Edgartown residents continue to voice opposition to a development planned for Post Office square that is soon due for a vote before the planning board.

Developer Charles Hajjar’s proposal, which involves the construction of eight apartments above two adjacent buildings near the Edgartown triangle, was approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, but still needs two special permits from the town in order to proceed.

The board will explore the issue again on July 15 at 5:45 p.m.

The plan includes five apartments on the second floor of the building that houses the Edgartown Post Office, while three more are planned for the building that houses a Bank of America vestibule and Ocean Breeze Bedding.

Causes for concern voiced at the first hearing surfaced once again at a second hearing last week.

Opponents said the placement of the apartments near the thick of Edgartown’s worst congestion was unwise, and expressed concern about the limited parking available during peak season.

Kathryn Ham said her primary concern was the congestion at the triangle.

“For me it is about that little area of the road,” she said. “It is our five corners in Edgartown.”

She said two years ago, her daughter had a medical emergency and she had to get through that area to get to the hospital.

“I remember thinking, this could not be worse,” she said. “I am terrified.”

She said new tenants at Post Office Square would interrupt the flow of traffic each time they drive in and out of that lot.

Mr. Hajjar is a partial owner of the parking lot which his buildings share with Granite Ace Hardware and Edgartown Meat and Fish and has committed to renovating the parking lot to make it safer and more easily maneuvered.

The plan includes the addition of 15 more parking spaces at the square, with 14 spots for tenants.

Rosemarie Haigazian, an attorney who works nearby, said she and her employees already struggle to find a parking space in the post office lot.

“The fact of the matter is that parking can be so, so difficult as it presently is,” she said.

Others, including planning board member Robert Sparks, reported that they had no problem finding parking in the lot.

Resident Brian Byrne said he had found ample parking when he visited the post office that afternoon.

“I counted six spots I could have parked in on a beautiful day like today,” he said. “There was no traffic out in front. There was no zoo.”

Fire chief Peter Shemeth said that if the Dark Woods neighborhood decided to put up a fence to shield their property from the development, he would have concerns about safety in the event of a fire. The enclosed stairs behind the building are five feet from the property line. A special permit allowing their construction within the required setbacks is needed for the project to move forward.

Mr. Shemeth said raising a ladder in that space would be difficult.

“It’s not a great situation to have and it could be very dangerous,” he said.

A discussion ensued over the liability the placement of such a fence would cause for Dark Woods neighborhood, and parties agreed that more research was needed.

Agreeing with the others about the negative impact on traffic and parking, resident Barbara Kende also pointed out that the apartments didn’t offer any recreational space for tenants.

“I think the idea of renting the apartments to families who possibly have children, that makes no sense,” she said.

Mr. Sparks countered that many families live in apartments in that do not provide outdoor space for play.

“People have the right to live in that place if that is their free choice,” he said. “The Edgartown school is a block away, put your children in the stroller, and take them to the swing sets and the sand box.”

Some residents have come out in favor of the project, basing their support on the creation of year-round rental units and smart growth principles, which favor the concentration of housing and businesses in areas easily traversed by pedestrians.

Mr. Byrne, who works in real estate, said he has clients coming to him asking for rental opportunities because they want to downsize.

“What is going to happen as we all get old? Where are we going to go to live? Unfortunately, not everyone wants to be stuck in the woods,” Mr. Byrne said. “They don’t want to be up in Chilmark on 10 acres of land where they can’t get anywhere.”