Frustration over beach access in Brewster prompts officials to get resident feedback on some larger questions about the town’s beaches.
The town launched an online survey this week that asks residents to consider everything from their favorite town beach to parking challenges and access at those beaches.
Brewster Selectman Pat Hughes says many residents felt excluded from a recent decision to use donated land for parking spaces at Breakwater Beach.
"People in the community said, 'We really want to know about these projects early on and we want to have a role in what the town decides,'" she said.
Residents proved this point at last fall’s Special Town Meeting. The advocacy group “Save Brewster Beaches” sponsored an article to get the public more involved with beach-related decisions, and it passed by an overwhelming majority.
"They recommended a survey, " she said. "They were very clear in that petition article what kinds of information that survey should collect."
Hughes says officials welcome residents’ feedback and crafted a survey with help from a consultant. This week, some six-thousand property owners will get postcards encouraging them to complete the survey.
Hughes says one challenge for officials is that many of Brewster’s beaches are difficult to get to and have limited parking.
"We're a town that has small landings and relatively small parking lots associated with them," she said. "So our access to the beaches in Brewster is more challenging than it is in some of the other towns."
Because of that, the survey asks residents which beaches they visit and when, their opinion about beach access, and if they’d support services like a shuttle to ease parking concerns. The survey also features plenty of room for residents to write their comments.
Residents can find the survey online at the town’s website. Paper copies are available at Brewster Town Hall, and at the Brewster Ladies Library.