With several large developments expected to make their way to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in the coming years, more than 10 candidates have launched campaigns for nine seats on the regional planning board.

Voters from across the Island will cast their ballots in the race at the Nov. 5 election. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is a 21-member board that reviews projects that are of a certain size, or are expected to have a regional impact.

The race will be more contested than it appears on paper, though, because there can be only two elected commissioners from each town. Tisbury and West Tisbury each have three candidates on the ballot, and there is expected to be at least one write-in campaign for the Tisbury seat.

Fred Hancock, the sitting chair on the commission, is not planning to run for re-election this year after 15 years serving on the regional planning agency. He’s seen applications come and go, and said the mission of the commission is to preserve the Island for future generations, while also maintaining a sound local economy. 

“It can’t be a national park model,” he said. “People have to be able to live here and make a living. It’s a balancing act.” 

The next group of commissioners will likely have to consider that delicate balance between growth and conservation with a pair of large housing projects in the wings, according to Mr. Hancock.

The commissioner race is voted on by all towns, meaning a resident in one town gets to weigh in on all the commission seats, not just their own representatives. Elected members serve a two-year term. 

The Gazette spoke to all 10 candidates in this year’s race to learn about their background and priorities. Candidates appear in the order that they are on the ballot. 

Jeff Agnoli: Edgartown 

Mr. Agnoli, a retired teacher and guidance counselor at the regional high school, is looking to return to the commission for a third term. He’s been an Island resident for 36 years, and lives with his wife Francine and three children. 

Mr. Agnoli is also a board member of Vineyard Conservation Society and administers the high school’s equivalent diploma program.

He said his past experience on the commission has made him aware of the Island’s issues, and he’s able to see how they affect the different towns. 

“I am sensitive to the pressures of over-development, and the need for more workforce and affordable housing,” he said. 

Jay Grossman: Chilmark

Mr. Grossman is running for a third term to ensure that the Island’s natural beauty is protected for generations to come. A sports agent representing NHL stars, Mr. Grossman has been coming to the Vineyard since the 1990s, and purchased a home here in 2001. 

He felt there was a “tidal wave” of development coming in and the commission needed to give a hard look at protecting old growth forests and other natural resources.

“This includes ensuring appropriate developmental scale and supporting the MVC’s role of watchdog and coordinator of the Island’s response to our climate change challenges,” he said.

Ben Robinson: Tisbury

Mr. Robinson first joined the commission in 2016, as a select board appointed member. He has been on the commission ever since, one of the staunchest supporters of climate-friendly policies and planning.

He is often one of the only “no” votes on projects, calling for stronger environmental protections. Recently he voted against the move of a shipyard storage to the woods along the Oak Bluffs-Tisbury border, because of the trees that would need to be cut down.

“There’s definitely a growth problem that is central to the climate problem,” he said. 

Working in architecture, Mr. Robinson also serves on the Tisbury planning board. 

Doug Sederholm: West Tisbury

Mr. Sederholm is one of the longest serving members of the current commission, having attended countless meetings during the last 22 years. 

For about half that time he has been in leadership roles, serving as chair for the commission, the land use planning committee, and other ad-hoc groups. 

Protecting water quality while still making it easier for Islanders to live here has been an imporatant cause for him. 

“I have a particular interest in doing whatever we can to promote affordable housing and community housing,” he said. “I think housing is the most pressing issue that the community faces.” 

Linda Sibley: West Tisbury

After 36 years on the commission, Ms. Sibley is the longest serving member in commission history, and she wants to continue to do her part in protecting the place she loves. 

“It’s sort of part of my life,” she said of the commission.

Ms. Sibley settled on the Vineyard about 50 years ago, moving from Cambridge with her husband. She saw it as her duty to safeguard the Island from ridiculous proposals, while making sure other projects maximize their benefits to the community. 

“I’ve been here for so long, I’m the institutional memory,” she said. “I’ve been accused of being a tree hugger, which is something that I embrace.” 

Brian Smith: Oak Bluffs 

Mr. Smith, a real estate broker, first started serving on the commission in 2010, and has been a contrarian to other members. But that has not deterred the Oak Bluffs resident, nor lessened his respect for commissioners, who have a tough job of looking out for the Vineyard. 

Moving forward, Mr. Smith, who has been chair and vice chair of the commission’s land use planning committee, believed the MVC would face difficult decisions, especially with affordable housing and suburbanization. 

“In some ways I think the MVC has dropped the ball on these issues,” he said. “We can’t build our way out of the affordable housing issue and we may need to look more closely at projects that seem to favor the public good, yet in the long run turn us into just another wealthy suburb.” 

Michael MacKenty: Edgartown

Mr. MacKenty was appointed to the commission earlier this year to fill in for the late Christina Brown. 

A retired chief information officer for global companies, Mr. MacKenty moved to the Vineyard full-time about 10 years ago, and has family roots here. In his first few weeks on the commission, he’s seen firsthand the work that staff and commissioners undertake in preserving the Island. 

He felt the commission’s role was to help guide development. 

“I think I have a real part to play in that,” he said. “I think the biggest priority is just understanding the delicate balance of development and nature.” 

William O’Brien: Tisbury 

Mr. O’Brien moved to the Island in 2013 after more than 20 years as the executive director of the UMass Memorial Behavioral Health System. Now retired, he maintains a faculty appointment at the Umass Chan Medical School. 

With fewer work commitments, Mr. O’Brien was looking to give back to the community and felt his listening and analytic skills could aid the commission. 

“I believe the role of a commission is to listen to the information brought to the commission by all parties and to vote based on that information without a predetermined position,” he said. “I do have a set of personal values related to climate, social justice and economic survivability that I believe dovetail with the mission of the commission.” 

Mary Bernadette Cormie: Tisbury

Ms. Cormie’s decision to run for the commission was galvanized by a controversial project in her back yard: the 97 Spring street home redevelopment in Tisbury. 

The home is being rebuilt as a nine-bedroom house that could be used to house workers. This has riled neighbors who feel it is hurting the character of the area and made it clear to Ms. Cormie that stronger voices of preservation are needed. 

“I really felt it was necessary to have a voice of preservation and to help make it so that people don’t have to go through what I’m going through.” 

Ms. Cormie has lived on the Island for nearly 30 years and works to help the public schools win grants.

Amy Upton: West Tisbury 

A West Tisbury planning board member and an administrator with the planning department in Tisbury, Ms. Upton has immersed herself in the planning world.

“I watch the MVC like it’s my favorite channel,” she said. “I’m a little bit of a junkie for planning.” 

A former decorative painter, Ms. Upton felt the commission has strayed off the path as of late and she wanted to use her experience to help recenter it on its core mission. 

“In my opinion, the commission has lost its way,” she said. “It’s to protect and preserve and care for this fragile community that is being taken over one little unpermitted project at a time.”