas” section
on page 31. The CCC’s Coastal Floodplain Data Viewer is a potential resource.
Page 39, under R, T, and E Species, check this sentence: “Rare moths and freshwater mussels, such as the
wood turtle, associated Creeper mussel, have been recorded in Cape Cod watersheds and may occur in
Barnstable.” The wood turtle reference seems out of place in this sentence, the wood turtle and creeper
mussel do not appear to occur on Cape Cod based on NHESP fact sheets for these species, and these
species are not included in Table 4-3. Regarding Table 4-3, a recommendation is to group species by
taxonomic group.
On pages 44-45, the ordering is a little awkward as Figure 4-5 is referenced first but shows up after Figure 4-
6. Consider reordering the “Coastal and Flooding Risks” and “Inland and Heat Impacts” sections or the
Figures so that these sections and Figures come in order. Also, in Figure 4-6, a legend, or fuller description in
the text of what the purple color is showing would be helpful.
In the tables showing the total acres of Conservation Land, there appear to have been losses in
conservation, water district, schools, and airport lands. Are these losses just due to changes in mapping
resolution between the two time periods, were these lands converted to other types of open space, or
converted to other uses? If known, it may be worth providing a brief explanation for these apparent losses.
Under Potential Funding Sources starting on Page 95, consider adding MA DFG’s new Community
Biodiversity Grants.
On page 105, Action 9.3 refers to a “Coastal Mitigation Nursery”. What is this? As it is not mentioned
elsewhere in the document, recommend defining or expanding on it here.
Water Resources
Commission staff commend the Town for recognizing the dual benefits of land conservation to protect
public water supply while preserving open space in the OSRP, as well as the importance of Barnstable’s
water resources and providing actions to protect them and their associated land.
On page 22, recommend adding water quantity to the list of natural resources that need to be protected.
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Goal 7, regarding protecting farmland while balancing groundwater protection, a suggestion is to clarify how
the goal of prioritizing land for agriculture relates to groundwater protection. Also, consider adding
groundwater protection to Goal 8. For example, “Coordinate open space protection efforts with initiatives
that protect freshwater and marine wetlands, surface waters, and ground and drinking water.”
Objective 8.2, we support this objective to permanently protect land around Joshua’s and Micah’s Ponds and
recommend this objective be expanded to also look for other opportunities to protect other town-owned
lands around ponds, to the extent those opportunities are available and have not already been explored.
Objective 8.7, consider replacing “natural surveillance” with “stewardship” and, if this is specifically speaking
to drinking water protection, consider replacing “watershed” with “Wellhead Protection Areas” as watershed
is broader both in meaning and geographical location whereas Wellhead Protection Areas are more directly
associated with public drinking water wells.
Objective 8.8, consider adding an outreach component to educate water uses about drought and water
conservation in addition to regulation enforcement.
Objective 10.3, replace “with” with “for” so: “Inventory and analyze boat ramps and parking areas with for
retrofits that include nature-based solutions and stormwater best management practices…” This objective
could also fit under the water resources goal as retrofitting areas adjacent to waterbodies with improved
stormwater management is a low cost, relatively easy strategy to improve water quality. Another
recommendation is to add APCC as a partner for this objective as they currently have a Stormwater
Management at Public Boat Ramps program.
Objectives 14.7 and 14.8, consider adding the CCC as a partner and/or reference CCC Freshwater Initiative
resources for the pond protection toolkit, particularly the Cape Cod Freshwater Pond Buffer Guidance and
Communications Toolkit.
Cultural Heritage
A suggestion is to make sure that the plan acknowledges cultural resources as one justification for
protecting open space (pg. 40).
On the Unique Features Map (pg. 43), suggest changing the Local Historic Districts layer to a color other than
red to differentiate it a little – changing it to green, for example, which corresponds to the LHD layer color in
MACRIS.
Additional comment
While recognizing that one of the purposes of the OSRP is to maintain eligibility for state funding, a
suggestion is to place more emphasis in the opening sentence of the Executive Summary on the broad
purposes of the plan – to guide town action and coordinate open space and recreation goals and objectives
with other committees and boards and their various actions and plans. This could be accomplished by
swapping the order of the two opening sentences.
Please feel free to contact me with questions on any of the above comments and let me know when you are ready
for us to provide a letter of support for your submittal to DCS.
Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Jessica Rempel
Natural Resources Analyst
Cape Cod Commission
From: Maldonado, Kaitlyn <Kaitlyn.Maldonado@town.barnstable.ma.us>
Sent: Thursday, November 6, 2025 12:48 PM
To: Jessica Rempel <jessica.rempel@capecodcommission.org>
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Cc: Heather McElroy <hmcelroy@capecodcommission.org>; Kupfer, James <James.Kupfer@town.barnstable.ma.us>;
Pedicini, Kyle <Kyle.Pedicini@town.barnstable.ma.us>
Subject: Barnstable's Draft Open Space & Recreation Plan
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Jessica,
I hope that this email finds you well! Thank you for your for par=cipa=ng in our recent stakeholder mee=ngs to provide
insight as the Town works to update our Open Space and Recrea=on Plan. In collabora=on with the Open Space
Commi>ee and in reflec=on of comments received to date, we are excited to announce that the Dra Plan Open Space
& Recreaon Plan is available for review and commen t. A direct link to download the Plan is provided below. The
comment period is open through Wednesday November 26th. Thank you in advance for your review of the Plan. Please
email Kyle Pedicini at kyle.pedicini@town.barnstable.ma.us with any sugges=ons/comments. Addi=onally, we will be
hos=ng a community mee=ng Wednesday November 19th to present the draD Plan and to obtain comments as we work
to finalize the Plan. I have a>ached a flyer for the mee=ng to this email. Thank you in advance for your review of the
Plan.
Join us for the Community Meeng
Date: Wednesday November 19th
Time: 6:00 PM
Locaon: Town Hall Hearing Room, 2nd Floor, 367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA
Dra Plan Open Space & Recreaon Plan
h>ps://tobshare.town.barnstable.ma.us/link/6O8GpbTjxntcOL7POPyrmc
best,
Kate
Kate Maldonado
Senior Planner l Planning & Development
Town of Barnstable l 367 Main Street l Hyannis, MA 02601
kaitlyn.maldonado@town.barnstable.ma.us
P 508-862-4791
F 508-862-4782