> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://pembrokecitizenjournal.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Turner House Will Not Move, Votes Pushed to Town Meeting - URL: https://pembrokecitizenjournal.com/town-hall/select-board-meeting-oct-7-2026/ - Published: 2026-10-09T12:00:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T22:25:13.000Z - Description: Engineers and the building inspector found the house too fragile to move, Town Manager Bill Chenard said, and the town will seek a demolition permit that goes before the Historic District Commission. - Author: Anne Stanton - Tags: Town Hall, Select Board The Select Board met Wednesday night to discuss the Code of Conduct, South Shore Recycling Cooperative (SSRC) agreement, and Town Manager Review process. They also announced the status of the Turner House move. Executive Director of the [SSRC](https://ssrcoop.info/), Claire Galkowski,spoke to the Select Board regarding a proposed Intermunicipal Agreement (IMA). The PCJ will be providing reporting on this in depth in another article this week. Town Manager Bill Chenard reported that town counsel reviewed the IMA, and had no issues with it and that he had also reviewed and recommended the agreement. The Select Board did not have time to review the agreement, as it was revised earlier in the day, and they voted to review the most recent version and move the vote to October 20, prior to Town Meeting. The Town Manager review process vote will also be moved to October 20; that meeting will be posted and open to the public. The final version of the Code of Conduct was announced, and Select Board member Steve Ciccotti said it "tightens some things up and added some needed things. ...It's clean, it's readable, I like it, it's in a great state." The latest version was approved unanimously and will be posted on the town website under the Select Board page. ### Town Goals for 2026 The Board reviewed [2024 goals](https://www.pembroke-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4576/2024-Goals-Priorities-082724-0) accomplished, including presenting an annual grant report (it was noted that this should be an annual report), creating digital signage in Town Hall, updating the handbook for appointed committees, finalizing the plan for the Public Safety Building Project, and implementing the "Hometown Heroes" program. The goals for 2026 for **Economic Development** will include investigating a shared grant writer, collaborating with zoning and concerned residents to achieve Chiptech property development, complete ARPA root cause and corrective action plan, and releasing appropriated CPC funding from defunct projects. Under **Communication and Town Engagement**, there are goals to establish State of the Town annual address, update the door-to-door solicitation policy, and collaborate with the Recycling Committee to reduce recycling contamination. **Efficiency in Town Government** included town manager goals and review process, collaboration with the CPC on a master plan, and stewardship of Pembroke's natural resources will carry over all goals from 2024, as none had been achieved. **Goals for General Infrastructure** include IT facilities for the town, improved vegetation maintenance for town-owned properties, complete all boat ramp improvements, and a plan for the Council on Aging and Hatch building usage. The Board accepted these goals, and they will be posted on the Select Board page. ### Town Manager Report Chenard started his report with the good news that Pembroke has been awarded multiple grants totaling $1.5 million dollars with additional grants in process. These grants will address Oak Street traffic signals for new building development and water infrastructure improvements that will reduce the town's costs by $1 million dollars. "And getting to the bad news," Chenard reported the moving contractor asked to remove siding from the Turner house so they could stabilize it, and it was determined that the structure was too fragile to move. "Our own engineers, general contractor, Vertex, engineers that were part of the move and the building inspector have all reviewed the structure and have all determined that it is unsafe." He went on to say that it is so unstable they were restricting people from entering the building. The plan to move the house included engineering and foundation work that had already been completed. Chenard said that to be able to move the house, it would need to be re-built. The town does not have the funds for this, and the Safety Building needs to stay on schedule for completion. Chenard is filing for a demolition permit on Thursday, as the structure is a loss and "it is the only choice the town has." He added that efforts would be made to preserve anything remaining inside. Ciccotti asked if it was worth asking the interested parties if there were pieces of the house that could be salvaged that they would like to keep. Chenard agreed but pointed out that the inside of the building had been mostly gutted. The town will save money on this project, even with the demolition costs, and this money will be returned to the town. The Historic District Commission (HDC) will hold a hearing on the demolition, possibly scheduled for next week, and if they vote not to demolish the building "it will be a major problem and major cost" and it will delay the completion of the Public Safety Building, Chenard said. Select Board member Dan Trabucco said, "let's go through the process," and the Board agreed that they would authorize the application of the demolition permit. Board member Sean Keegan reported on the walk through at the 40B project in Duxbury that impacts Pembroke. This is another topic that will be covered in depth by the PCJ. Keegan said, "They're \[Duxbury\] getting their 40B, they're getting tax revenue, and we're getting waste treatment. They're taking water, utilities, they're dumping out onto a road that really is . . . a very small road. I don't see the benefit to Pembroke." Board Member Dan Trabucco pointed out that because of the 40B status in the state, there are limited options to stop the development. But the town needs to consider what can be done, if development proceeds, to ensure an agreement is written that will somehow benefit the town of Pembroke.