Despite ongoing objections from property owners, the Tisbury planning board made a case for the Beach Road improvement plan at a joint meeting with the town selectmen last week.

“We’ve had a multiple year relationship with this project,” said planning board chairman Cheryl Doble. “We’ve studied it at length.”

“We can’t keep throwing these projects away because they don’t satisfy us,” said planning board member Elaine Miller.

Planning is now complete for the $5.2 million state project that among other things aims to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists along the busy roadway, although before construction can begin a number of road-front property owners will be required to to sell some of their land. Sticking points include a shared-used path that would run from the Tisbury Marketplace to Wind’s Up. Some have called for symmetrical sidewalks along the entire length of the project instead of the single pedestrian and cyclist path currently proposed.

Selectmen James Rogers and Tristan Israel said at a recent meeting that they would consider writing a letter to Mass DOT objecting to the project, although selectman Melinda Loberg said she would not join that.

At the joint meeting last Friday, planning board members asked the two selectmen to consider the constraints of the area before they send a letter to the state that could potentially jeopardize the entire project.

“I wish we had way more space [for sidewalks and bicycle lanes], but we don’t have that kind of room,” Ms. Doble said.

Planning board member Ben Robinson asked selectmen to think about how cyclists and pedestrians are already using the road. He said most coming from Oak Bluffs are already on the Lagoon side because of the location of the existing pedestrian path from that town.

“I think we have to remember what the reality of this project is, and where we’re building it, and how we’re building it,” he said. “You bias the side that gets more use.”

Ms. Doble added that concerns about curb cuts would exist with both the symmetrical and the shared-use path designs.

Mr. Israel said if the project does go forward, he has concerns about making sure beach renourishment to fight erosion on one area of the road remains effective.

“We need to keep pressure applied to state officials to consistently nourish that without a lot of permitting hangups,” he said.

Members of both boards were positive about recent visits from MassDOT officials, but Mr. Israel reiterated his view that the state had not adequately responded to local concerns earlier on.

“It’s basically the same plan we’ve had from day one,” he said.

He emphasized concerns about drainage into the Lagoon Pond and sustainability of the road in the long term. Mr. Rogers agreed.

“I don’t want to see us lose another state funded project,” Mr. Rogers said. “[But] I agree with Tristan that just because the state is funding it, doesn’t mean we need to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

The two boards agreed to meet again in August.