The Martha’s Vineyard Commission has approved an Oak Bluffs property owner’s request to tear down a dilapidated cottage on Oak avenue.
Owner Robert Dias must first advertise the house for 30 days as available for salvaging, under a condition commissioners added to their approval Thursday night.
“There’s lots of scavengers out here in this world,” said commissioner Kate Putnam, who suggested the condition.
Attorney Geoghan Coogan, representing Mr. Dias, said he doubted anyone would come forward to take the deteriorating structure.
“It took me five years to find somebody to take a much stronger house in Tisbury, right behind the Stop and Shop,” Mr. Coogan said, referring to the whaling-era Caleb Prouty House on Cromwell Lane.
The home demolition was being reviewed by the commission because the residence was more than 100 years old, triggering the commission’s historic preservation review. Dating from around 1901, Mr. Dias’s 25 Oak avenue house was deemed “not significant” in a letter from the Oak Bluff Historical Commission earlier this year.
“The original ‘core’ of the historic cottage was quite small,” the historical commission wrote, noting that while the house was built in the Camp Ground style, it has no balcony, double doors or other traditional Camp Ground features.
Mr. Coogan said his client wants to remove the house, sell the land and discharge a tax lien.
The 30-day advertising period would not delay those plans, he said.
The MVC vote was 15-1 with Michael Kim opposing the demolition.
Also Thursday, commissioners approved the partial demolition and remodeling of an 18th-century house at 26 Windemere Lane in Oak Bluffs, on the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital campus, and discussed developer Reid (Sam) Dunn’s latest proposal for a fine dining restaurant at the former Martha’s Vineyard National Bank in Oak Bluffs.
Commissioners pressed Mr. Dunn on a number of issues, including whether seating at a planned piano bar would be in excess of the 85 seats allowed under the restaurant’s wastewater agreement.
They also asked whether Mr. Dunn could preserve the Greek key tile detail in front of the former bank, which he said would be covered in order to make the restaurant accessible to people with handicaps.
Hearing officer Douglas Sederholm continued the public hearing to Nov. 21.
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