Over the objections of a few, including the county representative, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday voted to adopt the Island plan, the ambitious and far-reaching initiative by the commission seeking to chart the Island’s course over the next 50 years.

“I firmly believe that adoption of this plan is premature,” said Carlene Gatting, the Dukes County Commission representative who lives in Edgartown. “Once it is adopted it will become kind of our bible . . . Edgartown selectmen do not believe the people know enough about this plan.”

She added: “Why not pave the road to yes, instead of rushing to no?”

But other commissioners vigorously disagreed with Ms. Gatting’s evaluation, noting the plan has been four years in the making and was created with the help of dozens of steering committee members and public testimony gathered at numerous informational meetings that were advertised and broadcast on television.

“If people don’t know what’s in this document by now, then they should do the hard work and read it,” said Douglas Sederholm, an elected member from Chilmark. “This has been vetted to death . . . it’s been worked and worked and worked by people who are truly dedicated to it . . . I see no reason for further dithering on this. I think we should adopt it.”

Commissioner Ned Orleans, an appointed member from Tisbury, reminded everyone that the plan is a nonbinding document. And he had strong words for the recent crop of Island Plan critics, saying they are deceiving the public into thinking the plan will trigger zoning and policy changes in the six Island towns.

“It we adopt this I don’t think it gives us any incredible power — that all of a sudden we can do whatever we damn please. All of a sudden that feeling seems to be afoot in various places around the Island, and it doesn’t make sense,” Mr. Orleans said, adding:

“I am tired of the paranoia that often exists between the towns and the commission. And this is a perfect example of the paranoia I am talking about. It is simply not justified.”

Mr. Orleans was referring in part to the recent criticism of the Island Plan from the Edgartown selectmen, who said recently that it needs further public airing.

Members of the Island Plan steering committee went to selectmen in all six Island towns in recent weeks for a final round of discussion, and for the most part the feedback was positive. Selectmen in West Tisbury and Chilmark were generally encouraging, but did raise questions about how the plan will be put into effect.

Jim Powell, appointed to the MVC by the West Tisbury selectmen, also spoke against adopting the plan last week. He referred to a Sept. 30 meeting between the planning board and selectmen in his town during which officials raised concerns that the plan needed more vetting.

“This will require cooperation by the towns, and I know the Island does not always speak with one voice . . . what’s important to consider are the political realities and how selectmen proceed . . . they do not feel they had adequate education and they should have more time to consider [this plan],” he said.

In the end the commission voted 10-2 to adopt the plan, with Ms. Gatting and Mr. Powell casting dissenting votes The two Edgartown commission members, chairman Christina Brown and James Athearn, voted to adopt the plan.

Mr. Athearn, a previous chairman of the Island Plan steering committee, said the planning document was the result of hundreds of hours of hard work by people who were experts in their field. “This is a very clear vision of what the future of Martha’s Vineyard should be . . . it was important to document these goals,” he said.

Linda Sibley, an elected member from West Tisbury who has served since 1992, said more than enough time has been spent crafting the plan.

“After four years I think the commission should honor all the hard work, really the brilliant work, that went into creating this vision for the future of this Island. We should adopt this as a living, breathing document . . . there has to be a point where we stop talking about it and adopt it . . . that doesn’t mean we can’t still gather information and make changes,” she said.

An overview of the Island Plan, sometimes called the short document version, lays out several challenges the Vineyard currently faces. Current zoning could allow as many as 11,800 more homes to be built, the plan states, and every year roughly 600 acres of woods and fields are developed.

Residential septic systems and fertilizers have polluted the ponds and require a cleanup estimated to cost between $75 and $150 million, the plan states, and the $132,000 income needed to purchase a median $650,000 home is more than twice what most Islanders make.

The plan also names 11 major goals, including conserving the Vineyard’s distinct ecological regions, restoring the health of the salt ponds and bays, protecting the diverse character of the six Island towns, producing as much food and energy on-Island as possible and promoting affordable housing.

The goals are supported by strategies, such as directing development away from environmentally sensitive areas to more appropriate regions through zoning changes, adopting rate of growth regulations, requiring partial open space protection as properties are developed and establishing a program to encourage green-building standards for existing buildings.

Other strategies include creating a new financial mechanism such as a revolving loan fund to promote investment in local enterprise, adopting an energy code for new construction, creating a world-class heritage tourism program, an Island Housing Bank, and a management committee for each coastal pond.

“Instead of letting the Vineyard drift off into a future that isn’t what we want, we can take charge of the Island’s future and change course,” the plan states. “Our knowledgeable and highly engaged community has been tested many times in the past, often emerging with our own creative solutions. And we can do it again.”

Commissioners last Thursday agreed many of the strategies may require the towns to adopt new zoning bylaws, but they noted that such changes would require the approval of voters at town meeting.

The motion to adopt the plan, made by Mr. Orleans, included a provision stating the commission would hold a series of informational meetings in the coming weeks to gather comment, hear concerns and answer questions.

Before the vote, commissioner Andrew Woodruff offered a final thought.

“This is the vision for the Island I wished for 30 years ago. I am heartbroken that some of these changes haven’t already taken place here . . . but I am excited we have this plan now,” he said.