At its meeting Tuesday, Tuesday, the planning board recommended that the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank create a five- to six-foot-wide dirt path within the public right of way, with minimum clearing of trees in the area.
The Edgartown planning board heard complaints about the restoration of Swimming Place Path last week, but said the select board will be the decision makers on the project.
The town is seeking to improve public access to Swimming Place Path, a nearly 350-year-old trail that connects Herring Creek Road and the Road to the Plains. The ancient way was first recorded in Edgartown records in 1675.
Gifford’s Store, as most persons of mature age would call it, still stands on the West Tisbury-Edgartown road, which highway developed from the ancient Mill Path, whereby Edgartown settlers walked or rode to the mill on the Mill River, to have their corn ground.
Not many Vineyarders have heard of the “King’s Highway” or know that any such road exists on the Island. King’s Highway, or “Hie” Way, as it was in the beginning, is, according to tradition, the old road between West Tisbury and Quitsa. It is approximately halfway between the South and Middle Roads and parallels the two from the vicinity of the West Thibury-Chilmark line to a point not far distant from Beetlebung Corner, following the line of Ridge Hill and crossing the Guerin and Henry Allen estates.
On Saturday the West Tisbury byways committee will present a brief history of the old dirt paths and cart tracks that today are protected special ways within the town. The event begins at 2 p.m. in the town library.
A historic mail route in West Tisbury has been set aside for special protection from future development. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission late last week agreed to add Old Coach Road to a growing group of historic Island footpaths protected under the special ways critical planning district.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission has taken steps to preserve the historic character of several West Tisbury roadways. Commissioners voted to designate Pine Hill, Red Coat Hill, Mott’s Hill and Shubael Weeks roads as special ways, affording them protections against future development.
The recent decision by the Massachusetts Court of Appeals acknowledging the rights of the town of Edgartown and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to restrict development on their ancient roadways gives credence to the residents of the Island who believe in preservation.
Protecting these old roads does much to retain the character of the Island, just as preserving historic buildings, retaining engaging vistas or saving unique parcels of land from development.
The town of Edgartown and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission won a major land use victory this week when the Massachusetts Court of Appeals ruled that they have wide latitude to restrict development on ancient ways. The ruling overturns an earlier superior court decision in the Hall family case against the town.
