Open Space and Recreation Plan
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TOWN OF PLYMOUTH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN 2017 UPDATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BOARD OF SELECTMEN Kenneth A. Tavares, Chairman Anthony F. Provenzano Jr., Vice Chairman John T. Mahoney, Jr. Shelagh M. Joyce Sean P. Page PLANNING BOARD Robert Bielen, Clerk Kenneth Buechs, Chairman Timothy Grandy, Clerk Pro-Tem Steve Leydon, Alternate Malcolm A. MacGregor, Vice Chair Paul McAlduff OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE Richard Barry Betsy Hall, Chair John Hammond Sharl Heller Malcolm MacGregor Nancy McSpadden Lois Post, Clerk Dorie Stolley Jay Wennemer TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: OFFICE OF TOWN MANAGER Melissa Arrighi, Town Manager OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Lee Hartmann, AICP, Director Robin Carver, AICP, Town Planner Richard Vacca, Conservation Planner Patrick Farah, Planning Technician/Energy Officer Eileen Hawthorne, Administrative Assistant DEPARTMENT OF MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS David Gould, Director Kim Tower, Environmental Technician DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Judy Barrett, Director 2 Town of plymouth 2017 update open space & recreation plan PARKS AND FORESTRY Ted Bubbins, Parks and Forestry Superintendent RECREATION DEPARTMENT Barry DeBlasio, Recreation Director INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT George Dunbar, GIS Coordinator/Application Manager 3 Table of Contents – 2017 Update Executive Summary .................................................................................... 6 Section I Plan Summary ............................................................................. 7 Section II Introduction Statement of Purpose ........................................................................ 8 Planning Process and Public Participation ........................................ 9 Section III Community Setting Regional Context .............................................................................. 12 Population Characteristics ................................................................ 15 Growth and Development Patterns ................................................... 27 Transportation……………………………………………………… 36 Section IV Environmental Inventory and Analysis……………………. 49 Environmental Challenges…………………………………………. 92 Environmental Justice……………………………………………….96 Section V Inventory of Lands of Conservation and Recreation Interest Status of Protection ........................................................................... 108 Chapter Land ..................................................................................... 111 Public and Privately Held Open Space. ............................................ 130 Permenantly Protected Open Space .................................................. 132 Temporary Open Space..................................................................... 134 CPC Acquisitions .............................................................................. 155 Section VI Community Vision Description of Process ...................................................................... 165 Section VII Analysis of Conservation, Open Space & Recreation Needs .168 Recreation Needs Analysis (SCORP)……………………………….178 Section VIII Goals & Objectives Open Space Committee Public Survey……………………………...192 Environmental Justice Public Outreach…………………………......200 Open Space Goals…………...………………………………………203 Section IX Seven Year Action Plan ............................................................ 212 Section X Public Comments ....................................................................... 233 Section XI References .................................................................................. 240 4 Town of plymouth 2017 update open space & recreation plan Maps Regional Context (1) ......................................................................... 14 U.S. Census Tracts (2) ...................................................................... 22 Environmental Justice Areas (3a) ..................................................... 24 & 96 Open Space within U.S. Census Tracts (3b) ...…………………......26 Residential Development – 1990 through 2015 (4a-4d) ................... 29 Zoning (5) ......................................................................................... 33 October 2016 Current Development (6) ........................................... 35 Bourne Area (7a)............................................................................... 44 A.D. Makepeace Phased Construction Plan (7b) .............................. 45 Mass. Dept. of Fish & Game Phased Conservation Plan (8) ............ 46 Ellisville and Pinehills Region (9) .................................................... 47 Federal Furnace Area / West Plymouth Open Space (10) ................ 48 Water Resources (11a) …………………………………………......51 Eel River Headwaters (11b) .............................................................. 55 Open Space Sub-Watershed (12) ...................................................... 58 Soils and Geologic Features (13) ...................................................... 64 Town-Wide Wetlands (14) ............................................................... 65 Unique Features – Natural Heritage Habitats (15a) .......................... 67 Wildlife Corridors (15b) …………………………………………...71 Unique Features – Scenic (16) .......................................................... 80 ACEC (17) ........................................................................................ 91 Sewer System (18) ............................................................................ 93 Entergy Properties (19) ..................................................................... 95 Environmental Justice Area 1 (20a) …………………………......... 98 Environmental Justice Area 2 (20b) ……………………………….100 Environmental Challenges Hazardous Waste & 21 E Sites (21) ….103 Pine Barrens (22) …………………………………………..............105 Historic Forest Fires (23) .................................................................. 107 Wishbone Wildlife Corridors (24) .................................................... 131 Open Space Inventory Map (25) ....................................................... 154 Wampanoag and Pilgrim Trail Landmarks (26) ............................... 164 Trail Systems (27) ............................................................................. 172 West Plymouth Master Plan Trail system (28) ................................. 175 Cedarville Region Connectivity Plan (29) ........................................ 210 2009 Open Space Action Plan (30) ................................................... 211 Appendices Appendix A Park Beaches and Playground Map..............................................................243 Appendix B Town of Plymouth Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Report ..................................244 5 Executive Summary As the landing place of the Pilgrims, the Town of Plymouth is known as “America’s Hometown.” The amount of privately-owned undeveloped land in Plymouth is approximately 18,000 acres and there are also approximately 18,900 acres of protected open space. This land provides the town with a strong rural character. Plymouth contains the third highest per square mile occurrence of rare, threatened and endangered species of any community in Massachusetts. The town contains the third largest area of globally rare pine barren in the eastern United States, 36 miles of coastline, several anadromous fish runs and over 365 inland ponds including 32 globally rare coastal plain ponds. The town also sits on the second largest sole-source aquifer in the state. Plymouth’s population has increased more than fourfold in the past fifty years. The continuing availability of large tracts of developable land, the rural character, high quality of community services, transportation improvements, and proximity to Boston will continue to spur this high growth rate. Many areas of rural landscape have been impacted by large residential developments, most often of large lot, single family homes. Additional large tracts of rural land, often outside of the established village centers, are constantly being targeted for additional development. There are, therefore several compelling reasons for Plymouth to preserve open space: • To maintain quality of the drinking water • To maintain fiscal stability • To lessen sprawl and traffic congestion • To protect wildlife habitat • To protect the beaches, harbor, ponds and rivers • To fulfill recreational needs Within this 2017 Update of the Open Space & Recreation Plan (2009) town planners and citizens will find a variety of tools and action steps to help the town preserve open space: • Maps showing areas already preserved and lands targeted for preservation • Open Space Acquisition Ranking Criteria, for evaluating acquisition opportunities • Funding suggestions for land acquisition and conservation restrictions • Description of regulatory tools such as transfer of development rights and impact fees 6 Town of plymouth 2017 update open space & recreation plan Section I - Plan Summary The 2017 Update of the Plymouth Open Space and Recreation Plan is in conformance with the March 2008 Open Space and Recreation Planner’s Workbook as published by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Division of Conservation Services. This update includes: • Updates of census, economics and other statistics; • Review and re-endorsement of the goals and strategies outlined in Plymouth’s 2006 Master Plan and the Open Space and Recreation Plan; • Updates to the land development patterns throughout the Town, including maps of