Mattakeesett Village Progress

This so called "40B" project involves construction of a 66-unit age-restricted (55 and over) rental community at the former Shepherd Funeral Home location at 7 Mattakeesett Street in Pembroke. Until recently, the site featured a two-story funeral home that ceased operations [when?] and had been dormant since.

Chapter 40B, also known as the Comprehensive Permit Law, was enacted in 1969 to help expand the number of communities and neighborhoods where households with low and moderate incomes could afford a safe and affordable home. The law aims to reduce barriers to production created by local approval processes, local zoning, and other restrictions.

The JJ Shepherd funeral home is gone.

Chapter 40B also establishes a mandate for all communities in Massachusetts to have a minimum of 10 percent of their housing stock be affordable to middle and lower income households. The law allows developers to bypass some local zoning bylaws for projects that contain housing units affordable to households earning below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), as well as a state appeals process in the event that a local zoning board denies the application.

The original project was approved by the town in [early 2023?]. After [how long?], in [when?] the developer amended those plans to include a third building, planned to be public house (pub) or tavern. That revised application also reconfigured the bedroom/unit numbers and addressed parking issues associated with the inclusion of the pub.

What’s new is that the funeral home is now gone and the lot has been cleared. Does that mean the project is finally underway? Not quite. As of January 8, 2026, only a demolition permit has been issued. No building permit has yet been obtained by the developer [Bristol Bros. Development Corp.? still?].  

Massachusetts public houses (inns, taverns) have a rich history, serving as crucial colonial gathering spots, revolutionary hotspots (like the Old South Meeting House), and evolving into historic inns and modern pubs, with iconic examples like the Publick House in Sturbridge (1771) and The Wayside Inn in Sudbury (300+ years old). The thirsty of Pembroke are watching.