Affordable housing took center stage in West Tisbury this week, when a long-planned project to build an apartment complex next the Manter Field won strong backing from the planning board on one day, and from voters at a special town meeting the next.
The nine-unit housing project is planned for a piece of town-owned land near the fire station and baseball field on the Edgartown Road. On Monday night the planning board voted unanimous approval for the complex, which will be built by the Island Housing Trust.
The following night at a special town meeting, voters gave their own unanimous, enthusiastic thumbs up, agreeing to invest $900,000 in community preservation money on the $2.9 million plan.
It was a mostly speedy meeting, with a total of 156 voters turning out to take action on the five-article warrant. Moderator Dan Waters presided. “I hear there is a baseball game on tonight,” he said when a quorum was declared at 7:14 p.m.
The affordable housing project was the big-ticket item on the warrant. Community preservation committee chairman Bea Phear explained that money for the $2.9 million project will come from a mix of town funds, private donations and financing. She said voters can expect to see a request for more CPC funding at the spring annual town meeting. Preference will be given to West Tisbury residents, finance committee member Katherine Triantafillou said.
Allen Look said he supported the project but questioned the timing given the series of meetings that have just begun on housing production plans in every Island town.
But Mrs. Phear called it a good project and said the time is now. “The affordable housing committee has worked very hard on this. We need it,” she said.
Voters agreed, and said yes to the spending.
With little discussion they also approved $9,000 for survey and engineering work aimed at opening the cut at James Pond, and $22,000 for a new chipper for the highway department.
A $15,000 spending request for dead tree removal was postponed (the money had already been transferred).
But the meeting stalled at the end over the fifth article, a zoning bylaw amendment that included a new definition for so-called detached bedrooms. A proposed language change would prohibit kitchen appliances in any detached structure on a property. There were questions about both the meaning and intent of the change.
“Define kitchen appliance,” Leon Brathwaite said. Selectman Richard Knabel agreed. “I think a definition of kitchen appliance is in order,” he said. But attempts at amending the article stumbled.
One voter suggested that the article be approved and the planning board could return in the spring with clearer language.
But that didn’t square with others. “We need a definition,” said Nancy Cole, who suggested striking the paragraph altogether.
Others questioned whether the change was too draconian, especially in light of the stated pressing need for more affordable housing. Should the town be looser or more strict when it comes to allowing the use of secondary dwellings? There was no clear consensus.
“It feels a little like the police are going to come after me if I have a coffee maker,” Nikki Patton said.
In the end voters agreed to strike the paragraph, approving other minor language changes.
Finally, in a nonbinding vote, voters showed their support for the idea of bike lanes on state roads in town.
The meeting adjourned a few minutes before 8 p.m. and voters headed home, in time for the start of game six in the World Series.
The Cubs won.
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