The Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals on Thursday continued deliberations on the Bradley Square Memorial church project — a plan to create a mixed-use building at the corner of Masonic and Dukes County avenues with affordable housing, a cultural center and several artists’ work spaces.

The project, which was approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission with conditions in June and is now under review at the local level, continues to be a source of controversy.

At the board of appeals hearing Thursday night Candace Nichols, an Island attorney and vocal opponent of the Bradley Square project, repeatedly made comments while zoning members conducted their deliberations despite the fact that the public hearing is closed. Her comments drew heated reaction from Bob Wheeler, a board member for the Island Affordable Housing Fund and project supporter.

“Will you stop it?” shouted Mr. Wheeler.

“No,” responded Ms. Nichols.

Board chairman Kris Chvatal warned Ms. Nichols to be quiet or he would call someone and have her removed.

The property is owned by the Island Affordable Housing Fund, which bought the old Bradley Church in June of 2007 for $905,000. The applicant is the Island Affordable Housing Trust, a sister organization to the fund. The plan calls for the old Bradley Church to be moved and renovated to create a cultural center with a residential apartment and office. Two separate lots — one in a commercial zone and another in a residential zone — will be combined to accommodate two new residential buildings with 11 apartments, 10 to be sold at affordable rates under state guidelines. Some of the apartments are planned as studios where artists would live and work.

After about two hours of discussion, the board of appeals agreed to continue deliberations this Thursday. Once deliberations are complete, the board will have three options: approve the application, deny it or approve with conditions. If the board votes to deny or imposes conditions the applicant finds unreasonable, because the project was designed under Chapter 40B, the state affordable housing law, the applicant can appeal the decision to the state housing appeals committee.

Because the project is a 40B, the zoning board of appeals is limited to examining issues of health and safety. In that vein, the commission spent time Thursday discussing a proposed roadway along the side and back of the project that would provide access for emergency vehicles.

Fire chief Peter Forend met with zoning administrator Adam Wilson on August 8 and expressed concern that the driveway is not wide enough for emergency vehicles. But Philippe Jordi, executive director of the Island Housing Trust, said he had spoken with Chief Forend who said he was satisfied with a revised plan allowing access for emergency vehicles on three sides of the building.

Mr. Chvatal said he preferred to get information firsthand from the chief.

“I’m not trying to be difficult. But it is much easier for us to draft conditions [for approval] when we have very detailed and specific findings . . . right now I would say this board lacks proper information regarding health and safety,” he said.

Board member Joseph Re asked the project representatives if they would consider dropping the artist live and work spaces from the plan and make the units simple affordable housing without a preference for artists.

“What we have in that neighborhood is a couple of art galleries that are doing okay, but we also have this residential group. I don’t want to further any rift between the two, and I think holding to this slight bend towards artists does just that,” Mr. Re said.

Board member Gail Barmakian also questioned other aspects of the project, including parking, traffic and density. She said there was already a lack of parking in the neighborhood during certain times of the year. “I have a problem with just exacerbating the problem and just saying we will deal with it later,” she said.

The board meets again Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the town senior center on Wamsutta avenue.