The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted final approval last week on changes to its development of regional impact checklist that include separate definitions for historic demolitions and alterations.

The changes were approved at a busy commission meeting Thursday night in which a variety of minor projects were remanded back to towns for further review.

The DRI checklist signoff concluded a nearly year-long saga to update the document, which functions as a list of triggers that qualify developments for commission review.

Prior changes included strengthening language that would require smaller subdivisions to come before the commission, as well as some mixed-use and commercial developments. Although the changes were previously approved and sent to the state legislature, a commission subcommittee has since worked to revise aspects of the document for clarity after pushback from Island builders.

At the meeting commissioner Fred Hancock explained the recent modifications, which include separate definitions for demolitions and alterations. Demolitions of historic structures or buildings more than 100 years old are required to come before the commission for review.

“We thought a better course might be to split up those two things,” Mr. Hancock said.

The updated checklist now has two clauses, one for historic demolitions and buildings more than 100 years old, and a second clause for alterations of historic or old buildings that include at least 25 per cent of the historic portion of the facade.

The new checklist also defines demolitions as any act of “pulling down, destroying, removing or razing any building or a portion thereof, with or without the intent” to replace it, as well as a definition of facade.

After some jockeying among commissioners and Tisbury building inspector Ross Seavey, who said the language could still be clearer and more precise, but was workable, commissioners approved the language changes in a unanimous vote.

“I’m sorry that was painful,” commission chairman Joan Malkin said. “But it turns out that sometimes passing a policy is painful.”

In other business, the commission narrowly denied a proposal from AT&T to add a 30-kilowatt back-up diesel generator to its West Tisbury cell tower off Old Courthouse Road, requesting the company more fully explore battery or electric-powered alternatives.

The vote was 7-9, with commissioners Ben Robinson, Christina Brown, Christine Todd, Jay Grossman, Jeff Agnoli, Jim Vercruysse, Linda Sibley, Michael Kim and Joan Malkin voting no. Commissioners Brian Packish, Doug Sederholm, Ernie Thomas, Fred Hancock, Josh Goldstein, Ted Rosbeck and Clarence (Trip) Barnes, 3rd, voted yes.

The denial was without prejudice, Ms. Malkin said, telling the applicant that the project could come back before the commission with information on alternative power source options.

The commission also approved a small two-lot land subdivision in Chilmark, a gas range for the Mill House development and decided not to concur on an approximately 60-seat expansion at the Seafood Shanty, sending the project back to the town zoning and planning boards.