Edgartown selectmen will ask voters to agree to sell the historic Warren House at the annual town meeting in April.

The decision comes as the town struggles to settle on a plan for its library. A committee charged with developing the plan decided last week to again consider building a new library at the site of the former school. The other option is to renovate and rebuild at the current Carnegie building library on North Water street.

The town bought the adjacent Warren House in 2005 for $3.5 million with the idea of converting it to a library annex to the Carnegie building. But the plans have foundered more than once; the latest setback came early this month when the town historic district commission told the committee it could not tear down the Warren House and replace it with a parking lot.

At their meeting on Monday selectmen agreed that selling the Warren House is the best option.

“The condition of the Warren House is an embarrassment to the town in my mind,” said selectman and board chairman Margaret Serpa.

Selectman Michael Donaroma, who now heads the building committee, summed up the situation. “The committee still has an open mind but we understand the North Water street site doesn’t work, it’s been beaten against the wall for six years now,” he said. “On the school there is a possibility of getting the grant [from the state library board]; if we hurry, there’s a shot. We owe due diligence of trying to get the grant . . . The definite thing is the Warren House needs to be sold and we’re headed for the school.”

Committee member Chris Scott, who stepped down as chairman two weeks ago, added his thoughts.

“One thing our committee is unanimous about, which is a miracle, is we have exhausted the possibilities of trying to fit the program that the library staff has determined we need on the Carnegie site,” he said. “If we vote to accept the grant the only place we can go is the old school site, and that would require permission to demolish the school. It would also trigger a debate of the virtues of having the library downtown versus in another location.”

“There are so many subjects, it’s a domino effect,” he added. “I’m not even sure where you should start in the discussion.”

There are nearly 30 applications to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners for a total of $60 million in funding. Edgartown will be evaluated in a smaller group of five other towns with similar population numbers, including West Tisbury which is beginning its own library expansion project. The grant deadline is Jan. 27.

In other business Tuesday, the selectmen agreed to request a series of working sessions with the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, following the special town meeting vote last week to postpone an article to begin pulling out of the commission.

“We can’t just sit,” town administrator Pam Dolby urged the board. “I think the first thing is to e-mail the [financial advisory committee] members and have everyone put out what the issues are and take the ones people mention most frequently and come up with a list to see how we make this work.”

Mrs. Dolby said she has heard complaints about the election process, term limits and assessment methods, and the need for “a lot of communication.”

“Sounds like a good start,” Mrs. Serpa said.

The selectmen also approved a recommendation from the shellfish committee to close a southern portion of Cape Pogue Pond to scalloping effective Jan. 1 to protect seed scallops.