A unanimous vote by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission Thursday has cleared the way for the town of Oak Bluffs to proceed with a long-sought plan to reinforce the eroding bluffs along East Chop Drive.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission opened a public hearing Thursday on a nearly-completed house in Vineyard Haven that has become a lightning rod for neighborhood opposition.

If approved, the 100-apartment Green Villa project would be one of the largest housing developments in Island history.

A century-old Oak Bluffs bungalow with a historic past has grown too run-down to be saved, its owner and her architect told the Martha’s Vineyard Commission last week.

Some of the Island’s most notorious stretches of asphalt are coming under scrutiny as Vineyard planners attempt to make roads safer. 

Oak Bluffs is seeking permission from the Martha's Vineyard Commission to reinforce the eroding East Chop bluff.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission welcomes Mary Bernadette Budinger-Cormie, Mark Gauthier, Jannette Vanderhoop and Willa Kuh for its first meeting of the year on Thursday.

The Island Plan, the Martha's Vineyard Commission's 50-year plan to steer the Island, remains valid but several people involved in the process said implementation has been spotty.

Fresh off two successful elections, Aquinnah resident Jannette Vanderhoop is becoming a name to watch.