Open Space Committee 11-09-2026

The Barnstable Open Space Committee met on November 9, 2026, and heard Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) requests for letters supporting two Community Preservation Act (CPA) applications for conservation acquisitions planned for 2027. The first is a one-acre Hyannis parcel to be acquired through a bargain sale for $160,000; BLT requested $75,000 in CPA funding. The committee approved a letter of support by roll-call vote. The second is an 18-acre parcel on Meeting House Way in West Barnstable, proposed for fee-simple acquisition at $500,000; BLT requested $200,000 in CPA funding. The committee also approved a support letter, with the motion requesting that the draft conservation restriction explicitly preserve the possibility of mountain biking. Both properties would be protected under conservation restrictions held by the Town, with public access planned; site visits and further review of the restrictions were discussed. These were committee endorsements, not final funding awards or acquisition approvals.

Under old business, a member reported that the Town Council had approved approximately $1.1 million toward the estimated $4.7 million Marstons Mills Cranberry Bog Restoration Project, which also involves state funding and Barnstable Clean Water Coalition funds. Additional grant applications are pending and could reduce the Town’s contribution; the project aims to reduce nitrogen entering the Three Bays estuary. The committee also discussed open-space-plan implementation, trail and mapping updates, and an unresolved conservation restriction boundary issue on Old Colony Road. No vendor selection or contract award was identified.