Island town conservation commission members were pleased Monday with what they said were clear and useful instructions for handling state building code changes in state wetland areas.
New construction and major renovations and additions to buildings in designated wetlands must be built on open pilings rather than on conventional solid foundations, according to changes to the state building code that took effect Jan. 1.
Despite continued pressure from some Edgartown officials, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Thursday stood firmly behind its previous decision to hold a public hearing on a request from the developers of the Field Club in Katama to pay $1.8 million to the town instead of designating three lots on their property for affordable housing.
After an hour of emotionally charged debate, the commission voted 10-3 to hold the hearing.
A s a longtime Edgartown resident, I was surprised to hear news reports that I might be paying more than my share to support the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
As a member and present chairman of the MVC, I was more surprised to hear some people saying that things the MVC does for the Vineyard aren’t necessary for Edgartown.
Wearing both hats, I sat down and made a list of the ways my town has benefited over the years from the MVC’s work. What follows is part of it.
Protecting the Edgartown Great Pond and Sengekontacket:
Where Island businesses and Island residents meet in West Tisbury, friction has followed.
On Thursday night a public hearing continued at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Big Sky Tents to determine whether their proposed facility in the West Tisbury light-industrial district is an appropriate use of a property that abuts a residential zone and makes use of an ancient way.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission last Thursday unanimously approved a proposal to renovate and expand Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown, which was under review as a development of regional impact (DRI).
The plan was reviewed by the commission’s land use planning committee last Monday and approved by the full commission last Thursday after 30 minutes of deliberation.
The plan now goes before the Edgartown planning board for review at the local level.
There’s been a great deal of focus lately on the local effects of the rush by federal and state authorities to build big wind farms near the Vineyard to ameliorate climate change, but very little focus on the local effects of climate change itself.
Except in Oak Bluffs, where there is quiet work underway to prepare for the worst, including sea level rise that is expected to erase beachfront property as it is now known, and the potentially ruinous effects of extreme storms caused by climate change. And it’s all backed by a state grant.
A longtime member of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission moved last night to reconsider the vote on the roundabout.
“This is going to be our last opportunity to reconsider this decision,” said Leonard Jason Jr. “We have a chance, in my mind, to put the bullet back in the gun.” The comments came at the regular commission meeting last evening.
The commission voted narrowly two weeks ago to approve the controversial traffic improvement for the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs. The vote was 7-6. Mr. Jason was a vocal opponent.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission must hold a public hearing to decide whether the operation at Goodale’s pit in Oak Bluffs requires review as a development of regional impact (DRI), the commission executive director has said.
The decision to hold the hearing comes after some confusion about whether the town of Oak Bluffs had referred the site to the commission as a concurrence review or a discretionary referral, two different commission procedures.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission Thursday approved a two-year extension to complete a long-planned Oak Bluffs fishing pier.
According to a letter to the MVC from Douglas H. Cameron, assistant director and deputy chief engineer from the state Department of Fish and Game, all necessary local, state and federal permits for the state-funded pier have been obtained, and the project will begin upon the final approval of funding.
In the wake of the overwhelming votes this spring in five Island towns against the controversial roundabout project, a longtime member of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has called for the regional planning agency to revisit its own position on the plan.
At the end of the MVC meeting Thursday night, Leonard Jason Jr. announced his intention to request a new vote on the controversial roundabout planned for the blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs.
