The Edgartown selectmen Monday approved a proposal from the Chappaquiddick Beach Club to pave a small turnaround area at the club entrance on the Chappaquiddick Road.

Club manager Peter MacRae said the area is used as a turnaround point for the club’s shuttle van; he said sand and gravel have both proved to be ineffective paving materials over the years, adding wear to the club van’s tires and spilling out onto the road.

Town highway superintendent Stuart Fuller said he saw no problem with the paving, and selectmen unanimously approved the plan, which also will need approval from the town conservation commission.

In other business, the selectmen also accepted a letter of resignation from Mike Smith, the town cemetery superintendent, who is retiring after more than 20 years on the job.

Cemetery commission chairman Alan Gowell said a search for Mr. Smith’s replacement is underway. The position is “sometimes a stressful job, and we all appreciate the job he did,” he said.

The selectmen also agreed to join an effort by state Sen. Marc Pacheco of Taunton to keep the Taunton State Hospital open. In January, Gov. Deval Patrick announced plans to close the state mental health facility by the end of the year. The hospital serves the Island and southeastern Massachusetts, said selectman and board chairman Arthur Smadbeck, so the closing “would have a bad effect on us.”