Select Board
Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster MA 02631
Dear Members of the Brewster Select Board,
As approved by the Trustees of the Brewster Conservation Trust, I respectfully submit this letter to provide comment on the Select Board’s upcoming vote scheduled for January 5, 2026, concerning the next steps for the Sea Camps Pond Property housing and wastewater project.
The Trustees oppose advancing the project to the Brewster Affordable Housing Trust.
To be clear, the Brewster Conservation Trust is not opposed to housing. Rather, we have long endorsed the commonsense priorities laid out in Brewster’s Vision Plan, Local Comprehensive Plan, and Housing Production Plan that call for building new affordable homes in areas where public services, transportation, and economic activities already exist; and using environmentally sensitive land for conservation purposes.
The land proposed for development lies within Brewster’s Water Quality Protection District and more specifically within a defined Zone II which contributes to our drinking water supply and is crucial for protecting water quality. While the Brewster Conservation Trust has long been a strong supporter of the Sea Camps property overall, we have consistently opposed the development of a high-density residential neighborhood on the Pond parcel. This area is environmentally sensitive and is located far from existing business and commercial infrastructure. As such, the proposal is a poor fit from a housing planning perspective and even more concerning from an environmental protection and public health standpoint.
We urge the Select Board to follow through on its promise to voters that any progress on the 10-acre property will not move forward before Town Meeting has approved its funding and expenditures. Additionally, we encourage the Select Board to provide the newly formed Land Evaluation Committee with the opportunity and adequate time to assess the suitability for housing on other Town-owned parcels. Properties that are not environmentally sensitive should be considered for development before ecologically sensitive land.
Thank you for your service to the Brewster Community.
On behalf of the Trustees,
Charles L. Sumner President