The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted Thursday night to deny the Katama Meadows subdivision in Edgartown, dealing the Utah-based land owners their latest defeat in nearly a decade of efforts to develop the 54-acre property they purchased for $6.6 million in 2017.
The 10-3-1 decision followed more than two hours of vigorous debate at the end of a 19-month public hearing and review process.
Commissioner Douglas Sederholm argued in favor of the mixed-income project, saying a denial would reignite a lawsuit from the developers that’s currently on hold and could lead to a larger, denser and less affordable development in the future.
“I’m really concerned that the next iteration will not be good,” he said, noting that with conditions added by commissioners over the past few months, Katama Meadows would preserve more than 30 acres of undisturbed open space.
“This is not a proposal to develop 54 acres of land. It’s a proposal basically to develop 22 acres of land and preserve forever 32 acres of land,” said Mr. Sederholm, the only commissioner to express full support of the project.
Commissioner Daniel McGinn voted without comment against denying the Katama Meadows application, while fellow member Michael Kim said the project’s 26 income-restricted lots should be considered essential because of the Island’s urgent housing need.
Oak Bluffs member Brian Smith wasn’t swayed.
“When is enough enough? Even our own housing planner has said we cannot build our way out of the housing crisis,” he said.
“Sooner or later, we have to come to that realization and look at other paths to help people get into housing that don’t destroy the environment,” Mr. Smith said.
Commissioner Willa Kuh struck a similar note.
“Even though this appears to support our housing policy, I don’t feel in my soul that it’s workable,” she said.
Commissioners Joan Malkin, Ben Robinson and Linda Sibley expressed concern for native wildlife and nitrogen pollution and criticized the physical segregation between income-restricted lots and market-rate lots in subdivision’s design.
Ernest Thomas abstained from the vote.