[0:09] - Alright, justing on.

[0:10] You ready?

[0:30] Yeah. Pass I guess.

[0:36] Good evening everyone. Please come in, take a seat,

[0:40] make yourself comfortable.

[0:42] Welcome to the Master Planning

[0:44] Committee, Public Hearing.

[0:50] The purpose of this evening is

[0:52] to get your input in the master plan.

[0:55] The master planning committee has done our best

[0:58] to capture ideas

[1:00] and thoughts about how we'd like to

[1:03] formulate the plan for moving forward with the town.

[1:07] But we're always looking for more input from citizens

[1:10] and more involvement from citizens.

[1:14] I have to say, I, I wanted to do this in the big, in the,

[1:17] in a big way when I got involved with the town.

[1:20] 'cause I had done this type of planning before.

[1:23] One of the things, my, my goal was, was to try to

[1:27] increase engagement and then do things

[1:30] that were gonna benefit citizens of the town.

[1:34] So with that, I'm gonna turn it over to VHB,

[1:40] who's gonna manage the meeting?

[1:43] - Thank you, Stefan. Thank you everybody for coming.

[1:46] Welcome to the the second meeting

[1:48] for the Pembroke Master plans, the second

[1:51] and last meeting of the master planning process.

[1:53] We're really thankful to have community members, all

[1:56] of you here with us tonight.

[1:58] Members of the Master Plan Collaboration Committee,

[2:01] additional community members that are joining us online.

[2:03] This is a hybrid meeting as well

[2:05] as members of the planning board.

[2:06] So thank you for taking the time to, to be here

[2:09] and provide your feedback with us tonight.

[2:11] Just to give you a quick overview of the meeting structure,

[2:15] I'll introduce the consultant team as well

[2:17] as the collaboration committee.

[2:20] We'll give an overview of the master plan elements,

[2:23] which include land use

[2:24] and development patterns, housing, economic development,

[2:28] historic and cultural resources, natural resources,

[2:31] public facilities and services, and transportation

[2:34] and mobility, which you'll notice each master plan element

[2:36] has a corresponding station around the room

[2:38] for the interactive portion of the meeting.

[2:41] We'll talk about next steps in terms of implementation

[2:44] for the plan once it's complete,

[2:46] and we'll have an interactive session where we can walk

[2:50] around and provide feedback on

[2:52] what we'll present to you tonight.

[2:55] So with that, we have the Master Plan Collaboration

[2:58] Committee with us, with us tonight.

[3:00] They guided and oversaw the master planning process,

[3:04] provided perspectives from different departments within the

[3:07] town, and we're really grateful for all

[3:10] of their contributions

[3:11] and oversight throughout this process.

[3:14] And VHB we're here, the consulting team,

[3:17] which includes Luke Mitchell, project manager, myself,

[3:20] Julia Minz, deputy project manager.

[3:22] We have Jennifer Nelson, who's with our online participants,

[3:26] was a project planner.

[3:27] And we had several subject matter experts from within our

[3:31] team at VHB who gave their expertise to this plan.

[3:36] So with that, we'll give a a general overview

[3:38] of the master plan.

[3:41] One of the first steps of this process

[3:43] through community engagement was

[3:45] to develop a shared community vision, which is a high level

[3:50] perspective of, of where the town would like

[3:53] to see itself in the future.

[3:55] So, I'll read this out.

[3:56] I know the text is a bit small, located in the heart

[4:00] of the South Shore.

[4:01] The town of Pembroke will invest in its greatest assets

[4:04] and continue to be an excellent place to live

[4:07] as a community, rich in history

[4:08] and with a vibrant population.

[4:10] Its distinct quality of life is rooted in its close

[4:13] knit and welcoming culture.

[4:15] The town will be responsible stewards of the land,

[4:17] having long demonstrated a commitment to preserving

[4:20] and protecting its unique, natural,

[4:22] and open space resources to enhance wellness,

[4:25] connectivity, and quality of life.

[4:27] The town will create community spaces,

[4:30] provide unique recreational amenities and events,

[4:33] and expand programming

[4:34] and services to improve resident's ability

[4:36] to lead active and healthy lives.

[4:39] Pembroke will enhance and encourage walkability

[4:41] and other non-motorized forms of transportation

[4:44] and will focus on creative placemaking.

[4:48] Citizens will continue to enjoy a feeling of safety

[4:50] and security throughout the town, supported by modern

[4:53] and readily available emergency services.

[4:56] Young and growing families will be further

[4:58] provided with a quality education for their children.

[5:01] Seniors will benefit from a robust network

[5:03] of support systems and services throughout the year.

[5:07] Pembroke will conduct support

[5:10] or encourage various exhibits, events,

[5:12] and programming that preserves

[5:13] and celebrates its history and culture.

[5:16] Pembroke will support sustainable

[5:17] and mindful growth in strategic locations,

[5:21] encouraging residential development that responds

[5:23] to local housing needs and commercial development

[5:25] that strengthens the local economy and creates jobs.

[5:29] Hubs of activity like the town center

[5:31] and the Route three commercial district will be enhanced

[5:33] to support a vibrant mixed use environment

[5:35] for residents and visitors.

[5:37] There will be a visible improvement

[5:39] to pembroke's public facilities, utilities, and services.

[5:43] And the town's boards will establish new protocols

[5:45] for effective communication

[5:47] and decision making while considering their effects

[5:50] on future generation.

[5:51] So this statement is guided by feedback

[5:54] that we heard throughout the planning process from the

[5:57] community, input from stakeholders

[6:00] and represents a, a shared vision for the town's future.

[6:05] And with that, I'm gonna pass it over to Luke Mitchell,

[6:07] who's gonna talk about the goals

[6:09] and actions at a high level from the master plan.

[6:16] - Thank you, Julia. Yeah,

[6:19] so the draft comp comprehensive plan was a collaborative

[6:22] effort, and we relied on input from the steering committee,

[6:28] the stakeholders that we met with early on in the process.

[6:33] The online community survey, thanks to everyone who took

[6:36] that early on and face-to-face interaction with,

[6:41] with you the community in, in several settings.

[6:46] So for each of the plans, seven chapters, we prepared goals.

[6:50] And for each goal, we prepared several actions

[6:53] that can be carried out to implement the community's vision.

[6:58] All told there are almost 200 actions,

[7:03] approximately 200 actions, so I won't go through all

[7:06] of the actions now.

[7:09] You can read about the actions at each of the stations.

[7:13] What I, what I can do now is go through at,

[7:15] at a very high level the goals that are associated

[7:18] with each of the chapters.

[7:23] So first is on land use and development patterns.

[7:29] Pembroke is a, is a great town that has a lot

[7:31] of great public spaces.

[7:34] At the same time, we heard a lot

[7:35] of comments from the community that some of these spaces

[7:39] could be improved through strategic and investments

[7:42] and in, in certain cases new development.

[7:46] So in terms of goals,

[7:48] several go goals came out of this assessment.

[7:51] First is the town center.

[7:54] There's a lot of affinity for the town center in Pembroke.

[7:58] And, and the town center is gonna take on new life

[8:01] with the completion of the community center

[8:04] and potentially with the new housing that that comes online.

[8:10] So as the town center continues to evolve,

[8:13] the town can take concrete steps to update zoning

[8:17] and land use regulations that allow

[8:19] for an even more vibrant space than you have now

[8:22] with new businesses

[8:24] and new fun things to do, things that can be used to,

[8:28] to bring the community together.

[8:30] Second, is the

[8:32] commercial district located at the intersection

[8:35] of Route three and, and Route 1 39.

[8:38] We enjoyed getting to know this district.

[8:40] It is not an unsuccessful district.

[8:42] There's a lot of thriving businesses that are located there

[8:47] and that, that fill the properties throughout that district.

[8:50] However, like the town center,

[8:53] that district could use an update in terms of the, under

[8:57] the land use regulatory framework that underpins it.

[9:03] That can be used to continue to attract sort

[9:06] of next level job creating businesses

[9:08] and boost the tax base.

[9:10] Third is vacant and underutilized parcels.

[9:14] There are properties like this throughout town, some

[9:17] of which are owned by the town.

[9:20] Pembroke can identify these sites, identify potential uses

[9:25] for those sites, and then market opport development

[9:29] opportunities at those sites

[9:32] within the development community.

[9:33] There's several towns in the regions that have done

[9:36] that successfully that, that you could borrow ideas from.

[9:40] Finally, in general, zoning and permitting procedures.

[9:44] New investment in Pembroke is important

[9:48] as it supports the tax base and, and creates jobs locally.

[9:53] So the town will take a close look at current zoning

[9:56] regulations and permitting procedures to ensure that in,

[10:00] to ensure an efficient process that appeals

[10:03] to developers while still protecting

[10:04] the community's interests.

[10:08] Chapter two is on pembroke's housing.

[10:12] Housing has always been an important consideration

[10:15] for policy makers, but over the past year

[10:19] or two, it feels really front and center

[10:23] and it's getting a lot of real estate in the

[10:25] newspaper every day.

[10:28] Inflation, high interest rates, supply chain issues,

[10:33] construction costs have created something of a perfect storm

[10:36] and, and the cost of housing for owners for renters has,

[10:40] has really gotten quite high.

[10:43] So PEM broke needs to be intentional in

[10:47] how it treats housing over the next 15 years to keep pace

[10:52] with the community's changing housing needs.

[10:56] So, goals that came out of the housing assessment First is

[11:01] to update the town's housing production plan.

[11:04] The last time the town prepared a housing production plan

[11:07] was in 2018.

[11:09] When you think about what's changed since 2018 in the

[11:14] housing market, it's a lot.

[11:16] So it underscores the need to update that,

[11:18] that housing production plan.

[11:21] Second goal is to meet the housing needs of young families

[11:25] and individuals.

[11:26] Young households offer for the community, people

[11:30] who are active in the workforce as well as students to help

[11:34] continue strong enrollment in the schools.

[11:37] So this segment of the population is drawn

[11:39] to specific housing types, so that's a priority.

[11:43] Third, the town must continue

[11:45] to accommodate the housing needs of seniors,

[11:47] which is a growing share of the population.

[11:51] Fourth is infrastructure, specifically as it relates to

[11:55] housing and how it supports housing.

[11:58] So that includes transportation infrastructure, like roads,

[12:03] but also potentially new ways

[12:06] of providing utilities like water

[12:08] and sewer to support developments.

[12:12] And lastly, the town will align future residential

[12:15] investment with commercial development goals.

[12:18] It's important to achieve the right balance

[12:19] between those land uses so that they can continue

[12:23] to support each other.

[12:26] Chapter three is on economic development.

[12:30] For many people who live in Pembroke, Pembroke is what,

[12:33] what you could call a bedroom community, right?

[12:36] With lots of residential districts

[12:38] and a somewhat limited amount

[12:40] of commercial districts and businesses.

[12:43] There's nothing intrinsically wrong with that.

[12:47] However, it means that you have something

[12:48] of a lopsided balance within the tax structure

[12:52] with residential, with residents paying,

[12:57] or, sorry, with most of the tax burden being placed on

[13:01] residents instead of businesses.

[13:03] So for that reason, it's critical to to

[13:06] continue supporting a thriving local economy.

[13:09] Goals associated with this chapter.

[13:12] First goal is to promote development

[13:14] that boosts the tax base

[13:16] and increases the availability of jobs.

[13:19] This will have a, a positive impact,

[13:21] impact on everyone in the community.

[13:25] Second is to support the local workforce.

[13:29] This can include classes, training programs, partnerships

[13:34] to make sure that the residents

[13:35] of Pembroke have the skills needed to become

[13:39] or stay gainfully employed, sometimes locally.

[13:45] Third, is to encourage younger people

[13:47] and families to move to Pembroke.

[13:49] This goal will sound familiar.

[13:51] There's a similar goal in the housing chapter,

[13:55] but it, it's important for housing

[13:56] and it's important for the community and the economy.

[14:01] Fourth is to strengthen the network of local businesses.

[14:05] Any business owner will tell you

[14:07] that even though they compete with one another,

[14:09] they also rely on one another.

[14:11] And there's some, some great interaction already.

[14:14] So the goal here is to build on, on that partnership.

[14:19] Fifth goal is to promote

[14:22] and manage tourism in Pembroke.

[14:25] So tourism brings dollars from

[14:26] outside the community into the community.

[14:29] So, great if Pembroke can really lean into this.

[14:33] And this ties into other chapters as well.

[14:36] And finally, is grant opportunities.

[14:41] Most every town in the state relies heavily on grant funding

[14:45] from the state in order to build infrastructure,

[14:48] to do planning studies and to advance its goals.

[14:53] So the idea here is that Pembroke can evolve its process of,

[14:58] of how it, it treats the process of going

[15:00] after grant funding and making sure

[15:03] that it's done efficiently and effectively.

[15:05] Because at the end of the day, with 351

[15:09] cities and towns throughout the state, there's a lot

[15:11] of competition for for those grant dollars.

[15:18] The fourth chapter is on historic and cultural resources.

[15:23] The work of preserving history

[15:24] and culture is carried out locally by several groups,

[15:28] including the Pembroke Historic Commission,

[15:31] the Pembroke Historical Society, Pembroke Cultural Council,

[15:35] and the CPA committee.

[15:38] The town has several great designated historic assets along

[15:42] with many other historic assets that have

[15:46] been officially documented.

[15:49] And throughout the calendar year, the town sponsors several

[15:53] really well attended

[15:54] and fun events that are integral to the town's culture.

[16:00] So goals for historic and cultural resources.

[16:03] First goal is to empower the local stewards of history

[16:07] and culture to do even more than they're currently doing,

[16:10] which is a lot to begin with.

[16:12] But if, but if they can have expanded programming, that

[16:15] that would be a great thing.

[16:17] Second, Pembroke will expand upon its

[16:20] documented historic resources.

[16:24] There are many historically significant properties

[16:26] that haven't yet been documented, including a wide array

[16:30] of properties from the 20th century that, that have a lot

[16:33] of value and should be considered.

[16:37] Pembroke also needs to leverage this history

[16:40] and culture to foster a stronger sense of place in Pembroke.

[16:44] This can be accomplished through education

[16:47] and information campaigns.

[16:50] And finally, the town will work to promote stronger links

[16:54] between historic preservation and economic development.

[16:57] Because when done right, preserving history can have a,

[17:01] a profoundly positive impact on the economy.

[17:06] Fifth chapter is on natural resources.

[17:10] So Pembroke, as you all know, has a, a broad array

[17:14] of pristine natural settings and open space amenities.

[17:20] This includes both town owned properties

[17:23] and privately owned properties, some

[17:25] of which are publicly accessible.

[17:28] So these publicly accessible open space resources can be

[17:31] used by residents for active recreation and, and,

[17:35] and passive recreation.

[17:39] As we prepared this chapter of the master plan,

[17:41] we leaned heavily on the recently completed

[17:44] Pembroke open space plan, which I think was from last year,

[17:48] which was a great plan.

[17:49] So a a lot of, of, of

[17:51] what we have in this chapter echoes that planning process.

[17:56] The first goal for natural resources is

[17:59] to protect water resources, open spaces and,

[18:02] and agricultural lands.

[18:04] This can be accomplished

[18:06] through several concrete actions such

[18:08] as up updating the zoning bylaws

[18:12] and making strategic property acquisitions

[18:14] to support preservation efforts.

[18:18] Second is to expand connectivity within the

[18:21] town's various natural spaces.

[18:24] A couple of dimensions to that.

[18:26] One is wildlife connections, identifying

[18:31] wildlife corridors and making sure

[18:32] that they're protected and supported.

[18:35] And then on the other hand, you also have recreational

[18:38] and programmatic connections

[18:40] and tie-ins between parks and trail systems.

[18:43] In other words, how are the people using the space

[18:46] and making sure that that's well connected.

[18:48] Third goal is to improve accessibility in the open spaces.

[18:52] In Pembroke, we heard a lot about this from people making

[18:55] sure that regardless of someone's level of ability,

[18:59] they're able to access these, these great spaces.

[19:04] Fourth is about stewardship.

[19:07] Natural assets will certainly best be protected if there is

[19:11] a strong awareness of

[19:13] and sense of shared responsibility for these assets.

[19:18] Fifth, maintaining and an and enhancing partnerships.

[19:23] There's several local and regional associations

[19:26] and trusts that we've learned about during the process,

[19:30] which are doing great work.

[19:33] So really the actions on this goal are just the town can

[19:36] continue to deepen those partnerships with those agencies

[19:40] and organizations to make sure

[19:44] that those spaces are protected.

[19:45] Lastly is grant funding.

[19:49] Again, this is echoes from a previous chapter,

[19:52] but the town can build upon its methods of pursuing state

[19:55] and federal funds to support these natural

[19:59] resource initiatives.

[20:02] Chapter six is Public facilities and services.

[20:06] This covers the towns, schools, administrative buildings,

[20:10] library, emergency service buildings,

[20:13] recreational facilities, roads, utilities, and other assets.

[20:18] In addition to which the ser the many services

[20:21] that the town offers, we took a,

[20:24] a close look at existing conditions

[20:25] and had several conversations

[20:27] to identify the town's most pressing goals

[20:29] for facilities and services.

[20:33] First on the list

[20:35] of goals is the town's infrastructure like roads, utilities,

[20:39] equipment, and it, the town will work

[20:43] to advance the approach to maintenance

[20:45] and upgrades of these critical resources.

[20:47] Of course, this is something the town already does,

[20:50] but the idea here is to take a look at at how that's done

[20:53] and, and is how can it be made as efficient as possible.

[20:59] The second is staffing so that the town will continue

[21:02] to be intentional about

[21:03] how its staffing resources can be best aligned,

[21:08] leveraging the great staff

[21:09] that the town already has in place.

[21:12] Third, how does the town

[21:14] government interact with the community?

[21:17] This comes up in so many of the towns that we work with.

[21:20] Despite all these advances in tech,

[21:22] in communication technology,

[21:25] it can still be such a challenge for the town government

[21:28] to communicate effectively with the community.

[21:32] Having A-P-A-C-T-V who's,

[21:34] who's really helped pull this meeting together

[21:36] tonight is, is a great benefit.

[21:39] So building on resources like that is, is a good start.

[21:43] Fourth is the school buildings in Pembroke,

[21:48] like any building,

[21:49] the school buildings in Pembroke need a continual

[21:53] care and maintenance.

[21:54] And also upgrades

[21:56] as educational philosophy continues to evolve.

[22:00] So those needs will be addressed methodically

[22:03] and with purpose intentionally over the,

[22:06] the coming 15 years.

[22:09] Fifth is the library system.

[22:11] I spent some time here in the library working

[22:14] about six months ago,

[22:15] and I, I thought it was a awesome space.

[22:17] I really enjoyed it. So moving forward,

[22:21] the library can continue to benefit from programming

[22:25] that's expanded even further

[22:27] to serve various user groups from the community.

[22:31] Lastly, generally speaking is about the needs

[22:34] of the town's seniors, specifically in relation to

[22:38] programming and services.

[22:42] Last chapter of the master plan

[22:46] is on transportation and mobility.

[22:50] Given pembroke's rural dash suburban development profile,

[22:55] the automobile is still the primary mode

[22:58] of transportation here in Pembroke.

[23:01] So because of that, it's, it's absolutely critical

[23:03] that roadway infrastructure is maintained

[23:06] and also upgraded with consideration given

[23:10] to safety and efficiency.

[23:13] A lot of that ties back into the, the need to evolve

[23:16] the process for soliciting grant money from the state.

[23:19] A lot, a lot of that work is paid by the state in addition

[23:24] to the roads for vehicles, infrastructure for pedestrians

[23:28] and bicyclists and those who wish to, to have connections

[23:32] to public transit are should also be prioritized.

[23:36] So goals for transportation, first

[23:41] bike lanes and sidewalks.

[23:43] In 2018, the town prepared a bike and ped connectivity

[23:47] and livability study.

[23:49] This was a great start.

[23:51] I think after five

[23:52] and a half years it, it, it probably due for a refresh

[23:56] and take a close look at that and really,

[23:57] and really lean into those objectives.

[24:01] Second is roadway conditions within the vicinity of schools.

[24:06] This has been getting a lot

[24:07] of attention throughout the state right now

[24:10] and there's a lot of dollars

[24:11] to support work in in this area.

[24:14] It's really a safety issue

[24:16] and making sure that you have separated lanes for vehicles,

[24:20] pedestrians and bicyclists within

[24:23] the vicinity of the schools.

[24:26] Third is the transportation needs of seniors.

[24:31] The town will co commit to identifying these needs and,

[24:34] and prioritizing them.

[24:36] Fourth is improving access to public transit through

[24:42] a continued relationship with Gatcha

[24:45] and an even stronger relationship with GATCHA than,

[24:48] than exists now.

[24:50] And really that that's all about communicating

[24:52] what the community needs to gatcha

[24:55] and then also publicizing the availability

[25:00] of RA's services within the community.

[25:02] A lot of people might not even be aware that,

[25:04] that it's there to support them.

[25:07] Fifth, as I mentioned earlier, is roadway programming.

[25:12] So this isn't just about repaving,

[25:15] it's also about street lighting

[25:17] and signalization crosswalks and other upgrades.

[25:24] Sixth ev charging the town will find ways to support

[25:29] pembroke's ev car owners

[25:32] with new chargers in strategic locations.

[25:35] This is another thing that there's a, a lot of dollars

[25:38] that are out there to support the work.

[25:40] If you can pull together a, a plan

[25:43] and apply for grant funding,

[25:45] then there's federal and state dollars.

[25:49] Seventh is key corridors.

[25:52] This, these are streets that have the greatest level

[25:55] of importance, a level of importance in Pembroke in terms

[25:59] of traffic access to businesses, et cetera.

[26:02] So for example, last summer, if I recall, a lot

[26:05] of work was done on Center Street.

[26:08] So similar efforts should be undertaken for other key door

[26:12] key corridors in town.

[26:15] And finally is parking.

[26:18] The idea here is to take a fresh look at

[26:20] how parking is being required of new developments.

[26:25] For example, shared parking is something

[26:27] that many towns have baked into their zoning codes

[26:30] that reduces the amount

[26:32] of parking while still serving the parking needs

[26:35] of businesses and and residential buildings.

[26:41] So yeah, I'll hand it back to

[26:42] - Julia.

[26:49] - Thank you Luke. So

[26:51] before we move into the interactive portion of the meeting,

[26:55] we'll go over the implementation aspect of the master plan.

[26:58] So one of the most important characteristics

[27:02] of a master plan is that the document is actionable.

[27:04] That all of the goals

[27:06] and actions that you see around the room

[27:08] can be carried forward by town departments,

[27:11] by champions within the community

[27:14] to help realize the community vision and, and these goals.

[27:17] So the full master plan is available on the master plan

[27:20] website, which we'll share the link to

[27:22] before the end of the meeting.

[27:24] And this document contains an implementation

[27:26] matrix as its final section.

[27:28] So what that is, is a roadmap that lays out

[27:33] different details for all these goals

[27:34] and actions that can help them to be realized.

[27:38] So these different attributes

[27:39] that are included within the matrix include

[27:43] a designated champion, a municipal entity

[27:45] that has the primary responsibility for implementing

[27:48] that specific action order of magnitude, cost, estimate,

[27:52] and approximation of the financial cost

[27:55] of the recommended action.

[27:56] Whether or not the action requires a zoning amendment

[28:02] is included within the matrix.

[28:03] And then a general timeframe

[28:05] for the schedule of implementation.

[28:08] So like Luke mentioned, there's over 200 different actions

[28:11] and this is a fairly long matrix,

[28:14] but it's available for review.

[28:15] This is kind of just a, a general overview of

[28:18] of the structure for that section.

[28:22] So with that we'd like

[28:24] to move into the interactive portion of the meeting.

[28:28] Thank you for giving an overview

[28:29] of all the different chapter elements.

[28:31] Each one has a designated station around the room

[28:36] and what we'd like to do is to circulate, we have

[28:42] post-it notes and pencils at each station.

[28:45] We encourage you to walk around,

[28:47] take a closer look at the different actions

[28:49] that we've just gone over at a high level

[28:52] master plan collaboration committee members as well

[28:55] as the consultant team will be posted at each station.

[28:58] Feel free to come around with any questions

[29:00] and to write your comments, feedback, any reactions,

[29:03] any changes that you think might need to be made.

[29:06] We, you know, thank you for sharing your feedback

[29:09] and encourage you to, to write down anything

[29:13] that you can think of as you're going through

[29:15] and reading. And anything else?

[29:18] - Nothing else from me

[29:19] unless any of the other, any of the committee members

[29:23] have any thoughts before we break up?

[29:26] If not,

[29:28] - Maybe we can move some of the chairs to allow more space

[29:33] for Yeah, yeah and,

[29:36] and Jennifer Nelson will be helping with the members

[29:40] that are participating online.

[29:43] So thank you.

[29:49] - Hi everyone who is online,

[29:52] I dunno if they can hear me in the room still,

[29:56] but I can share some slides that I have here with the goals

[29:59] and action items on it

[30:00] and we can have a discussion about

[30:06] the implementation matrix that Luke and Julia has reviewed.

[30:28] - Hey Jennifer, I'm gonna stay muted as I'm in the room

[30:30] and it's quite loud.

[30:35] - Okay.

[30:54] And if people can see my screen here,

[31:12] I can see we have a couple people raising hands.

[31:15] So if you just want to unmute yourself.

[31:36] - Hi Jennifer, can you hear me?

[31:38] - Yes, I can hear you. - Would you be able to go more into

[31:43] the plans for sidewalks?

[31:45] It's kind of funny because talking to someone today

[31:49] about the town of Pembroke

[31:51] and the number of sidewalks we have in the town,

[31:56] I'm really interested in plans for

[32:00] areas like West Stem Street where it is beautiful

[32:04] to walk but walk in some way not

[32:09] safe to walk because of the traffic that's going by

[32:12] and the rate at which they travel.

[32:16] - Right, right. Yeah.

[32:18] So this plan is, again,

[32:21] I did not write the transportation chapter.

[32:23] We actually had one of our

[32:26] transportation experts from VHB who specifically assesses,

[32:31] you know, sidewalk conditions and roadway conditions

[32:34] and the different types of public transit

[32:36] available to residents.

[32:38] They wrote this chapter.

[32:41] So I know that this is accumulation of

[32:46] basically a range of other reports

[32:49] that Pembroke has previously completed.

[32:53] So let me just open up

[32:56] because I know, you know, there's gonna be a lot

[32:59] of specific questions

[33:00] and I realize that we might not be able to answer all

[33:04] of those here tonight just

[33:06] because this plan is, the purpose of this plan is

[33:09] to basically compile the rest of the plans that have been

[33:14] completed by the town of Pembroke so far

[33:17] and basically prioritize action items moving forward.

[33:20] So let me just pull the actual plan up as well

[33:25] and we can kind of review.

[33:50] - Would there be anything on this end

[33:52] that we could do, Jennifer, to help?

[33:55] - No, I think I am getting the,

[34:00] I'm getting the report up right now so

[34:02] that we can just like kind of review some of the maps

[34:04] and actions that are in here too.

[34:08] 'cause that might be, it might give some a little bit more

[34:10] context as to what exactly our process was here.

[34:16] Sorry,

[34:23] just bear with me for a minute here.

[34:47] - Can I ask question Jennifer, do you want me

[34:49] to unmute everyone with their hands up

[34:50] or would you prefer to take it in order?

[34:54] - Let's take it in order. So I just wanted to first show,

[34:59] like, I wanted to answer Angela's

[35:00] question about transportation.

[35:01] So we did review a lot of the, the previous plans

[35:06] that the town had created.

[35:09] So the community development plan,

[35:11] bicycle pedestrian connectivity

[35:13] and livability study that was, that was

[35:18] finalized in 2018.

[35:20] So these reports I would say are a little bit more specific

[35:24] and get into the nitty gritty of

[35:26] where exactly the sidewalk gaps are.

[35:29] So I think this would potentially be a better report

[35:31] to review in order if you have questions about specific

[35:35] roadways in here we do have maps of, you know,

[35:39] where are the sidewalks and there are some goals

[35:44] and action items addressing where the town could go

[35:48] to pursue additional funding to make these improvements

[35:53] that are already outlined in other previous plans.

[35:56] But I would say for very specific questions such as yours,

[35:59] Angela, I wish I had more information for you about

[36:04] what exactly the plan is for those sidewalks,

[36:07] but I think that's going to be an ongoing conversation

[36:09] with the town moving forward

[36:11] as they pursue additional funding from the

[36:13] state and federal government.

[36:15] But I, I can tell you that there is definitely a lot of

[36:19] focus on safe roadway safety.

[36:22] There's a program called Safe Streets for All

[36:25] and a lot of money is being channeled through that program

[36:29] to try to improve sidewalks and pedestrian

[36:33] and bicycle infrastructure along roadways

[36:36] to specifically address safety concerns

[36:38] of residents and municipalities.

[36:42] - Okay, thank you. - Are you ready for the next one? Yeah,

[36:46] - Yeah,

[36:54] - Katrina, go ahead.

[36:56] Thank

[36:57] - You.

[36:58] Sorry, I have laryngitis so I apologize for the creakiness

[37:02] of my voice, but I was just wondering a little about,

[37:09] about one

[37:12] of the things you had talked about was the accessibility.

[37:16] What were some of the things you had heard from folks about

[37:19] the lack of accessibility? Lack?

[37:22] - You mean with regard to the specific

[37:25] public facilities in town?

[37:27] The structures themselves,

[37:29] because I think we did hear a range

[37:31] of accessibility concerns

[37:33] - And Luke at the beginning Jennifer pointed out that some

[37:36] of our open space accessibility were potentially an

[37:39] - Issue.

[37:40] Okay, perfect. Thank you.

[37:44] - Yeah, I can speak.

[37:46] So I wrote the public facilities

[37:48] and services chapter, so I did interact with people from

[37:53] the town hall and they said

[37:55] that there's an accessibility concern with the current

[37:59] town hall structure just

[38:01] because the, it is a two level structure,

[38:04] but it's nearly impossible to get people from one floor

[38:08] to another because there's no elevator in that building.

[38:12] So if somebody was coming in with a wheelchair

[38:13] or some other kind of physical disability, it would be hard

[38:16] for them to access all the features of the town hall.

[38:20] And for some of the other older buildings, I know

[38:23] that accessibility remains a, a top priority.

[38:27] So making sure that there are accessible amenities

[38:32] for, for residents both inside infrastructure,

[38:37] inside like buildings that the town has.

[38:40] But also at public parks for example.

[38:43] Are there accessible restrooms?

[38:44] Are there ramps where there, where

[38:46] there's an incline in terrain

[38:48] or change in terrain so that that continues

[38:52] to be a continuing

[38:54] or an ongoing priority I think for Pembroke

[38:56] and we write some specific areas in town in

[39:02] in the plan, we highlight those areas that yeah,

[39:05] need a little bit of extra attention. Perfect,

[39:08] - Thank you.

[39:09] I'll, I'll look back at those sections.

[39:10] - Thank you.

[39:18] - Any other questions or concerns

[39:19] that you'd like to discuss with Jennifer

[39:25] - And I have all the goals and actions here as well

[39:27] so I can, you know, flip

[39:29] to a specific chapter if anyone is interested

[39:32] and we can kind of walk through the action items for it.

[39:37] - Hi Jennifer, it's Angela again.

[39:39] - Hi Angela. - I'm a realtor

[39:42] and I do a lot of business in Boston.

[39:45] Okay. And Boston gets a lot of grant money to help

[39:50] first time home owners

[39:54] - To - Purchase homes.

[39:57] I know from listening in on the meeting, there's a push

[40:01] to get young families into Pembroke.

[40:05] Yes. Do you know if there are any grants

[40:08] or if anyone is exploring that avenue

[40:13] to get grant money to help first time home buyers

[40:16] to purchase homes in Pembroke

[40:19] - Within the town?

[40:22] Let me see, again, I'm gonna kind of refer back

[40:26] to the report because I did not

[40:27] specifically write that chapter.

[40:29] But let me see too,

[40:35] 'cause I know that funding, you know,

[40:36] throughout the state there continues to kind of,

[40:39] there continues to be a housing crisis.

[40:41] So there's a lot of work ongoing to kind

[40:46] of address some of these challenges.

[40:49] So I don't know if Sabrina, if you know

[40:56] specifically within the town, if someone is kind of the

[41:00] with holder or a holder of that information

[41:03] who potentially helps facilitate

[41:08] those kinds of application processes.

[41:10] I am not specifically sure,

[41:13] but I can write that question down too

[41:14] and also get back to you with information. I

[41:17] - Was gonna say at - This point my team,

[41:19] - I was gonna say we have a septic betterment program

[41:21] that allows homeowners to have additional

[41:24] and alternate financing for some of the needs

[41:26] that they have, but not necessarily money for down payments

[41:31] for first time or new home buyers in Pembroke.

[41:34] I do know that one of the initial forays of exploration

[41:38] that the town is considering

[41:39] and through our affordable housing committee is the proposal

[41:44] on this upcoming war on a business for May 14th

[41:48] at town meeting to create an affordable housing trust,

[41:52] which is not necessarily gonna give people down payments

[41:55] for homes, but it is going to open up an opportunity,

[41:58] an avenue for additional construction of affordable housing

[42:02] and units that is more accessible to workforce housing

[42:05] and other underserved populations in town.

[42:09] - Okay. One of the, one of the, the avenues that Boston

[42:12] explored was

[42:17] instead of giving them the, the buyer has

[42:20] to have the down payment money on hand, you have to show

[42:24] that you're able to purchase a home, you have to show

[42:26] that you're able to qualify to purchase that home

[42:30] and then they would help them with the closing costs,

[42:35] which is a lot less than, you know, the down payment.

[42:41] - I was gonna say, Angela, have you considered volunteering

[42:43] on one of our boards or committees?

[42:44] Because this sounds like something you could bring

[42:46] forward. Yeah,

[42:48] - Absolutely.

[42:49] I think you have more your knowledge

[42:51] to process ours in this regard.

[42:52] Definitely surpasses mine in terms of housing.

[42:57] - Lemme lemme think.

[42:59] Lemme think about it

[43:02] and when you reach out to me, I'll let you know.

[43:06] - Thank you Jen and Jennifer, you have two more people

[43:08] with their hands raised, one who has not yet spoken.

[43:11] Great. Alright, Chris, Everett,

[43:15] will you unmute yourself?

[43:17] You're you're up and you're ready.

[43:19] - Hi everyone. So just in to Angela's point about

[43:25] down payment assistance

[43:26] and those sort of things like that historically does not

[43:28] come through like a, a town like Pembroke, right?

[43:31] Like there would be cities, gateway cities

[43:34] that would have programs like that

[43:36] or partner with agencies like

[43:38] NeighborWorks Housing Solutions

[43:40] or other organizations similar to

[43:42] that E-O-H-L-C and, and the like.

[43:46] I don't think Pembroke would ever,

[43:51] I don't wanna say want to,

[43:52] but I don't think Pembroke would ever find itself in a

[43:55] position where we would be identified as a gateway city and

[44:00] therefore eligible to provide some of those funds.

[44:03] Certainly, you know, proximity to organizations that do

[44:07] that kind of thing would be something

[44:08] that we would maybe wanna look at.

[44:10] Right? I mean we, I know we've got NeighborWorks housing

[44:13] solutions right next door in Kingston.

[44:16] So along the lines of housing,

[44:19] certainly maybe educational services, you know, maybe

[44:23] that's something that we could consider for

[44:28] this new community center as you maybe one service that gets

[44:34] cited there and you know, can be a benefit

[44:37] to residents of the community.

[44:42] - Absolutely, absolutely.

[44:43] And I think community partnership

[44:46] with neighboring municipalities is always

[44:50] a recommendation that we've kind of, that we weave into all

[44:54] of our master plans just

[44:55] because, you know, a single town can't

[45:00] necessarily fix the having crisis,

[45:03] but on its own, you know, it requires regional and statewide

[45:07] and national support to kind of get there.

[45:10] So I think that's a great idea, Chris, of having some kind

[45:15] of educational component to,

[45:20] to at least to bring these discussions

[45:22] and these ideas, these potential funding avenues

[45:25] to the table and bring them to the attention

[45:27] of community members.

[45:29] Absolutely.

[45:31] - I, Chris, just to come to contradict you, a lot

[45:35] of the clients that I've worked

[45:37] with did not purchase home in Gateway cities.

[45:40] They didn't go to Brockton, they didn't go to Taunton,

[45:42] they didn't go to Lowell,

[45:45] they purchased in Randolph Stoughton, you know,

[45:49] and those are not gateway cities, they're purchasing Rayham,

[45:52] they're purchasing Bridgewater.

[45:55] So I think it's an avenue

[45:57] that Pembroke should at least look

[46:00] into it.

[46:02] The money came from the state, some

[46:04] of it was from the leftover COVID funding.

[46:10] - Yeah, that's maybe I should that's very interesting.

[46:13] - Yeah. - Yeah.

[46:14] So Angela, I'm just curious, so is is

[46:19] what you're talking about, so it it's state funding

[46:22] that was given to individuals looking to purchase homes in

[46:27] particular in, in a variety of communities.

[46:30] So it's not necessarily, it's not local funding, right?

[46:34] So it didn't come from those particular municipalities

[46:36] that came from, from the state.

[46:37] - This is why I asked about the question.

[46:39] - Yeah. Okay. Okay. I gotcha. Alright.

[46:45] - Maybe I should join your housing committee.

[46:51] - I think that would be very beneficial for Pembroke.

[46:53] You come with a lot of knowledge, Angela,

[46:56] - You know.

[46:59] Yeah, send me. Okay.

[47:02] - You have Katrina with her hand up when you're ready?

[47:04] Yes, I am ready. Hi Katrina.

[47:07] - Hey, thank you. Just to build on what was already said,

[47:12] I see that there's a grant writer, the potential

[47:15] for hiring a dedicated grant writer

[47:17] or establishing a committee.

[47:20] If somebody was interested in helping out

[47:22] with grant writing, what would be an

[47:24] appropriate action to take?

[47:28] - I think, I think getting in contact with the

[47:32] town manager would be the

[47:35] first thing I would recommend

[47:39] because I know a lot of towns are really

[47:43] reliant upon volunteers

[47:44] or part-time administrators to try to tackle grant writing.

[47:48] So I think if you, or if you, you know,

[47:50] anyone who's interested, I think getting con

[47:52] of getting in contact with the town manager

[47:55] would be the first thing to do.

[47:57] And you could also reach out to

[48:01] potentially anyone on this committee,

[48:03] on the master planning committee

[48:04] because they're all connected in some way to the

[48:08] municipal government or yeah.

[48:10] You know, the institutions that they serve.

[48:12] So, so I think if you know somebody who's

[48:15] interested, I would definitely reach out.

[48:17] - Okay, awesome. Yeah, I would be happy to help.

[48:19] So I, I will reach out to the town manager. Thank you. Thank

[48:22] - You Katrina, you have one more hand up

[48:24] in Laia. You ready?

[48:26] - Yes. Hi.

[48:29] - Hi. You can call me Lily.

[48:33] I, I find this discussion very interesting

[48:35] because I'm a first time home homeowner here in Pembroke.

[48:38] I moved in a year or so ago

[48:42] and I was wondering since one of the, one of the goals is

[48:46] to bring in more young families

[48:48] and individuals, a lot of this I feel like is tied

[48:53] to like diversity and culture

[48:56] and like attracting people from different socioeconomic

[48:58] and cultural backgrounds.

[49:01] And I'm wondering, 'cause I I I'm not sure I saw it in the

[49:04] master plan, if there's any, like, if there's any plans

[49:07] to increase diversity cultural awareness within the town.

[49:14] - Sorry, could you repeat that last, the last part of

[49:17] that question at the very end?

[49:19] It kind of cut out a little bit for me. Sorry.

[49:22] - Yeah, I, I'm, I'm wondering if there's any plans

[49:25] or any goals within these major goals to increase diversity

[49:30] and cultural awareness within the

[49:32] town? Yeah,

[49:36] - Yeah.

[49:37] So I think Pembroke's existing

[49:42] culture is really fascinating and interesting.

[49:47] It's been a great pleasure, at least for me

[49:49] and I know everyone else on my team to get to know the town

[49:53] and understand the people who value its cultural properties

[49:59] and its natural properties, it's natural beauty such as

[50:04] park, you know, such great resources for the town.

[50:09] So I think there's definitely a sense of, you know,

[50:13] for goal 4.3 establishing a sense of place

[50:16] for Pembroke's residents.

[50:19] It's a priority for when refer to Pembroke residents,

[50:23] we're referring to all of Pembroke's residents, right?

[50:28] So I think saying things such as

[50:30] integrating translation services, I think

[50:33] that's gonna be huge for, for Pembroke

[50:36] and that should be something that they look for

[50:39] and kind of highlight in future years.

[50:44] And then also establishing

[50:45] and promoting links between historic preservation

[50:48] and economic development.

[50:51] So that could be including minority owned businesses in the

[50:54] area, you know, so, so I think it's kind of wo it doesn't,

[50:59] it isn't specifically called out in these goals and actions,

[51:03] but is it is woven into every stage of their report

[51:07] to be inclusive of those with disabilities inclusive

[51:10] of those who speak different languages who are

[51:15] moving into the United States for the first time.

[51:18] So that's kind of the, the approach that

[51:23] VBS team took and that the master plan collaboration

[51:25] Committee took to creating this report.

[51:29] - Is, - Does that answer your question, Lily?

[51:32] - Yeah, thank you. And I have another unrelated question,

[51:35] but if anyone else has another question related

[51:38] to this, I can wait.

[51:42] - Big red, I remember that.

[51:45] - I was just wondering if we could mute whoever

[51:47] is the background noise. It's hard to hear

[51:49] - Mute the background noise.

[51:52] Sorry.

[51:54] - I think Sabrina's in that room right now, so she, she's

[51:58] - No at all.

[52:01] Yeah, I was gonna build on that.

[52:04] You know, I definitely saw a lot of language about,

[52:07] you know, the diversity of housing options

[52:12] and the diversity of the land and things like that.

[52:17] But I didn't see a ton about like people

[52:20] and culture in terms of that diversity.

[52:24] I did see a little bit about language, so I I I would agree.

[52:27] I I think some more,

[52:30] some more information included in the plan more explicitly

[52:34] because to the reader it doesn't exactly look like it's

[52:38] interwoven but maybe to the people who have written it, it,

[52:42] you know, that it's interwoven.

[52:43] So maybe making it a little bit more visible

[52:46] would be helpful so that it's more,

[52:51] it's it's, it's clear that it's woven into e everything.

[52:54] 'cause I think just reading it, it's hard to tell

[52:58] I had the same thought myself.

[53:01] - Okay, great. Thank you for that feedback.

[53:03] That's definitely good to know

[53:04] because I know that once you start writing a report

[53:06] and you've been in it for months

[53:07] and months, sometimes it gets a

[53:09] little, you know? Absolutely.

[53:10] - Yeah. - So thank you. That's very, very good feedback.

[53:14] I really appreciate it Katrina and Lily.

[53:21] And I know Lily, you said you had an unrelated question.

[53:24] - Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate the discussion.

[53:29] So I, I initially, I agree

[53:32] with the comment about the sidewalks.

[53:34] I live to the, I live close to the qui fields

[53:38] and it would be really nice to be able to walk over there

[53:40] or have somewhere to walk my dogs.

[53:44] - Absolutely. - Yeah. So it would, it would be great,

[53:46] especially since it's a public space

[53:48] and there's like places where you can walk in the,

[53:51] in the forest behind it.

[53:54] And in relation to that, I know that there's,

[53:56] there's efforts for the conservation of,

[53:58] of these like forests and increasing people coming in

[54:02] and stuff and I just wanted to suggest

[54:05] 'cause going into them,

[54:07] at least the ones across from the Maki

[54:09] or next to the Maki said field, I haven't seen anywhere

[54:14] where like we can dispose of like dog waste

[54:17] or just like trash bins or something like that.

[54:20] And I have heard complaints about, you know, waste and,

[54:24] and that makes it unattractive.

[54:26] So I just wanted to not, it wasn't necessarily a question,

[54:29] but maybe like a suggestion

[54:31] of maybe more like public waste bins.

[54:36] - Absolutely. I think that's a great idea

[54:39] And these are things that, you know, we could do

[54:41] as much research as we can,

[54:42] but of course you as the residents who live close

[54:45] to these amenities, know the condition

[54:47] of these amenities better than anyone.

[54:49] So thank you so much for that input.

[54:51] I think we can definitely add a line in there about that.

[54:57] - I would add to that I would say the same at, you know,

[55:01] tubs Meadow, usually that trash can is overflowing,

[55:05] not usually it has, I've seen it

[55:07] that way in in the past rather.

[55:10] And then there's also the

[55:13] Wildlife Refuge on, it's the one that has the tower,

[55:17] I forget the name of it all the time,

[55:19] but it's on that street that goes

[55:20] to pass the volunteer fire station

[55:23] - While, while it's wildlands trust on Bark Street.

[55:26] - Yes, yes. Wildlands trust. Exactly. Yeah.

[55:29] So I think maybe across the board, either increasing

[55:33] receptacles or, I know there's also a push for recycling

[55:36] and awareness in the month of March.

[55:40] So you know, maybe something around just awareness

[55:42] of helping with the stewardship I think would be helpful

[55:45] and then also potentially more receptacles.

[55:51] - Absolutely, yeah.

[55:52] I know that we did specifically call out stewardship

[55:57] in maintaining these recreational facilities

[56:02] just because we do at, at least when we toured the town it

[56:06] and from engaging with stakeholders

[56:09] and the, from the first public meeting for a lot of

[56:11] what we heard is that a lot of the towns athletic fields

[56:15] and playgrounds have fallen behind in terms

[56:17] of facility maintenance.

[56:21] Which I know part of that is

[56:23] because with the construction of the new community center,

[56:27] you know, some funds had to be moved around.

[56:29] So there's a question of, okay, whose responsibility is it?

[56:32] So I think the town could definitely benefit from, you know,

[56:36] more leadership direction, staffing funding

[56:39] and even potentially a volunteer run kind

[56:44] of maintenance group who could, you know, who of people

[56:47] who maybe have extra time on their hands, be it, you know,

[56:50] retired folks or,

[56:52] or maybe students in the summer who want to give back

[56:56] to their community and enjoy these facilities.

[56:58] I think that there could be,

[57:00] there's definitely several options that together could help

[57:03] to address these concerns.

[57:06] Absolutely. Yeah, I

[57:09] - Love that.

[57:10] Yeah.

[57:20] - And I can't see if anyone

[57:21] else has their hand up right now.

[57:22] I'm trying to, not,

[57:24] - Not yet Jennifer.

[57:25] But is there any other,

[57:27] is there another topic you anticipated discussing in this

[57:29] that you'd like to raise and see what generates from that?

[57:35] - Yeah, let's, well I'm gonna jump back into

[57:38] the slideshow too.

[57:41] I know we talked a bit about housing in terms

[57:45] of economic development.

[57:47] Do you feel like these goals

[57:48] and action items prioritize adequately

[57:54] the economic development that residents would like

[57:57] to see in Pembroke moving forward?

[58:00] Such as promoting and managing tourism

[58:04] or establishing collaborations between

[58:08] various businesses?

[58:10] - Would it be inappropriate to mention that

[58:12] that would increase revenue, which could help

[58:15] with things like staffing

[58:17] and extra services that we're unable to offer now

[58:20] and really stressing Absolutely.

[58:21] Economic development can help that?

[58:23] - Absolutely. No, I think that's a great point.

[58:25] I think that's something that a lot of times I, you know,

[58:29] I grew up in a very small town

[58:30] and sometimes it, it's weird to think

[58:33] that we do need more businesses in order to

[58:36] support our community

[58:37] and not have all the burden be on the residential taxpayers.

[58:42] But I think that's absolutely something that needs

[58:44] to be considered and talked about even in small towns.

[58:48] You know, it's really important to have these,

[58:50] the businesses and you know, you can integrate businesses

[58:54] and support businesses

[58:55] and encourage new business owners to come into town

[58:58] and not change the, the character of the town in doing so.

[59:03] - That's an excellent point, Jennifer,

[59:05] 'cause I think that's a concern of some of the folks

[59:07] who raised their families here

[59:09] and the balance, I know you cover in the plan.

[59:12] Can you discuss that a little,

[59:14] - The balance between economic development

[59:17] and maintaining small town character?

[59:21] - Yes ma'am. - Yeah, absolutely.

[59:24] I mean I think that's part of the bigger discussion

[59:27] around land use

[59:29] and determining, you know, through plans like this

[59:35] establishing what residents would like to see in terms

[59:39] of types of businesses.

[59:42] I think that goes a long way in encouraging

[59:44] and kind of directing which business owners may want

[59:48] to come into the town.

[59:50] So I think if, you know residents are able

[59:53] to share their voices and participate in active communities

[59:58] discussion, I think you can really create

[1:00:01] or foster, you know, the kinds of

[1:00:06] the kind of economic growth that the town specifically wants

[1:00:10] to see and you can kind of direct

[1:00:12] and cater that growth in a certain way.

[1:00:15] So I think

[1:00:17] - So far what is your feedback then?

[1:00:21] - My feedback for the balance

[1:00:23] - From the residents on the questionnaires

[1:00:25] with the plan in terms of what kinds

[1:00:27] of economic development they'd like to see?

[1:00:29] Is there anything to discuss there?

[1:00:32] - I think it's mostly still maintaining the small scale like

[1:00:35] family owned businesses, retail, you know, there is that

[1:00:40] major economic corridor along Route three.

[1:00:43] But I think for the rest of the town there's the

[1:00:48] desire to kind of maintain smaller businesses,

[1:00:52] which I think is fair.

[1:00:53] But I think you can also incorporate a range of businesses,

[1:00:58] like even if they are like a smaller size in smaller

[1:01:02] buildings by focusing on a range of, you know,

[1:01:05] healthcare businesses and also sports and recreation

[1:01:10] or restaurants or retail.

[1:01:13] By encouraging that

[1:01:15] and kind of codifying for that in the zoning code too,

[1:01:18] that is one way that residents

[1:01:20] and the town can specifically

[1:01:24] encourage specific kinds of development

[1:01:27] to come in to the community.

[1:01:29] And I think along Route three too, there was, you know,

[1:01:34] some conversation of, you know, there's,

[1:01:39] sorry, some like industrial properties along Route three

[1:01:43] and many of them are vacant.

[1:01:44] So encouraging land

[1:01:49] that is already developed upon to have some kind

[1:01:53] of new ownership or to encourage new businesses to come in

[1:01:56] and fill those vacant spots.

[1:01:58] I think that should be a priority for Pembroke over,

[1:02:01] you know, there's a lot of priority to save

[1:02:04] and conserve natural land.

[1:02:06] So instead of potentially developing on some new, you know,

[1:02:11] that new land that would've

[1:02:12] otherwise been conserved for natural resources

[1:02:18] by looking towards infill development

[1:02:20] or encouraging businesses to redevelop land

[1:02:25] that was already previously developed.

[1:02:26] I think that's one way that you can kind of balance the

[1:02:30] economic growth and you know,

[1:02:34] maintaining the current character of the town.

[1:02:37] - No, that's excellent.

[1:02:39] Have you had other experience with other communities

[1:02:42] where they have struggled with similar issues

[1:02:45] and you heard something that was just revolutionary?

[1:02:50] - Absolutely. I mean I think that's a,

[1:02:51] that's a big challenge for a lot of communities,

[1:02:53] especially in the metro Boston area balancing,

[1:02:58] especially with, with populations that are moving out

[1:03:02] of the city and moving into these org

[1:03:04] or into these smaller communities, you know,

[1:03:07] with more people it puts a lot of strain onto

[1:03:11] current infrastructure and current businesses there.

[1:03:13] So you kind of have to figure out unique ways to level up.

[1:03:18] But I think the communities who work closely

[1:03:21] with their chambers of commerce too

[1:03:24] and who, you know, create ties between the school systems,

[1:03:29] the chamber of commerce, the libraries,

[1:03:31] and who really kind of share the information of

[1:03:35] what they hear in town, I think those are

[1:03:38] the like well positioned to bring in businesses

[1:03:42] that cater to their residents needs.

[1:03:45] I'll have to get back to you on like specifics.

[1:03:48] - No worries, no worries.

[1:03:49] Angela, did you wanna say something?

[1:03:51] - Yes, Jennifer, along that line,

[1:03:55] the old Christmas tree shop location.

[1:04:00] - Okay, - Is there plans for that?

[1:04:03] 'cause I think that would be a great area to

[1:04:06] put something in that families with children,

[1:04:12] teenagers, young adults could go to.

[1:04:16] Because right now I am the mother of, well used

[1:04:20] to be a teenager, a young man now,

[1:04:22] but they go out of Pembroke

[1:04:25] because there's nothing in Pembroke for them to do,

[1:04:29] - Right? Yeah. So they

[1:04:31] - Travel to other communities and spend their dollars there.

[1:04:34] So I was thinking that location right off the extra sway,

[1:04:38] like you said, it's already developed.

[1:04:40] There's a great parking lot, a huge building

[1:04:45] to put something in there that's interactive

[1:04:48] so our kids could go there and you know, let off some steam.

[1:04:55] - Jennifer, do you mind if I throw something out and,

[1:04:58] and I don't know that this is not gonna wind up being

[1:05:00] relevant in the long haul, but Angela,

[1:05:02] the select board were approached, was approached

[1:05:04] by a business owner who asked them to go to town meeting

[1:05:09] and get another package store license for that location,

[1:05:12] which is not what you're talking about.

[1:05:14] I'm sorry about that. But yeah, as far

[1:05:16] as I know now it's still up in the air what the future of

[1:05:19] that's gonna wind up being.

[1:05:21] But to your point,

[1:05:23] and I'm gonna be quiet now so Jennifer can answer how,

[1:05:26] what is the way to appeal to a business where you could try

[1:05:29] to bring someone in

[1:05:30] and what kinds of thoughts do you have surrounding

[1:05:33] those kinds of businesses?

[1:05:35] That would be, as Angela put it, for the underserved

[1:05:39] age groups in our town,

[1:05:41] what could bring in business revenue, so forth?

[1:05:47] - Right. So that is a very loaded question

[1:05:50] because now we're getting into ape a specific site

[1:05:55] and you know, VHB does some site planning

[1:05:58] and I've worked on some site plans and it's interesting

[1:06:02] because it comes down to ownership

[1:06:05] and what the owner of that land

[1:06:08] and of that property, you know, wants to do with that.

[1:06:11] But I think if you can engage again through

[1:06:16] chambers of commerce or maybe even working with

[1:06:20] like regional planning agencies,

[1:06:22] sometimes they have some insights into,

[1:06:27] into types of businesses

[1:06:31] that are growing in popularity in the region

[1:06:34] and can kind of provide some guidance in how

[1:06:37] to get connected with people who may be looking for

[1:06:41] new spots to grow.

[1:06:44] I know one thing that's popular with the people

[1:06:48] my age in their like twenties

[1:06:49] and thirties is like micro breweries.

[1:06:53] Like people are talking about that

[1:06:54] because it's a place where you can go for food or drinks

[1:06:57] or you know, it's a place where you can be social

[1:06:59] with, with other people.

[1:07:01] So I know that there's like, you know, different trends

[1:07:04] that kind of come up and sway down.

[1:07:07] And so being able to have a space that can adapt to

[1:07:12] multiple uses I think is the best way to move forward

[1:07:14] with a site that, you know is central in town

[1:07:18] and right off the right off of Route three.

[1:07:22] So there's, there's many ways to handle, you know,

[1:07:25] a site plan, but there's,

[1:07:26] and there's many factors involved like ownership

[1:07:28] and you know, money and who's gonna pay for it

[1:07:31] and who's should it be redeveloped

[1:07:32] or can we, can we use the property as it exists

[1:07:36] and just change the facade.

[1:07:37] You know, there's many different discussions to go on there,

[1:07:40] but I totally agree that if it is an underused property

[1:07:44] and it could be, you know, changed

[1:07:47] and better address the needs of residents

[1:07:51] and specific populations that may

[1:07:54] otherwise be underserved, I think

[1:07:56] that's totally a conversation that

[1:07:58] people could bring up with their chambers of commerce.

[1:08:00] Just to gauge interest

[1:08:01] of potential buyers in the area who may be interested.

[1:08:06] - Katrina has another question. Go ahead Katrina.

[1:08:11] - Sure. Yeah, I was just gonna add to that in terms of some

[1:08:15] of the data that was in the master plan

[1:08:19] and also what I know as a, as a parent, it it would be great

[1:08:24] to have is a public pool, something like that was mentioned,

[1:08:29] a public pool or splash pad

[1:08:31] or even indoor recreational facilities.

[1:08:35] Like if it was something I obviously we're going

[1:08:39] to have the community center so it would have

[1:08:41] to not overlap, but I see exercise facilities as well.

[1:08:45] So maybe some sort of mixed use situation

[1:08:48] that addresses some of the major recreation areas

[1:08:52] that folks in Pembroke said were needed most.

[1:08:56] So I appreciate the conversation.

[1:08:59] So I will give some feedback to the Chamber

[1:09:02] of Commerce based on this.

[1:09:04] Thank you.

[1:09:08] - Absolutely. I have to say mixed use is finitely a,

[1:09:12] you know, I can say this 'cause I'm a planner.

[1:09:14] I'm a very much in favor of mixed use as much

[1:09:18] as possible just because it usually brings together

[1:09:21] like it the name, it brings together a mix of different uses

[1:09:24] so people like it, that kind of development caters

[1:09:29] to several different population groups at once usually.

[1:09:33] So I think that's definitely a great idea

[1:09:35] and I would definitely be interested

[1:09:36] to learning more about the Christmas treaty shop site.

[1:09:40] So it sounds like a, it could be a great

[1:09:42] opportunity for Pembroke.

[1:09:45] - We have a, we have a shy question coming in from outside

[1:09:49] as far as business goes, Jennifer, is the fact

[1:09:52] that Pembroke is a septic town

[1:09:54] and does not have a central sewer gonna be an issue

[1:09:58] that we face bringing in some

[1:09:59] of the larger businesses we might wanna appeal to

[1:10:04] - With my very limited knowledge of septic

[1:10:07] and sewer, I would say that it really depends

[1:10:12] on the type of business that is coming in

[1:10:17] and what they, what their facility

[1:10:20] or their property will be used for.

[1:10:23] Obviously if you have manufacturing

[1:10:24] or industrial uses, it's gonna require a lot more water

[1:10:28] and a lot more septic power.

[1:10:32] - Our finance committee really did try to push

[1:10:34] for a little while that concept of a hotel

[1:10:37] having a stopping place along Route three

[1:10:39] that break off on the highway and Power Brook.

[1:10:42] - Right? Yeah, so I mean I think there,

[1:10:46] there are definitely ways that you can work

[1:10:49] around not having a, you know, a municipal sewer.

[1:10:56] There's a lot of, I've, I've seen some developments where

[1:11:01] there's a balance of septic usage

[1:11:04] and then there's also a lot

[1:11:05] of like green infrastructure too.

[1:11:06] That's been like a big push recently is developments having

[1:11:09] green infrastructure where you have part of the site

[1:11:14] set aside for like leaching fields.

[1:11:18] So there's, there's definitely ways to work around it.

[1:11:20] It just involves some kind of unique

[1:11:26] like architectural features

[1:11:28] or like

[1:11:32] site planning sometimes.

[1:11:35] So I, I wouldn't say it's necessarily, I think, you know,

[1:11:39] there, there are benefits to having sewer

[1:11:42] but I think that the town without sewer could still have,

[1:11:45] it could still bring in new businesses

[1:11:47] and through creative site planning still maintain, you know,

[1:11:53] have everything be safe

[1:11:54] and up to code without a sewer system.

[1:11:57] - Okay, thank you. Katrina, did you wanna follow up?

[1:12:02] - Yes. One thing that I know I was just thinking about,

[1:12:07] you know, capitalizing on our water areas, I wonder

[1:12:11] if we've thought about getting with a canoe

[1:12:16] and kayak rental situation that could be a money maker

[1:12:20] for the town in some way.

[1:12:24] I know that there's the town landing

[1:12:25] and in the past they've had some, you know,

[1:12:29] or I don't know if they were for borrowing or what have you.

[1:12:32] But just thinking about the ways in which we can use our

[1:12:35] natural resources to build revenue for the town.

[1:12:42] - I think that's a stellar idea.

[1:12:45] Active transportation or not active transportation.

[1:12:48] Active recreation, especially in Massachusetts.

[1:12:52] I think in the summers and falls right is key.

[1:12:55] You know, people want to be outside. Yeah.

[1:12:58] And I've seen some really cool, I'll have

[1:13:01] to find this article,

[1:13:02] but I think, you know, the city of Boston has some like

[1:13:06] storage lockers where people can rent

[1:13:10] the news or paddle boards.

[1:13:11] So I think even having something as as simple as that

[1:13:15] and would go a long way

[1:13:17] - And so sorry to cut you off,

[1:13:19] it builds on Pembroke's history

[1:13:20] because it used to be like a vacation time.

[1:13:22] Right, right. And so I feel like

[1:13:24] that could be really powerful and a money maker.

[1:13:28] So also yeah, that's also helpful. Yeah,

[1:13:30] - Yeah, absolutely.

[1:13:31] I totally agree and I think

[1:13:34] that could be a great conversation to have

[1:13:36] with the recreation committee in town.

[1:13:39] - Yeah. Thank you for letting me know which committee?

[1:13:42] I will write that down as well. Thank you. Yeah.

[1:13:57] - So you have a couple of minutes left, Jennifer.

[1:13:59] Not a lot of time, but do you have anything

[1:14:01] that hasn't been touched on yet that you wanted to inquire

[1:14:04] of the group that you have here?

[1:14:07] - Yeah, so I guess one of our other

[1:14:12] chapters was about natural resources.

[1:14:16] So I would love to hear, you know,

[1:14:18] we've talked a little bit about the recreational resources

[1:14:20] that the town has, like town landing

[1:14:24] and some of the Ponds and Lagoon Park and Hering Run Park.

[1:14:29] So one of the things

[1:14:30] that came up Repe repeatedly in the first public meeting

[1:14:33] was the desire to have some connective trails between

[1:14:38] these, between these facilities.

[1:14:41] Is that something that, you know, you as the residents

[1:14:46] feel strongly about that, you know,

[1:14:48] Pembroke should really focus on making some of these

[1:14:52] more formal connections between these areas?

[1:14:56] - That would be great. And actually something

[1:14:58] that I've wanted having like been walked

[1:15:00] around in them a bunch when I was little,

[1:15:02] it would be awesome to be able to connect, like, you know,

[1:15:07] I, it, it may connect,

[1:15:08] but I'm not sure from the herring run to the, to the wild,

[1:15:13] whatever that thing is, I keep forgetting the

[1:15:14] name. Wild, wild

[1:15:16] - Wildlands Trust.

[1:15:17] - Thank you. I, the street next to me is Wildwood,

[1:15:20] so that's all I wanted to say.

[1:15:23] Thank you. Yeah, so having that connection

[1:15:26] or you know, between Tubbs Meadow

[1:15:28] and another, you know, maybe behind the, that connects

[1:15:32] to the high school even, I feel like that could be great.

[1:15:37] - Absolutely. Yeah.

[1:15:38] That's definitely something that we highlighted in the

[1:15:40] report, so I just wanted to confirm there community too.

[1:15:42] Like, I think there's great benefits to having connections

[1:15:45] between, between these Yeah.

[1:15:48] You know, value places. Yeah, I see Chris has his hand up.

[1:15:54] - Thanks. I, so yeah, the, the public land and access to it.

[1:15:58] I've been a resident of Pembroke since 96

[1:16:00] and it's something that my family and

[1:16:03] and myself use quite quite a bit.

[1:16:05] Whether it's just, you know, walking through their solo

[1:16:08] or with our dogs or, or whatever it might be.

[1:16:11] The thing that I, I, I'm interested about is

[1:16:14] accessing public land for the use of hunting.

[1:16:18] So was there any discussion given,

[1:16:22] or anybody, you know, in the initial meetings where,

[1:16:27] where that was brought up?

[1:16:30] I think connecting some of these properties like Willowbrook

[1:16:32] and, and you know, the herring run

[1:16:34] and all that sort of stuff is, is great.

[1:16:37] My concern would be that as we, you know, spread out

[1:16:42] and bring pathways to connect these places,

[1:16:45] that we lose access to the minimal public land

[1:16:49] that we have presently for the purpose of game hunting.

[1:16:55] - That is a great question

[1:16:57] and something I would have to get back to you on,

[1:17:00] because I actually, that wasn't really brought up in many

[1:17:04] of the conversations that we had with stakeholders,

[1:17:09] like with the recreation committee.

[1:17:11] I would really like to learn more about that.

[1:17:14] So do you know, can you tell me

[1:17:16] where hunting is currently permitted?

[1:17:20] - So certainly, you know, private land providing it, it is,

[1:17:23] you know, in accordance with all distances from dwellings

[1:17:26] and roads and all that good stuff.

[1:17:29] There's some, you know, public land spots in town.

[1:17:35] I don't know who's listening, so I'm kind of hesitant

[1:17:37] to give it out in case I give a good spot.

[1:17:39] But there's the old chip tech

[1:17:44] location off of was Washington

[1:17:48] and Pleasant Street, which is 200 and some odd acres.

[1:17:52] It's the old stump town pond area.

[1:17:54] I know there's a quite a few people that, that hunt out

[1:17:57] that way, whether it's deer or, or waterfowl

[1:17:59] or, you know, whatever during given seasons, obviously

[1:18:02] that's not necessarily one of these, you know, areas

[1:18:05] that I think we would, you know, maybe try to connect to.

[1:18:08] Right. You know, other things, but,

[1:18:11] and there's other places around town.

[1:18:13] - Yeah. - Yeah,

[1:18:15] - I think it would just, yeah, all those connections would

[1:18:17] have to be very mindful

[1:18:18] and planned out so that

[1:18:21] other activities on the area such as, yeah.

[1:18:24] Game hunting or not.

[1:18:26] - And I, it, it could be done

[1:18:27] because I, I know like in in Norwell the town, you know,

[1:18:32] a couple towns over, right?

[1:18:35] They have similar, you know, similar open space areas

[1:18:40] and conservation land and with trails and whatnot

[1:18:43] and they, they do allow in certain, in certain areas,

[1:18:46] you know, hunting on portions of those, you know,

[1:18:49] of those properties where there are trails.

[1:18:50] So it's, it can be done

[1:18:52] and it can be done in a way that's, that's, you know,

[1:18:54] effective and, and safe and, and easily managed.

[1:19:00] - Right. Very good to know. Yeah.

[1:19:02] Taking note of that right now. Thank you.

[1:19:05] - I did see hunting one time in the report.

[1:19:08] It was listed under, somebody listed it under

[1:19:12] which recreation asset do you think the town needs?

[1:19:15] I think it, but it was under other,

[1:19:17] so it seems like maybe there weren't too many

[1:19:19] responses, but it did come up.

[1:19:20] - Okay. Thank you Katrina.

[1:19:29] And then, let's see, I know we're getting

[1:19:30] to the end of our time here.

[1:19:32] - I was gonna say, I think you only have four

[1:19:34] or five minutes left to wrap up.

[1:19:35] Is there any last one, you know, words?

[1:19:38] - Well, I just wanted to thank you all for

[1:19:41] your feedback tonight.

[1:19:42] I think, you know, whether it's conversations about housing

[1:19:45] or recreational facilities

[1:19:48] or diversity

[1:19:50] and inclusion, I think these are all very important comments

[1:19:53] that we will integrate into the report after this time.

[1:19:58] You know, this is a community driven report,

[1:20:00] community oriented report.

[1:20:01] So it's very important that we have these conversations

[1:20:04] and I really appreciate you all, you know,

[1:20:07] giving us this feedback today.

[1:20:11] Katrina, I here have your hand up.

[1:20:14] - Sorry. Yes, I was just gonna say, go ahead.

[1:20:17] One thing, overall, I really appreciate the space

[1:20:19] and the way that you designed the session, so thank you all.

[1:20:22] I know a lot of work went into this.

[1:20:25] One thing I was gonna say is just the need for

[1:20:28] thinking about people across the lifespan, right?

[1:20:31] From birth to, to, you know, end of life

[1:20:34] and how we support all people, you know, babies,

[1:20:37] toddlers, children, everybody.

[1:20:39] - Just a few closing comments,

[1:20:42] - Guys, to wrap up back to it.

[1:20:44] - We're taking some time on Thursday.

[1:20:47] Thank you Sabr evening to come out.

[1:20:48] - Thank you Katrina too for your

[1:20:49] - Thoughts and share your thoughts.

[1:20:50] Had some really lively, interesting discussions tonight. So

[1:20:55] - Again, your, your input is very much appreciated.

[1:20:59] So in terms of our process, we are

[1:21:03] on the last stretch of our process.

[1:21:05] The plan is in a final draft format,

[1:21:08] as you can see around the room.

[1:21:10] So what we have in front of us for Julia and I

[1:21:14] and the rest of the team, we're gonna take

[1:21:16] what we heard tonight and go back and,

[1:21:19] and do one final pass at the master plan

[1:21:22] makes making any updates based on the, the comments

[1:21:25] and discussions that we've had.

[1:21:27] And, and that final document will be available for review.

[1:21:30] So that's the planning process.

[1:21:34] What comes after planning is implementing,

[1:21:37] and that's a whole bigger challenge than planning,

[1:21:41] which is okay, you have a lot of actions that have been

[1:21:46] articulated, how do those get carried forward?

[1:21:49] So we're gonna stay in touch with these, with the

[1:21:53] master plan coordination committee in terms of

[1:21:56] how they can work with the town government

[1:21:59] to figure out the best approach to implementation.

[1:22:02] And I've, I've had some good conversations about it tonight,

[1:22:05] but I guess what I'll leave you with is that

[1:22:10] it would be great if this plan doesn't become a collector

[1:22:14] of dust on a shelf somewhere

[1:22:16] because some plans do, that's what happens to some plans.

[1:22:20] Other plans, not so much.

[1:22:22] Other plans get implemented

[1:22:24] because there's people who bring a lot of energy to the task

[1:22:28] of taking what's in the plan

[1:22:30] and making sure that they carry the ball down the field.

[1:22:33] An example is the town of Westboro.

[1:22:35] We prepare West Borough's master plan a few years ago.

[1:22:40] We've been working with them since then in an advisory

[1:22:43] capacity on implementing the actions from the master plan.

[1:22:47] So every year they get a new list

[1:22:49] of the top priority actions

[1:22:51] and they find champions to carry them forward.

[1:22:55] So I implore you to find it in yourselves

[1:22:58] and among yourselves and,

[1:23:01] and working with each other to, to find

[1:23:03] and harness that energy to carry these forward

[1:23:06] because there's a lot of good ideas

[1:23:08] that have come up in this process

[1:23:11] and it's partially thanks to us,

[1:23:13] but largely thankful to you guys

[1:23:15] for attending events like this

[1:23:17] and sharing your thoughts with us.

[1:23:19] So we look forward to continuing to be part of that dialogue

[1:23:23] with you and making sure that you guys can find a way to,

[1:23:27] to push things forward because these days everything is

[1:23:31] changing so rapidly in the economy and housing

[1:23:35] and the environment and everything else.

[1:23:37] And it is absolutely imperative that you remain vigilant

[1:23:43] in your planning processes

[1:23:44] and making sure that Pembroke remains resilient

[1:23:48] and in the face

[1:23:49] of all these changes. So thank you all so much.

[1:23:52] - Thank.

Pembroke Master Plan Public Forum: 2/29/24

Transcript