The West Tisbury byways committee has recommended including the Dr. Fisher Road in an expanded Martha’s Vineyard Commission special ways protection zone, after hearing complaints from residents about an increasing number of dump trucks and trash haulers traveling on the road.

Several residents appeared before the West Tisbury selectmen on Wednesday to complain about construction trucks on their formerly quiet, bucolic roadway. Several years ago, a property along Dr. Fisher road was sold to developer Peter Williams, who in turn leased space to Bizarro’s Waste Disposal.

As a result, dump trucks now regularly travel the road, creating concerns about safety and traffic, the residents said.

“It’s not a place you want to walk your dog anymore,” said Constance Breese. “There are already at least seven dump trucks using Dr. Fisher Road . . . and there may be more on the way.”

Ann Bassett, chairman of the byways committee, told selectmen her committee heard concerns from residents about the possibility of more commercial operations moving to the area. The byways committee recently nominated Checamo and Stoney Hill Paths for inclusion in the special ways district of critical planning concern; Ms. Bassett said the committee has agreed to add Dr. Fisher Road and Pine Hill Path to the nomination.

Ms. Bassett said Dr. Fisher Road is already a protected district of critical planning concern (DCPC), but the regulations are broad and permissive. Town zoning bylaws for the road state only that use of the road is “permitted in the respective zoning district, provided that Dr. Fisher Road remain open to the public.”

Jo-Ann Taylor, DCPC coordinator for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, said the Dr. Fisher Road zone was created in the 1970s, not long after the commission was created. Initially, the entire road spanning West Tisbury and Edgartown was considered for nomination as a special way, but Edgartown successfully lobbied for less stringent regulations that simply kept the road open to the public.

Now the selectmen must decide whether to approve the byways committee recommendation to add Dr. Fisher Road and Pine Hill Path to the nomination already before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. A public hearing on the nomination is scheduled for Thursday, August 7 when the commission will decide whether to accept it.

If the nomination is accepted, another public hearing will be held within 60 days and a temporary moratorium on development will go into effect around the five ancient ways. If after that hearing the commission votes to designate the roads as part of the special byways district, the moratorium will be extended until regulations are approved by voters at either a special or annual town meeting.

Several residents on Wednesday encouraged selectmen to approve the byways committee recommendation to add the two roads to the nomination.

“I’m just curious how serious the town is about preserving this road . . . nobody is looking at this problem. It’s kind of a disaster and its creeping up the road,” said Cheryl Stark, who lives on Dr. Fisher Road.

But executive secretary Jennifer Rand read a letter from planning board administrator Simone DeSorcy stating the board felt it “would be more prudent to keep the nomination as is, i.e. [only] Checamo and Stoney Hill Paths.

“If voters support their designation . . . then other ways in town could be added in the future.”

Selectman Dianne Powers suggested more review is in order. She said the town may want to consider a separate nomination for Dr. Fisher Road and Pine Hill path.

“I wouldn’t want to jeopardize the [DCPC] already before the commission; we don’t want to put too much into this . . . if it fails we won’t even know which part of the nomination caused it to fail,” Mrs. Powers said. “By adding [these two roads] I wonder if we aren’t simply muddying the waters.”

Daniel Larkosh, another resident of Dr. Fisher Road, said the problems might be better addressed through a zoning change. He said town voters approved a zoning change at the 2000 town meeting that opened the door for commercial activity on Dr. Fisher Road.

“It seems people living in a residential area are already paying the price for this commercial development. It would be encouraging to me for the town to take care of this on their own and consider a zoning change . . . the protection of the road doesn’t mean anything if you are allowing light industrial use in the area,” he said.

The nomination before the commission for Checamo and Stoney Hill Paths notes that the two paths predate the colonial era. The name Checamo is believed to be Algonquin, literally translated “path to the fishes.” The path was used by Wampanoags to travel from Lambert’s Cove to Duarte’s Pond, the nomination says.

“These two trails are part of a network of interconnecting trails that link all Island towns,” the nomination states. “They are a visible part of our history, and offer a hope for our future — as a safe alternative to roads monopolized by motor vehicles . . . uncontrolled or inappropriate development would compromise the free flow of foot and hoof passage on these trails, and possibly usurp them for vehicular traffic or block them entirely. Their loss would be irreplaceable.”

Selectmen eventually agreed to revisit the issue at their next meeting, one day before the commission will take up the nomination for Checamo and Stoney Hill Paths.