A downtown zoning change to ease the rules for apartments above storefronts, more zoning rules to govern recreational marijuana sales and an animal control bylaw amendment aimed at nasty roosters are all on the short docket when Oak Bluffs voters convene for a special town meeting Tuesday night.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Oak Bluffs School. Moderator Jesse (Jack) Law 3rd will preside. There are eight articles on the warrant. A quorum of 50 voters is needed.

“I’m always excited to go to town meeting,” said Kathy Burton, chairman of the selectmen. “I love that the citizens have an opportunity to exercise their voting privileges, and I hope they will pack the room because we have a few very important things to do.”

She said among the articles drawing interest is a so-called “top of the shop” zoning article which could provide more housing downtown without the need for new construction.

The article, submitted jointly by the planning board and selectmen, would remove some of the zoning restrictions on building apartments above stores and shops in the downtown business district, and would establish a process for the planning board to issue special permits for such housing.

For one and two-story buildings, the bylaw would permit two apartments for the first 5,000 square feet of lot area, and one additional apartment for every additional 1,000 square feet of lot size. Larger buildings would be allowed more units.

Planning board chairman Ewell Hopkins said the zoning change is a critical issue for Oak Bluffs.

“It’s going to define the character of our downtown,” he said. “What this warrant article will do is eliminate many . . . . restrictions, and allow the planning board to sit in judgment of any particular applicant’s request.”

Ms. Burton agreed. “I certainly hope people are going to support that because we certainly do need housing,” she said. “It has been well thought out and well debated and I think it’s going to be a very effective improvement.”

Also on the warrant is a zoning article that would restrict recreational marijuana sales to three areas, all far from downtown.

The proposed non-medical marijuana overlay district covers the special medical district where the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is located, five small lots near Holmes Hole Road and Upland Drive, and four lots bordering Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road and Head of the Pond Road.

Mr. Hopkins said the districts exactly mirror the medical marijuana districts approved by voters in 2013. “It’s more of a stopgap until we fully define what we want retail sales to be on marijuana,” he said.

The final article on the warrant would amend the town animal control bylaws to include noisy farm animals among those that may be declared a public nuisance.

“The keeping of any domestic animal which emits frequent or long continued noise sufficient to disturb the reasonable comfort or repose of any person shall be deemed a public nuisance,” the amendment reads in part.

The bylaw allows the animal control officer to issue a $25 fine for infractions.

Reportedly there have been complaints about roosters disturbing the peace in residential areas.