A sharply divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted last Thursday to hold another round of review for several proposed changes to the new YMCA building off Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, including a new walking bridge, outside basketball court, covered pavilion and temporary irrigation system.

The commission approved the 35,000-square foot, green-designed facility in 2007 on a five-acre property across from the regional high school as a development of regional impact (DRI). Construction is now nearing completion, and project planners hope to have the facility open in May.

But the YMCA is now proposing adding a walking bridge between the parking lot and the MV Arena, a handicapped-accessible playground, an outdoor basketball court on the site of the future gymnasium, a covered pavilion that would be used by the summer camp, and a temporary irrigation system to help the foundation plantings get established.

None of these plans were part of the original proposal approved by the commission three years ago. As a result the commission last week debated whether these changes were minor, and therefore did not require a public hearing, or substantial enough to merit a second round of review.

Several commissioners argued the changes were minor, and in most cases have already been discussed by project planners as a part of the second phase of the project, and therefore did not require a new review or a public hearing.

“What exactly are we talking about? Someone playing basketball during the day, a footbridge, which is not a big deal . . . a pavilion so the summer kids can get some shade,” commissioner Lenny Jason said. “Do we really need to go through a whole public hearing process?”

“I think you would have to expect this kind of activity from a YMCA building, and there aren’t a lot neighbors in the area,” agreed commissioner Andrew Woodruff.

But other commissioners argued the changes represented significant changes that necessitated a second public hearing. They also noted that construction crews hired by the YMCA clear-cut several patches of trees that were not part of the approved plan, in doing so destroying several vegetative buffers.

The clear-cutting has gotten the YMCA in trouble with the National Heritage and Endangered Species Program, which required those trees to be preserved to protect the habitat of several breeds of endangered rare moths. National Heritage is now requiring the YMCA to submit a mitigation plan, outlining how the agency will remedy the problem.

As of this week that plan still hasn’t been approved.

Several commissioners suggested the clear-cutting itself was enough to justify a public hearing, and said there was little doubt the changes warranted further review.

“It’s really simple to me. When you come in with a little change, something is moved a little bit, like a door or a window, then we can agree it’s not a big deal,” commissioner Chris Murphy said. “But when you have a half dozen changes, all of which will have visual and noise implications, then I think the neighborhood and the rest of the Vineyard have a right to weigh in.”

“This is the second most public building on the Island — second only to the hospital, in my view, in terms of the level of interest and use. The public has the right to know what is going on there, what it looks like and what it will look like. And to me there are some changes here that are significant from the original plan,” commissioner Ned Orleans said.

But other commissioners suggested the land use planning agency would be micromanaging by holding another public hearing.

Mr. Jason dismissed the argument the changes would create problems with sound, largely because the area is flanked by several public institutions like the ice skating rink, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services and regional high school.

“Is the noise we are concerned with that of children laughing?” he asked. “We are talking about someone playing basketball during the day; is that what we are interpreting as a noise [problem]?”

Commissioner Douglas Sederholm argued another public hearing would allow the commission to impose new conditions for the new facilities that might prevent problems down the road.

“It’s not that unusual for us when a modification is proposed to include [conditions] that X, Y and Z are going to be done or not done, and that goes into the approval so we have a record of it. If they are going to say, for example, no playing at night or no lights [on the basketball court], or no hanging around after hours, then that would be reflected in our vote,” he said.

In the end the commission voted 8-6 to hold the public hearing, which will be held on April 8.

Mr. Murphy, Mr. Orleans, Mr. Sederholm, John Breckenridge, Fred Hancock, Camille Rose, Linda Sibley and Holly Stephenson voted in favor of the hearing.

Bill Bennett, Peter Cabana, James Joyce, Katherine Newman, Mr. Jason and Mr. Woodruff voted against.

In other news; the commission voted to continue a public hearing on a plan from Reid (Sam) Dunn to build a new two-story, 6,500-square-foot building at the Tisbury Market Place off Beach Road. Prior to the meeting, Mr. Dunn revised his plan to reduce the size of the new building by 500 square feet, and reduce the number of retail units to three instead of four, and build one office space instead of two.

The plans also call for the construction of one apartment and one marine related unit on the lawn of the marketplace.

The project has already raised concerns with some Tisbury officials because it is so close to the wetlands along Lagoon Pond, and also because it might compromise public access to open space and views and create traffic problems along Beach Road. There is also a question as to whether the project location is subject to Chapter 91, which regulates activities on coastal and inland waterways.

Mr. Dunn argued the Tisbury Market Place — which he built in 1987 — has been an improvement to the area, while also creating a popular public park for walking, picnicking and sunbathing. He said the new building will only further enhance the area.

“We went through a very difficult permitting process [in 1987], and I see things haven’t changed too much. But the idea when we came up with the market was to have a water view for every store and office space, and we have done that . . . it’s a very stable place with Island-owned business . . . so it’s a real institution,” he said, adding:

“The open space along the Lagoon has become a beloved place to some people, dog-walkers, picnickers, and sunbathers. I think it’s the largest piece of [commercial] waterfront property in Tisbury that allows public access to the water . . . I think we have done an exemplary job taking care of the environment, and I would take exception with anyone who says that is not the case.” Mr. Dunn also argued the marketplace has more open space, as well as parking, than all the other commercial waterfront properties along Beach Road.

Commissioners agreed to continue the public hearing until April 15.

The commission also unanimously voted to approve a proposal by Jay McMann of Island Fuel Inc. to build a new fuel company with three trucks at 44 Evelyn Way in Tisbury, and install a 10,000 gallon ConVault above ground storage tank with two compartments for Number 2 heating oil and diesel fuel.

The proposed site is zoned Business District 2, and is surrounded by light industrial businesses like MV Autoworks, BFI and Barnes Moving. The approval was somewhat unusual because the commission voted to approve the same night as they opened and closed the public hearing.