Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutDraft Minutes - 100724 October 7, 2024 Planning & Development Department 367 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601 – Phone: 508-862-4678 Open Space Committee Minutes October 7, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. CALL TO ORDER AND INTRODUCTION OF MEMBERS Acting Chair Farley Lewis calls the meeting to order at 5:31 PM. Also in attendance is Kris Clark, Town Council Liaison and Genna Ziino, Administrative Assistant. NOTICE OF RECORDING This meeting of the Open Space Committee is being recorded and broadcast on the Town of Barnstable’s Government Access Channel. In accordance with MGL Chapter 30A §20, I must inquire whether anyone else is recording this meeting and, if so, to please make their presence known. APPROVAL OF MINUTES September 9, 2024 – Lev Malakhoff moves to approve the minutes. Doug Payson seconds. Vote: Aye: Farley Lewis, Liz Lewis, Doug Payson, Anne Rowland, Cate Gulliver, Lev Malakhoff Nay: None TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION New Business • Fall Walking Weekend Farley Lewis reminds the group that Walking Weekend is October 11-14. The group discusses various media outlets that the information has gone out to. Farley Lewis would like, in the future, for one person to coordinate publicity so members are not working at cross purposes. Lev Malakhoff suggests he and Ms. Lewis work on a publicity list together to start. • Nomination of Chair Farley Lewis explains that because Ann Canedy stepped down as Chair, the Committee needs to nominate a new Chair. Ms. Lewis nominates Lev Malakhoff as Chair. Doug Payson seconds. None are opposed. Vote: Aye: Farley Lewis, Liz Lewis, Doug Payson, Anne Rowland, Cate Gulliver Nay: None Doug Payson moves that the Committee send a letter to Ann Canedy thanking her for her service as Chair. The group agrees with the idea but no vote is taken. Member Present Absent Vacant Farley Lewis – Vice Chair X Elizabeth Lewis X Douglas Payson X Elissa Crowley X Anne Rowland X Tracy Pratt X Cate Gulliver X Lev Malakhoff X Lev Malakhoff plans to reach out to Ann Canedy for transition purposes, and would like to have a meeting with Jim Kupfer, Dir ector of Planning and Development. • 2025 Draft meeting dates The group reviews the draft schedule. Farley Lewis asks if the members have any interest in remote meetings. The consensus is a preference for in person. None are opposed to the proposed meeting dates. Old Business • Update on Centerville Cranberry Bog Anne Rowland reports that there is no update. • Update on Cummaquid Woods Marie Rizzo updates that Save Cummaquid Woods has completed the process to become a nonprofit. The parcels have been appraised but she doesn’t know details yet. The Prudential Committee is meeting tomorrow, and she’s not sure what will happen. Farley Lewis says at the CPC meeting it was mentioned that the fire department was standing down from the acquisition. The group discusses the site and whether a site visit would be appropriate. It may require getting permission from the Cobb Trust. Lev Malakhoff asks what attitude Ms. Rizzo imagines from neighbors if the parcels were acquired—would it be an intrusion to have a couple parking spots for walkers? Ms. Rizzo can’t speak for the neighborhood but personally would be fine with it. Doug Payson asks if there will be more parking on Mary Dunn Road at the next extension of the rail trail. Councilor Clark says it’s likely but not definite. Marie Rizzo notes that she saw a rail trail sign on Route 6A at the end of Mary Dunn Road that she thinks is in the wrong place. Ms. Rizzo also informs the group that she has applied for the vacant position on the Committee and has an interview October 22. • Update on outstanding Conservation Restrictions Farley Lewis has no updates. She presumes that going forward, updates will need to come through the Legal Department. Councilor Clark suggests Lev Malakhoff reach out to Ann Canedy, as Ms. Canedy mentioned prior that she is willing to help with the transition. • Update – Pathways update including walking library, NEMBA path project, and Geocaching Farley Lewis would like to invite Grayce Rogers and Alicia Messier to a meeting for a GIS/pathways update. Lev Malakhoff shares photos (document entitled “Old Jail Lane photos”) from the walk he coordinated on Old Jail Lane that he, Tracy Pratt, and Doug Payson attended. One of the photos is of an abandoned campsite that NEMBA had offered to clean up. NEMBA was told by Conservation and later Grayce Rogers that volunteers should not clean the site, and that a work order with DPW would be filed according to procedure. But he noted on the walk that the site has not been cleaned up. Mr. Malakhoff invites other members to consider hosting guided walks in their own favorite areas, and explains the process for coordinating via email. Genna Ziino will send out the member contact list to the group. Doug Payson says he attended a Trayser Trail walk where Russell Norton of the Cape Cod Extension led 35 people on an invasive species walk. That area has an open field habitat that we are losing locally. He suggests encouraging the town to apply for grants to restore ecology of some of these properties being lost like this. The group thinks the town could look into a management plan for degraded environments that could be restored as part of the OSRP. • Report from Tracy Pratt regarding Santuit Preserve None • Update on Open Space Plan Councilor Clark says she discussed with Jim Kupfer that the OSRP needs to be updated, so he is aware. She suggests that the members review the existing document. Genna Ziino confirms that Jim Kupfer does plan to attend the November meeting to discuss the OSRP. Genna Ziino will send out a link to the OSRP to the members. Councilor Clark notes that the Appendices in the OSRP document should have links, but they seem to be missing. Genna Ziino will look into it. Councilor Clark suggests the Committee review the existing OSRP, what was on the wish list and what still needs to be done. Cate Gulliver asks if the Committee can take an official position regarding open space for the Local Comprehensive Plan, because she feels the topic is being neglected. Councilor Clark suggests asking Jim Kupfer at the November meeting, and also relays that there are a number of plans that she thinks the Committee could weigh in on while staying within their charge. • Report from Farley Lewis regarding Community Preservation Committee Open Space applications Farley Lewis says there was an appraisal ordered for a 10.4-acre lot on Putnam Ave that the town and Barnstable Land Trust are looking to purchase. The town is interested in potentially expanding the cemetery. • Report from Town Council Liaison Kris Clark Councilor Clark updates the group that she spoke with the Town Manager, Mark Ells, about the need for an official procedure for 61A and B properties. Mr. Ells has asked the Legal Department to work on a procedure. It may take some time from here but when it gets resolved, the Committee could add the update to the OSRP. MATTERS NOT REASONABLY ANTICIPATED BY THE CHAIR PUBLIC COMMENT ADJOURNMENT Cate Gulliver moves to adjourn. Doug Payson seconds. Vote: Aye: Farley Lewis, Liz Lewis, Doug Payson, Anne Rowland, Cate Gulliver Nay: None DOCUMENTS USED AT THIS MEETING • September 9, 2024 minutes • 2025 Draft meeting dates • Document entitled “Old Jail Lane photos” The list of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair, which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law . Respectfully submitted, Genna Ziino, Administrative Assistant Further detail may be obtained by viewing the video via Barnstable Government Access Channel on demand at www.town.barnstable.ma.us