The following letters were received by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission commenting on the plan by Vineyard Power to build a solar canopy over the parking lot at Cronig’s Market in Vineyard Haven.

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Forward Thinking

Please note I support the Cronig’s Solar Canopy Project. It is in a great location and great for our Island. We should applaud Vineyard Power for their forward-thinking approach.

Cynthia Aguilar

West Tisbury

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Out of Place

I’m writing in opposition to the proposed solar canopies at Cronig’s Market on State Road. I’m in favor of solar energy in the form of solar panels on the roofs of buildings or placed low on the ground and out of sight. What is being proposed at Cronig’s Market is completely out of scale and character for State Road. This monstrosity will have the same effect visually as an enormous gas station with roughly 16 or more pumps. Since the two gas stations on Beach Road in Tisbury only have two or three pumps each, the proposed solar canopies at Cronig’s Market would be at least five to eight times larger. I don’t believe that a gas station with 16 or more pumps would ever be allowed to be built. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is supposed to protect the character of the Vineyard. If the solar canopies had been proposed on Beach Road, near the existing gas stations and were similar in size to the existing gas stations, then it would be more in scale and character than State Road, where it is completely out of scale and character. Therefore I hope you will not approve this project. Thanks for your attention.

Trevor Good

Vineyard Haven

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Much Needed

I was surprised at the article in the paper suggesting that since no one showed up to oppose the solar canopy project proposed at Cronig’s Market that perhaps people didn’t know about it. Almost everyone I run into speaks of it and is very excited that we are finally going to see a project like this here on the Island. I would like to add my voice to those in support of the project. It brings much needed renewable energy to the Island and Cronig’s should be applauded for their investment in our Island’s clean energy future. Please pass this project, it is clearly what needs to be done.

Gary Harcourt

Oak Bluffs

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Right Step

The solar/electrical stations at Cronig’s seem like a step in the right direction. I was reading the article in the paper and it seemed the commission was concerned about the lack of interest, so I thought I would write in support of the project.

Jon Hartzband

Oak Bluffs

Sustainable Solution

I would like to convey my strong support for the proposal to build solar canopies in the Cronig’s Market parking lot. As a nearly 30-year resident of Martha’s Vineyard I feel that we must stop waffling on renewables. The fact that a few detractors have cast aspersions on this project, mostly for aesthetic reasons (of a parking lot!) seems incomprehensible to me. By stubbornly clinging to the notion that there is always a better location for every renewable initiative, we continue to feed into the problem. I urge the commission to take a leadership role at this time in charting a course toward a future based on forward-thinking solutions.

Robert Skydell

Chilmark

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Lead the Way

I’m writing to express my support for Vineyard Power’s solar canopy project at Cronig’s. Like many people, I see the Vineyard leading the way in sustainable living practices such as renewable energy.

Rob Myers

Chilmark

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Sensible Idea

I would like to express my support for the solar canopy plan for Cronig’s parking lot. Using a site that is already developed and paved while also providing some protection to shoppers is a very sensible idea. I applaud all the parties working to make this happen. We need to stop finding excuses not to develop green renewable energy and move forward with an example of how it should be done. When was the last time you noticed or were bothered by the very visible solar array on the roof of Our Market? As the Oak Bluffs representative to the Cape Light Compact and the Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative, I would love to boast about this project at their next board meeting.

Richard Toole

Oak Bluffs

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Visual Concerns

I am writing in response to the MVC meeting held Feb. 2. I was not able to attend, but did watch it on TV.

I am very concerned about the visual impact of this project. John Abrams’s comment about 13 parking lots he looked at paints a very scary scenario. I am all for solar, but not at the expense of the character of the towns these canopies are in. The same goes for the vegetation around these projects. We need natural shade too, large trees add much to our environment visually. Streets or areas that have large trees look especially nice. The trees proposed for Cronig’s lot will not be so nice when they are topped or trimmed. Parking lot trees do not look attractive when not allowed to branch out.

Please take the Fort Lauderdale comment seriously; these canopies remind me of highway gas stations.

Kathleen Tilton

Vineyard Haven