Fourteen candidates are running for nine seats on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The Gazette emailed questions to all the candidates asking them about their reasons for running, qualifications, and to speak to the unique mission of the 41-year-old regional planning agency.

Linda Bauer Sibley
Town: West Tisbury
Occupation: Retired

Reason for Running

I am deeply committed to protecting the special qualities of the Island of Martha’s Vineyard that were recognized by the state legislature when it created the MVC and gave it unprecedented regulatory and planning powers.

I have found my years on the MVC interesting and rewarding. Not only can one make a difference, one can learn a lot. Dare I say, that it can be fun?

Qualifications

I am one of the longest serving members of the MVC, having served for approximately three decades. Prior to that I served for a number of years on the West Tisbury and regional high school committees.

“New blood” is important to any organization, but so is institutional history. I bring the latter to my MVC service.

Until my recent retirement I owned a business on Martha’s Vineyard, also for over 30 years. I have an insight into the challenges of the Island economy that many members of the MVC do not share.

At my business I also had the opportunity to meet with many members of public every day. Although members of the MVC need to avoid receiving private “testimony” on individual developments, general input from our constituents is valuable and important. I look forward to continued input in the supermarket aisle!

Commission’s Unique Mission

I believe that the MVC has generally done a good job, both as a planning and a regulatory agency. Over the years, the towns have become increasingly proactive, but the commission remains critical because the zoning enabling legislation limits the regulatory powers of the towns. I would like to see the continued growth of cooperation between the MVC and the towns. Several years ago the MVC created a provision in the DRI (development of regional impact) checklist to encourage recognition of town master planning efforts.

One subtle effect of the MVC, that people rarely recognize, is that the very existence of the review process leads to better planning of major projects. Developers know in advance that they will need to plan their projects carefully.

Available Time Commitment

12 to 20 hours, depending on schedule and subcommittees.