Somewhere Else Tavern Granted Pembroke's First Outdoor Live Entertainment License
Select Board approves seasonal music permit with noise monitoring requirements; owner pledges to be "good neighbor"
PEMBROKE - June 4 - The Pembroke Select Board unanimously approves the town's first outdoor live entertainment license for Somewhere Else Tavern, allowing music from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays between May 15 and November 1.
Jason Cook, owner of the tavern located at 65 School Street, tells the board that live music is essential to his business's survival.
"Financially, it would really hurt us if we weren't allowed to have this live music," Cook says. "We're looking for a niche that we can keep this thing going."
The approval comes with conditions, including noise monitoring and a mid-season review in August to address any potential issues.
Cook assures the board that his establishment will be vigilant about noise levels, using portable decibel meters to monitor sound every 15 minutes during performances.
"We're going to be very serious about the sound decibel machine," Cook says. "We're going to be very aware of that problem and that noise amount."
Several residents speak in support of the application, including Randy Croce, who lives across the street from the tavern.
"If we're in our backyard on our deck, you can hear the music. But if a car goes by, the car has drowned out the music," Croce says. "When people leave there, they're respectful. They don't peel out. They're not yelling. They're not swearing."
Carey Day, a longtime patron, emphasizes the establishment's mature clientele and quality entertainment.
"The average age of the people that go to Somewhere Else is between 50 and 53," Day says. "Jason hires musicians, not garage bands. There's a huge difference in quality."
Board member John Brown expresses initial concerns about the application, noting that the tavern has been hosting outdoor entertainment without proper permits since 2020.
"How can I help you out with an outdoor permit when you've been illegally doing it anyway for the past several years?" Brown asks.
Cook responds that he wasn't aware a permit was needed until last fall when approached by town officials.
"As soon as we were brought to our attention, sir, we went and did everything with the help of this woman right here who's been fantastic and very helpful to me," Cook says, referring to Assistant Town Manager Sabrina Chilcott.
Chilcott urges the board to establish clear guidelines for enforcement if the permit is approved.
"If this is going to be a yes vote, please figure out what those will look like so we can enforce them," Chilcott says. "Figure out what day, what time, what's acceptable, what terms are allowed, what isn't allowed, what would cause this to go away."
The board retains the right to revoke or suspend the license if problems arise, with Chair Tracy Marino noting that while the meeting comments were positive, the town had received numerous negative calls and emails from residents who did not attend.
In other news, Pembroke loses $495,000 in potential American Rescue Plan Act funding due to project delays and inability to meet Plymouth County's documentation requirements.
Town Manager Bill Chenard explains that while the town submitted applications by the county's October 24 deadline, the projects weren't far enough along in the bidding process.
"When they were doing, the County was doing their review they wanted to see contracts and bidding done," Chenard says. "We use in the town of Pembroke consultant engineers, we do not have engineers on staff, those projects got delayed slightly as a result of that, the County canceled those projects."
The canceled projects focused on water infrastructure improvements, including well number 4 and water main projects.
Chenard notes that Pembroke isn't alone in this situation, with neighboring Hanover experiencing a similar issue with a school project worth over $1 million.
"I talked to Joe and that was well over a million dollars that was a good amount of money," Chenard says. "I think they're frustrated."
Select Board Chair Tracy Marino expresses concern about the lost funding and asks for clarification on when the town was notified about the cancellations.
Chenard says he believes the notification came in December but couldn't provide an exact date, promising to follow up with that information.
"I have spent a significant amount of time going through this and looking at all the detail," Chenard says. "I went through their database and combed all the information I could possibly comb, it reflects cancel but it doesn't say when or by whom."
Despite the setback, Chenard highlights that the town did receive significant ARPA funding for other water projects.
The Select Board also addresses several other matters during the meeting:
- Trash Fee Increase: The board approves raising the annual solid waste fee from $400 to $440, which equals $8.46 per week for trash and recycling pickup. Chenard notes that Pembroke's rates remain comparatively low in the region and that the increase is driven by rising tipping and pickup contract costs.
- Municipal Aggregation: Chenard announces a new electricity rate of 13.99 cents per kilowatt hour starting November 1, down from 14.75 cents. The three-year contract is projected to save residents over $800,000 in electricity costs compared to National Grid rates.
- Grant Success: The town receives a $250,000 grant to upgrade its fiber optic system throughout municipal buildings and a $150,000 State Revolving Fund program award for water infrastructure at zero percent interest.
- Annual Reappointments: The board approves the slate of annual reappointments for various town positions and committees.
The meeting concludes with the board voting to enter executive session to discuss several matters, including collective bargaining, litigation, and real estate negotiations.