TOWN OF PLYMOUTH OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION PLAN 2009 UPDATE (Revised 3/2010) Town of plymouth 2009 update open space & recreation plan JUNE, 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BOARD OF SELECTMEN Richard J. Quintal, Jr., Chairman David F. Malaguti, Vice Chairman Bill Hallisey Daniel "Butch" Machado, Jr. John T. Mahoney, Jr. PLANNING BOARD Marc Garrett, Chairman Malcolm A. MacGregor, Vice Chairman Timothy Grandy, Alternate Paul McAlduff Larry Rosenblum Bill Wennerberg OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE Joan Bartlett John Hammond William Keohan, Chairman Allesandra Lanza-Cosgrove Robert J. Pomerene Lois Post Charlotte Russell Judy Savage John Lebica Oliver Durrell, III TECHNICAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: OFFICE OF TOWN MANAGER Mark Stankiewicz, Town Manager OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Lee Hartmann, AICP, Director Valerie Massard, AICP, Senior Planner, Project Coordinator Elizabeth Sullivan, Conservation Planner Patrick Farah, Planning Technician Eileen Hawthorne, Administrative Assistant DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS David Gould, Environmental Manager and Acting DPW Director Ted Bubbins, Parks and Forestry Superintendent Barry DeBlasio, Recreation Director Kim Michaelis, Environmental Technician INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT George Dunbar, GIS Coordinator/Application Manager ADOPTED JUNE 23, 2009 2 Town of plymouth 2009 update open space & recreation plan JUNE, 2009 Table of Contents – 2009 Update Executive Summary .............................................................................................. 5 Section I Plan Summary ....................................................................................... 6 Section II Introduction Statement of Purpose.................................................................................. 7 Planning Process and Public Participation ................................................. 7 Section III Community Setting Regional Context........................................................................................ 10 Population Characteristics.......................................................................... 13 Growth and Development Patterns............................................................. 22 Section IV Environmental Inventory and Analysis……………………………...40 Section V Inventory of Lands of Conservation and Recreation Interest Private & Non-profit Parcels...................................................................... 99 Public Parcels ............................................................................................. 106 Section VI Community Vision Description of Process................................................................................ 131 Section VII Analysis of Conservation, Open Space & Recreation Needs ......... 134 Section VIII Goals & Objectives ........................................................................... 159 Statement of Open Space and Recreation Goals ........................................ 164 Section IX Seven Year Action Plan ...................................................................... 173 Section X Public Comments & Actions................................................................ 193 Section IX References ............................................................................................ 200 ADOPTED JUNE 23, 2009 3 Town of plymouth 2009 update open space & recreation plan JUNE, 2009 Maps Regional Context........................................................................................ 12 U.S. Census Tracts ..................................................................................... 19 Environmental Justice Areas ...................................................................... 21 Residential Development 1950-1970 ......................................................... 23 Residential Development 1990-2004 ......................................................... 24 Zoning Map ................................................................................................ 27 November 2009 Current Development ...................................................... 29 Bourne Area – Red Brook Conservation.................................................... 35 A.D. Makepeace - River Run .................................................................... 36 Ellisville and Pinehills Region ................................................................... 37 Federal Furnace Area ................................................................................. 38 Eel River Headwaters................................................................................. 39 Crawley Preserve........................................................................................ 39 Open Space Subwatershed Map ................................................................. 48 Soils and Geologic Features ....................................................................... 55 Mapped Wetlands....................................................................................... 56 NHESP Layers ........................................................................................... 57 ACEC Map................................................................................................. 79 Unique Features Map - Scenic ................................................................... 80 Hazardous Waste Sites ............................................................................... 85 Historic Forest Fires ................................................................................... 88 Pine Barrens ............................................................................................... 89 Wishbone Wildlife Corridors ..................................................................... 93 Open Space Inventory Map........................................................................ 98 Wampanoag and Pilgrim Trail Landmarks ................................................ 128 Environmental Justice Map ........................................................................ 129 Cedarville Region Connectivity Plan ......................................................... 171 2009 Open Space Action Plan.................................................................... 172 Camp Dennen............................................................................................. 177 Park Beaches and Playgrounds................................................................... 207 Appendices Appendix A Recreational Ponds.......................................................................................167 Appendix B Plymouth Open Space Committee Open Space Acquisition Ranking Criteria......................................168 Appendix C Park Beaches and Playground Map..............................................................171 Appendix D Town of Plymouth Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance Report ..................................172 ADOPTED JUNE 23, 2009 4 Town of plymouth 2009 update open space & recreation plan JUNE, 2009 Executive Summary As the landing place of the Pilgrims, the Town of Plymouth is known as “America’s Hometown.” The amount of open undeveloped land in Plymouth is approximately 24,000 acres and provides the town with a strong rural character. Plymouth has the third highest occurrence of rare, threatened and endangered species per square mile of any town in Massachusetts. The town contains the third largest globally rare pine barren in the eastern United States, twenty-one miles of coastline, several anadromous fish runs and over 340 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 single, large lot family homes. Additional large tracts of rural land, often outside of the established village centers, are constantly being evaluated for additional development. There are, therefore several compelling reasons for Plymouth to preserve open space: • To maintain fiscal stability • To lessen sprawl and traffic congestion • To protect wildlife habitat • To fulfill recreational needs • To maintain quality of the drinking water • To protect the beaches, harbor, ponds and rivers Within this 2009 Update of the Open Space & Recreation Plan (2004) 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 • Regulatory tools such as transfer of development rights, impact fees ADOPTED JUNE 23, 2009 5 Town of plymouth 2009 update open space & recreation plan JUNE, 2009 Section I Plan Summary The 2009 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: • Review and re-endorse the goals and strategies outlined in the 2004 Town of Plymouth Comprehensive Plan and the Public Lands Inventory