West Tisbury is starting to draft potential rules on events to be enacted this upcoming season. 

Select board members at their meeting Thursday talked about setting limits on event capacity, frequency of events and the potential need for some events to have special permits.

“The pressures have grown,” select board chair Jessica Miller said. “More people are doing more things. There is sort of a lack of clarity about what is and is not allowed, and this gives us some clarity that we can then refer to when we want to enforce.” 

The board discussed using an article that went to Edgartown town meeting as a starting point. That article, which failed to get approval last year, would have limited homeowners to no more than two parties a month with more than 50 people, nor allow people to host five such large gatherings a year without town approval. 

Thursday’s discussion comes after town officials have said its not clear what types of events can or can’t be held on private properties in West Tisbury.

In September, the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals overturned the building inspector’s cease and desist order on a popular weekly music night at a farm due to the lack of clarity in the town’s zoning bylaws.

Select board member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter brought the idea of crafting a select board regulation first due to the complexities of changing the town’s bylaws.