[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.