The Martha’s Vineyard Commission took an unprecedented step last Thursday and rescinded a prior development of regional impact (DRI) decision.

The Island Housing Trust requested that the commission rescind a DRI decision on a Vineyard Haven building that was never built. In 2008, the commission approved building a three-story building at 6 Water street that would house a rental car business on the first floor and two apartments upstairs. The project was never built and Steve Bernier purchased the property in 2012 and gave it to Island Housing Trust.

Once approved and built, any changes to a DRI must come before the commission. However, DRIs that have expired without being developed are no longer a DRI.

Commission DRI coordinator Paul Foley said the decision on the property would be in effect until August of this year thanks to a statewide extension for building projects, so any projects on the property would require review by the commission until that time.

Island Housing Trust executive director Philippe Jordi said in a letter to the commission that they don’t believe that Island Housing Trust’s proposed project for that space will meet the commission’s threshold for DRI review and requested that the commission rescind the previous DRI decision and allow the town of Tisbury to determine whether it needs review or not.

The commission did not discuss Island Housing Trust’s plans for the property but instead focused on the idea of rescinding the DRI decision.

Commissioner Linda Sibley wondered if there would be any undesirable result from reversing their decision. Chair Fred Hancock said accepting the surrender in no way would prejudice any future projects.

The commission voted to approve surrendering the DRI approval, noting that under ordinary circumstances the approval would be expired. The vote stipulated that this will not affect any future DRIs and was at the request of the owner of the property.

The commission also voted that changes to the Martha’s Vineyard Marina office building do not require a public hearing review.

Martha’s Vineyard Marina, formerly Maciel Marine, is raising a 2,000-square-foot office building up by about six feet on piles to get the building out of the flood zone.