The recent purchase of the Santander Bank property in Chilmark by the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank will serve an up-Island need, but also leaves the town with one less potential site for a public safety building.

Prior to the $1.006 million purchase, announced last week, town selectmen had zeroed in on the 0.9-acre site as a possible home for the town fire department and possibly the police department, as well as a new home for the Tri-Town Ambulance Service, currently headquartered in West Tisbury.

Selectmen had been meeting privately with town counsel Ronald Rappaport this year to discuss buying the property. Selectman Bill Rossi, who also serves on the town public safety building site committee, said the selectmen had been among several bidders for the picturesque property, which includes stone walls and landscaping. The property was assessed last year at $576,800.

The committee has identified the center of town near Beetlebung Corner as the best site for a public safety building. Mr. Rossi said the town was now considering alternative properties, but that no offers had been made and no properties were currently for sale in the center of town.

“There are a couple things we are going to look at,” Mr. Rossi said following a selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday. “Right now it’s just so busy. Hopefully it will open up to us within the next couple months and then we’ll have a clearer picture.”

Committee chairman Andy Goldman said Monday that much work is still to be done. Voters appropriated $40,000 at the annual town meeting in April to fund the initial design phase of the building, including hiring a project manager as required by the state.

Paul (Zeke) Wilkins, who stepped down as Tri-Town Ambulance chief in June, also served on the committee, but no meetings have been held since then, and it is unclear whether he will continue to serve. “I would hope he would because he is so wise and knows so much,” Mr. Goldman said.

The committee has issued a draft request for proposals and hopes to hire a project manager and an architect-designer this summer, Mr. Goldman said. Further costs associated with the project will also require town meeting approval. “Every step of the way we will be coming back to the town meetings,” Mr. Goldman said. At the least, he hoped to present voters with an interim report in the fall.