Horsley Witten Group Town of Scituate Open Space and Recreation Plan

Horsley Witten Group Town of Scituate Open Space and Recreation Plan

Horsley Witten Group Sustainable Environmental Solutions 90 Route 6A • Sandwich, MA • 02563 Phone - 508-833-6600 • Fax - 508-833-3150 • www.horsleywitten.com Town of Scituate Open Space and Recreation Plan February 2009 Prepared for: Town of Scituate Town Hall 600 C.J.Cushing Hwy. Scituate, MA 02066 Submitted by: Horsley Witten Group, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: PLAN SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 2: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Statement of Purpose ...................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Planning Process and Public Participation...................................................................... 2 SECTION 3: COMMUNITY SETTING....................................................................................... 3 3.1 Regional Context............................................................................................................3 3.1.1 Regional Coastal Resources ....................................................................................... 3 3.1.2 Regional Water Supply Resources.............................................................................. 5 3.1.3 Regional Planning and Scituate’s Future................................................................... 5 3.2 History of the Community .............................................................................................. 5 3.2.1 Pre - European Contact: The Native Americans ........................................................ 6 3.2.2 English Settlement through Nineteenth Century......................................................... 6 3.2.3 A Summer Vacation Destination: Late Nineteenth to Twentieth Century ................. 7 3.2.4 A Bedroom Community: Mid-Twentieth Century to Today ....................................... 7 3.3 Population Characteristics.............................................................................................. 8 3.3.1 Population Trends....................................................................................................... 8 3.3.2 Age Distribution of Population................................................................................... 8 3.3.3 Comparative Age Distribution.................................................................................... 9 3.3.4 Population Projections ............................................................................................... 9 3.3.5 Population Density.................................................................................................... 10 3.3.6 Household Income .................................................................................................... 11 3.3.8 Recent Trends in Open Space Preservation and New Recreation Facilities............ 13 3.4 Growth & Development Patterns.................................................................................. 13 3.4.1 Patterns and Trends in Development........................................................................ 13 3.4.2 Trends in Total Land Use ......................................................................................... 15 3.5 Infrastructure................................................................................................................. 16 3.5.1 Transportation system............................................................................................... 16 3.6 Public Water Supply System ........................................................................................ 16 3.6.1 Public Water Supply Wells........................................................................................ 16 3.7 Public Reservoir............................................................................................................ 17 3.7.1 Adequacy of Water Supply........................................................................................ 18 3.7.2 Sewer Service............................................................................................................ 18 3.8 Long Term Development Patterns................................................................................ 19 3.8.1 Local Land Use Controls.......................................................................................... 19 3.8.2 Proposed Development - 2000 to 2008..................................................................... 20 3.8.3 Build-out Projections................................................................................................ 22 3.9 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 23 SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS ...................................... 24 4.1 Geology, Soils, and Topography .................................................................................. 24 4.1.1 Bedrock Geology....................................................................................................... 24 4.1.2 Surficial Geology ...................................................................................................... 24 4.1.3 Soils........................................................................................................................... 25 4.1.4 Distribution of Soil Associations .............................................................................. 27 4.1.5 Septic Disposal Suitability ........................................................................................ 27 4.1.6 Farmlands................................................................................................................. 27 4.2 Landscape Character..................................................................................................... 28 4.2.1 Landscape Preservation............................................................................................ 29 4.2.2 Cultural Landscapes of Scituate ............................................................................... 30 4.3 Water Resources........................................................................................................... 30 4.3.1 Coastal Water Resources.......................................................................................... 33 4.3.2 Surface Water Resources .......................................................................................... 35 4.3.3 Groundwater Resources............................................................................................ 35 4.3.4 Watersheds................................................................................................................ 37 4.3.5 Floodplains ............................................................................................................... 40 4.3.6 Wetlands.................................................................................................................... 42 4.4 Vegetation..................................................................................................................... 42 4.4.1 Unique Plant Species ................................................................................................ 44 4.5 Wildlife and Fisheries................................................................................................... 44 4.5.1 Wildlife...................................................................................................................... 44 4.5.2 Fisheries.................................................................................................................... 48 4.6 Scenic Resources and Unique Areas......................................................................... 49 4.6.1 Scenic Resources....................................................................................................... 49 4.6.2 Cultural and Historic Areas...................................................................................... 51 4.6.3 Unique Environments................................................................................................ 52 4.7 Environmental Challenges............................................................................................ 54 SECTION 5: INVENTORY OF LANDS OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION INTEREST............................................................................................................ 59 5.1 Town Land Use............................................................................................................. 61 5.2 Private Lands................................................................................................................ 61 5.2.1 State-Assessed Agricultural and Forested Land....................................................... 62 5.2.2 Areas Significant for Water Resource Protection..................................................... 64 5.2.3 Priority Areas for Protection of Rare Species and Exemplary Natural . Communities ................................................................................................................................... 65 5.2.4 Private Recreation Lands ......................................................................................... 66 5.3 Public and Nonprofit Lands.......................................................................................... 67 5.3.1 Public Open Space Land..........................................................................................

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