A plan to create a townwide energy district in Aquinnah will come before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission for a vote at a special meeting on Monday night.
The commission was scheduled to vote last night on whether to designate a townwide energy district of critical planning concern (DCPC), but the meeting was postponed due to icy weather conditions.
The Monday meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
Meanwhile active discussion about the energy DCPC continues in Aquinnah.
A Wednesday night forum in town drew about 20 people with a wide range of opinions. Ostensibly called to hear a report from an ad-hoc town committee that is exploring a possible town wind turbine, the meeting turned quickly into a discussion of the proposed DCPC. Two town selectmen — Camille Rose and James Newman are at odds over the DCPC nomination, which was drawn up while Mr. Newman was away. Mr. Newman has been an active advocate for energy issues, and led the cause for an Islandwide energy DCPC last year. But his stance on the town energy DCPC is different.
“This [nomination] happened in my absence. We had no notice of a moratorium, it wasn’t vetted,” he said on Wednesday night.
The DCPC was nominated by the town selectmen on Oct. 31 and unanimously accepted by the commission on Nov. 1. The commission must now decide whether to designate the special district. A public hearing was held last Thursday.
A commission land use planning committee meeting was held on Monday night and attended by a large number of commissioners. The meeting included a detailed discussion about possible guidelines for the DCPC.
The town of Aquinnah already has a townwide DCPC, the only one of its kind on the Vineyard. If the energy DCPC is approved, it will also mark the first such planning district on the Island.
Aquinnah selectmen will also hold a special meeting on Monday to continue the discussion. The meeting begins at 4 p.m.
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