The Field Gallery’s shapely alabaster lawn figures may in the future be dancing for new owners. Tim and Eileen Maley announced at the West Tisbury selectmen’s meeting on Wednesday that they are in talks to sell the landmark gallery and sculpture garden to the town. The sale would ensure the gallery remains in operation while offering a possible solution to parking problems associated with plans to expand the West Tisbury Free Library next door.

“We understand that the town may be interested in buying the Field Gallery as a continued art gallery and parking area for the library and we think that’s a wonderful idea,” said Eileen Maley on Wednesday. Selectmen had held an executive session last week to discuss the possible purchase.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, who could award a grant next summer that would pay for up to half of the library’s proposed renovation, originally indicated that limited parking could be an issue with the new library designs. The library is adjacent to the Field Gallery. However, in subsequent discussions with the state library board, selectman Richard Knabel said the parking issue became less important and was not a central factor in the town’s decision to pursue a possible purchase of the property.

“The library was a minor point,” Mr. Knabel said yesterday. “I wasn’t even going to bring it up to the Maleys but they brought it up. It’s really not a major consideration.”

Instead Mr. Knabel said he approached the Maleys, who are in the process of putting their 12-acre parcel up for sale for family reasons, to preserve for posterity what has been a de facto public park for the past 40 years.

Designed by architect Robert Schwarz, the Field Gallery opened in 1971 on the Maley property as an artists’ cooperative. Featuring the whimsical white dancing sculptures that became the late Tom Maley’s signature, the gallery has become a landmark fixture in the center of town, attracting camera-toting tourists and the scene of countless public gatherings from political rallies to art shows.

“Many people already think it’s a park and all we are trying to do is, in fact, make it one for the public’s continued enjoyment,” said Mr. Knabel. “It’s an anchor property in the historic district of West Tisbury and we think it should stay the way it’s been used. Since the town owns the adjacent property we thought it makes some sense to do this.”

On Jan. 10 the selectmen and the Maleys will appear before the West Tisbury planning board to discuss dividing the property so that the town could purchase the property that surrounds the gallery and sculpture garden, less than an acre. On Jan. 26 the selectmen will meet with the town Community Preservation Committee to discuss appropriating funds for the property’s purchase. Any use of CPA funds would have to be approved by voters at a town meeting.

The lease of the gallery would be subject to an open bidding process, but selectman Cynthia Mitchell said that the current lessee, Chris Morse of the Granary Gallery, would be welcome to participate.

“I wholeheartedly support this and want to make it work,” selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter said at the meeting on Wednesday.

“I think the town just got an early Christmas present,” echoed selectman Richard Knabel.

Also on Wednesday former Mill Pond committee member Kent Healy informed the selectmen that his personal research leads him to believe that the Mill Pond dam is owned not by the town as had been previously assumed, but by the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club.

Garden club chairman Cathy Minkiewicz told the selectmen that the dam is a liability for the club and that the club would be happy to sell it to the town.

Mr. Knabel suggested that the town refer the question of the dam’s ownership to legal counsel.

The selectmen also praised a letter from town counsel Ronald H. Rappaport that questions the legality of the Island road closures during Hurricane Earl. The letter was addressed to John Christensen of the emergency management committee.

“In my opinion, the town has the authority to issue requests to stay off roads, to release employees early, and request a staggered arrival or departure from work in order to promote public safety in advance of a hurricane (or other natural disaster), but only has the authority to order all roads closed when an extreme weather event is imminent (which it was not when the road closure order was issued),” the letter says in part.

“What it says is that what happened during that storm was inappropriate,” summarized town administrator Jennifer Rand.

Finally, Ms. Rand reported that the selectmen had received a letter from the historic district commission informing them that the large rocks in the bus turnaround area of the town hall are not in keeping with the historic nature of the district. Ms. Rand said the commission suggested the town remedy the situation by using town hall renovation funds to install alternate fixtures such as posts with chains, or a picket fence.