An Edgartown historic district neighbor who has been sharply critical of a plan to install electric bus chargers at the Vineyard Transit Authority’s Church street stop presented research opposing the project at the selectmen’s meeting Monday.
The $1.4 million proposal will allow the VTA to transition to electric buses with the installation of induction chargers in the road, and includes a refurbishing of the Church Street stop with a new patio, landscaping and information stands. The project, funded mainly through federal and state transportation grants, was approved by the town more than a year ago, but has since stalled after a town meeting article passed in June requesting additional review.
Selectmen formed a committee consisting of VTA representatives, local officials, regional planners and neighbors earlier this summer. The committee presented its findings at a meeting last month, strongly supporting the project.
But neighbor Jane Chittick, who spearheaded the town meeting vote and resigned from the committee, presented a rebuttal to the committee’s findings at the meeting Monday. Among other things, Ms. Chittick said electric bus chargers are a new and untested technology and a waste of federal funds, suggesting the VTA focus on diesel or hybrid electric buses instead.
Ms. Chittick said her presentation was an abridged version of more than 40 pages of research that she submitted to the town. She also requested that the VTA hire independent consultants to examine the project.
“The inductive charges are a stopgap, they are just a temporary fix,” Ms. Chittick said. “But they are neither technically proven over time, nor economically wise, and their installation on Church Street will permanently harm an area in the Edgartown historic district.”
In other business Monday, selectmen appointed Tisbury building inspector Ross Seavey as a temporary alternate building commissioner in Edgartown. Edgartown building inspector Reade Milne said the appointment would allow Mr. Seavey to step in if Ms. Milne had a conflict of interest regarding a project in the town.
“Being a small community, there will be conflicts from time to time,” Ms. Milne said. “So it’s important to have some reciprocity with other towns for someone to step in and seamlessly handle the permitting process and the inspection process all the way to issuing the certificate of occupancy.”
Town administrator James Hagerty also told selectmen that with shotgun season starting for deer hunters, the town would be installing cameras and signs at the fishermen’s lot near the former town landfill to prevent hunters from dumping carcasses on the site. Mr. Hagerty said last season approximately 30 carcasses were dumped without burial, causing problems for the town highway department.
“I just want to make the board, and anyone else aware, that we’re installing several cameras in that area, and putting some other measures in place to prevent people from dumping for next two weeks, and anytime thereafter,” Mr. Hagerty said.
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