A rowdy pastime has become too rowdy for some residents of West Tisbury, who voiced their exasperation at Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting about dirt biking on Nip’n Tuck farm.

Calling the activity “a disturbance of the peace” that contributed “toxic noise pollution” to the neighborhood and beyond, Wayne Greenwell of Yellow Brick Road produced a letter signed by more than 20 West Tisbury residents who called for the cessation of the activity, which they claimed was illegal according to town noise bylaws.

“This is not just a health issue but a quality of life issue,” said Mr. Greenwell. “It’s also economic. House values and rentals are absolutely jeopardized by this noise. Buyers and renters have choices and most people would say, ‘Why live near a motocross?’”

Speaking on behalf of the dirt bikers, J.J. Mendez, who says that he runs the track from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, noted that there are 168 hours in the week, of which only five are used by the dirt bikers.

“I try to do it at reasonable hours, I make sure everybody’s done by 4:30 and in the truck and gone,” said Mr. Mendez, who said that he has spoken with Mr. Greenwell to try to accommodate noise complaints.

“I got a bunch of guys together, we put up a fence along State Road to help keep the noise down, we planted a tree there and we spent about $2,000 to try to keep the noise down,” he said. Mr. Mendez said he has run the track since 2006 and this is the first time he has received complaints.

“We can always do more,” he said. “No more riding on the holidays whatsoever. All the abutting neighbors have my personal number if they want to have a family event, maybe a cookout, they can call me up and I’ll tell people to stay away.”

Lily Farm Road resident Steve Maxner called the noise associated with the activity “tremendously offensive” and claimed that a friend of his who rented nearby told him that he would never rent in the area again. “If you want to ride your dirt bikes for two hours on Saturdays and Sundays, that’s our burden that we have to bear,” he added.

“All that noise is not coming from me,” said Mr. Mendez, who claimed that other, less regulated courses nearby and unauthorized use of the ancient ways contributed more to the noise disruptions.

“I think the course is a great idea,” said biker Nathan Vieira. “It gives a place to ride versus traveling down the bike paths.”

Mr. Vieira said that he has heard the bikes from the 250 State Road development but that he thought the noise was “extremely minimal.” Julia Humphries, who lives behind Eliakim’s Way, echoed Mr. Vieira’s comments, arguing that although she found the noise very irritating it was better to have a safe place for dirt biking than continued, unsupervised use on bike paths, ancient ways and a site called “the pit” off of Holmes Hole Road.

“The fact that they are taking this activity from one place to another does not make it legal,” said Mr. Greenwell.

“It also doesn’t make it illegal,” interjected Mr. Mendez in a testy exchange.

Richard Knabel said that zoning inspector Ernie Mendenhall was currently conducting an investigation about the noise complaints and whether the activity violated zoning bylaws.

Also on Wednesday, selectmen voted to extend the lease of the West Tisbury School building to the Up-Island Regional School District for three years and accepted the resignation of Hadden Blair from the conservation commission.