A centuries-old barn in Chilmark is slated for demolition, following a 12-1 vote of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday.

The Flanders family, which owns the dilapidated structure, plans to replace it with one that will have similar outlines, architect Joseph Dick told the commission at a public hearing last month.

That wasn’t good enough for commissioner Michael Kim, who argued last week that the barn — which may predate the 1800s, and is partially collapsed — could still be saved.

“In our own guidelines, repair is better than renovation, renovation is preferable to reconstruction, and reconstruction is preferable to demolition, which should only be used as a last resort,” Mr. Kim said.

The Martha's Vineyard Commission reviews demolition proposals for historic buildings over 100 years old. 

The other commissioners sided with the Flanders family after commission consultant Benjamin Souza testified at the May 1 hearing that the barn was beyond rehabilitation.

Aquinnah commissioner Jannette Vanderhoop said the owners’ plan would restore the view from North Road of an intact barn with historic lines.

“It sounds to me like it is kind of going back to the original barn more than what is actually there now. …The rebuild, I think, is a little more in fitting with the original structure,” Ms. Vanderhoop said during last week’s deliberations.

Conditions of the approval include reclaiming as much as possible of the existing barn’s salvageable bricks, granite and beams.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission meets next on June 26, when it is expected to deliberate on the controversial 97 Spring street workforce housing development in Vineyard Haven and an application from Island Gymnastics to add workforce housing on its West Tisbury campus.

Editor's note: a previous version of this article incorrectly identified Benjamin Souza's job title.