The town of West Tisbury continues to await a decision from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on whether they will be allowed to demolish an abandoned fire house on Old Courthouse Road to build affordable housing on the site.

“[The hearing with the MVC] went as well as it could have,” town administrator Jennifer Rand told selectmen on Wednesday.

Selectman Kent Healy wrote a letter to West Tisbury selectmen detailing the condition of the building. A civil engineer, he inspected the old fire house on Wednesday and found that “all the framing, beams, rafters, plates and joists would need to be replaced or reinforced and reconnected for this building to be used for even dry storage.”

“The building is not usable,” he told selectmen.

Selectmen voted unanimously to forward the letter to the MVC land use planning committee for consideration.

The old fire house is located on Old Courthouse Road off State Road in West Tisbury. According to a town application, the building dates to 1895 and served as the West Tisbury town hall until 1945, then as the fire station. In recent years it has been used for storage.

Wood and granite in the building is in good shape and could be salvaged according to Ms. Rand, but restoring the building isn’t a good option.

“There comes a point where you have to recognize the cost benefit analysis is that we would be better served by a new building than an attempt to try to make this building serviceable,” Ms. Rand told the commission last week.

In an environmental survey of the property, lead paint was identified in the building, mostly in window sills and doors. Asbestos and mercury were also found.

Some neighbors, including Jason Napior, whose property abuts the site, have said they would like the building to be saved.

“I see a lot of value for the town holding onto it,” Mr. Napior told the commission last week, citing perceived need for municipal storage.

If the building is demolished, neighbors have said they prefer a single-family home be built to replace it, rather than a duplex. They also requested that the soil in the area be inspected.

The MVC land use planning committee is expected to make recommendations about the property on Feb. 26. The commission is expected to decide on the issue March 8.

If the commission approves the demolition, West Tisbury residents will vote on whether to approve use of the property as affordable housing at town meeting.

In other business, selectmen heard a request from the Island Housing Trust to create a sole purpose entity to manage the Scotts Grove housing project. And West Tisbury resident Kate Warner spoke with selectmen about widening the shoulder on State Road to make it safer for cyclists.

Selectmen also scheduled a meeting for March 7 with the up-Island regional school district committee, a representative from the police department and a representative from the parks and recreation committee to discuss reconfiguring the West Tisbury school parking lot.