Preliminary designs for a new U.S. Coast Guard boathouse in Menemsha failed to impress the Chilmark selectmen this week.

“It’s mammoth,” selectman and board chairman Frank Fenner said at the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday. “That was the largest structure in the harbor to begin with and this is just increasing it. It was very disturbing to me when I saw it.”

“It’s way too large,” agreed selectman Jonathan Mayhew. “I’m flabbergasted.”

The 68-year-old, red-roofed historic building was destroyed in the July 2010 fire in Menemsha. The Coast Guard plans to rebuild the structure beginning next year.

Early designs released this week call for adding a second story, which would increase the height of the building from 28 feet to 34 feet. The size of the building would also increase to 78 by 46 feet, for a total square footage of 3,588 square feet. The old building was just under 3,000 square feet.

Plans call for the first floor of the new boathouse to include one boat bay for the 25-foot search and rescue vessel, a loading dock, boatswain parts and tools room, and a second storage area. The second story plan includes women and men’s locker rooms, two offices and a gear room. There is no exercise room included in the plan, although there was one in the former boathouse.

The architect is Baker Wohl Architects and the civil engineering firm is Langan Engineering and Environmental Services. Langan is also a consultant for the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia, which when finished will be the world’s tallest building.

On Tuesday town historic committee chairman Jane Slater added her disapproving comments on the preliminary plan.

“It’s grossly large,” she said. “I don’t know how any [committee members] will buy this.”

“This is a lot more than a boathouse,” Mr. Fenner said. He said the last time he spoke with the Coast Guard they had discussed making the new boathouse smaller than the original.

The Coast Guard has requested $10 million for the project in the federal budget, but the line item has yet to be approved by President Obama. The earliest a new boathouse would be completed is late 2013.

Town executive secretary Timothy Carroll said he thought the Coast Guard would be receptive to public comment.

“I don’t think they’re trying to shove this down our throats,” Mr. Carroll said.

The preliminary plans will be reviewed by the historic committee at an Oct. 19 meeting; the harbor review committee will also participate in the meeting. Representatives from the Coast Guard design team are scheduled to meet with the selectmen on Oct. 25.

In other business this week, selectmen were also unhappy to hear the Massachusetts Estuaries Project is seeking an additional $86,267 to complete the studies of Chilmark ponds; $54,500 for the Chilmark Pond and $31,767 for Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds.

“Massachusetts Estuaries has given us many reasons to have no faith in their project,” selectman Warren Doty said. “We thought we were going to have the Tisbury Great Pond done three years ago and it’s still not complete and we have money waiting to pay for that.”

Twelve ponds on the Vineyard are involved in the study intended to pinpoint the source of pollution and save coastal communities millions of dollars in restoration and cleanup costs. Edgartown Great Pond is the only pond on the Vineyard where the study has been completed.

The total budgeted amount for the study of Chilmark Pond is $74,500 of which the Chilmark Pond Association has already contributed $20,000. For Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds, the project has budgeted $91,533 to be split three ways between the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Chilmark and Aquinnah. The tribe has contributed its match, and Aquinnah has contributed $15,000 to its share of the match.

Mr. Doty questioned the need to study Menemsha Pond because the pond is healthy and has had no closure issues, but said Chilmark Pond could use an analysis.

Mr. Fenner said the selectmen can always rescind the article if it makes it to the town meeting floor in April.

Selectmen also continued discussion about the future of the Tea Lane Farm house after voters rejected spending $550,000 to repair the house and prepare it for a tenant farmer. Mr. Fenner said town counsel Ronald H. Rapport is reviewing the restrictions on the deed and what the ramifications would be for leasing the house as-is on a long-term basis, or selling the property.

Mr. Doty said selling the property was not a likely option and said he favors turning the farm into a resident homesite.

Selectmen said they hope to have clearer options by their next meeting on Oct. 18.