The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week began its long-delayed public hearing on Rico’s Boat Service, a boat repair shop that straddles the town line between Oak Bluffs and Tisbury and is seeking to permit its operations on the site.

Commissioners heard about 20 minutes of testimony late Thursday evening before continuing the hearing to May 8.

Located at 68 Holmes Hole Road and 0 Down Island Farms Road in Oak Bluffs and 542 Sailors Burying Ground Road in Tisbury, Rico’s is bordered by residential properties as well as the Sailor’s Burying Ground and land owned by Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.

“This is no place for these proposed commercial activities,” neighbor Mark Jenkins told the commission Thursday.

Speaking on behalf of the residents of Upland Road, on the Tisbury side of Rico’s, Mr. Jenkins said the business already is a bad neighbor.

“For two years, the applicant’s been operating and expanding his own permitless activities on this site,” he said.

“[This] history of violations and disregard for the town bylaws and the neighborhood quality of life should not be rewarded,” Mr. Jenkins told commissioners.

The Rico’s hearing represents a departure from Martha’s Vineyard Commission custom, with public testimony coming before the project presentation.

“I realize that’s very unusual,” hearing officer Douglas Sederholm said.

“The public has been waiting a long time to participate in this public hearing,” he said.

Originally scheduled for Dec. 5, the hearing was postponed twice at the applicant’s request, Mr. Sederholm said.

Geoghan Coogan, representing owner Virginios Properties, said they are still gathering information requested by the commission’s land use planning committee last October, including a site plan.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been kind of stuck with some engineering surveying issues and delays,” Mr. Geoghan said.

Although the hour was late after commissioners had held three other hearings, Mr. Sederholm declined to postpone Rico’s a third time.

“It’s my discretion as the hearing officer to do that,” he said.

Commissioners will resume the Rico’s hearing at the May 8 meeting.

Also Thursday, the commission granted a two-year extension to the Takenash Knoll affordable development in Oak Bluffs. Formerly known as Southern Tier, the complex received MVC approval in February, 2023.

Funding issues have slowed the project’s groundbreaking, but work is expected to begin this year, developer Craig Nicholson of Affirmative Investments told commissioners Thursday.

“We should be in construction within a couple of months, but we’re just technically expired,” he said, referring to the MVC rule that work must begin within two years of approval.