The Martha’s Vineyard Commission decided on Thursday night to review the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Barnes and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Roads as a development of regional impact (DRI). The roundabout has been the subject of a decade of planning and a bid set is to go out this fall. But commission members said on Thursday night the project plainly has regional impact, citing potential impacts on the intersections at either end of Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.

The roundabout was referred to the MVC for review by the West Tisbury selectmen in June, who feel more public discussion is in order.

“If this intersection is not an integral part of the regional transportation system for the Island then I don’t know what is,” said West Tisbury selectman Richard Knabel. “If this is not a DRI, I really think I need someone to explain to me why it isn’t.”

But some selectmen rejected the West Tisbury selectmen’s claim that there had not been enough publicity about the project.

“If people don’t go to the public hearings I don’t have a lot of sympathy for them,” said commissioner Chris Murphy who noted that the project has already been subject to four public hearings.

“At this point it seems clear to me you have essentially a done deal and whether you like the deal or not it seems to me the time has passed for another body to completely review this,” he said.

A motion not to review the project as a DRI failed 5 to 8. A subsequent vote to review the project passed 10 to 3.

Four Oak Bluffs selectmen attended the meeting to support the roundabout. A 2006 report carried out by the commission staff found that the roundabout was the best option for the intersection.

A complete story about Thursday’s commission meeting will appear in the Tuesday Gazette.