Island officials may be going in circles long before the state decides to construct its roundabout at the four-way blinker intersection in Oak Bluffs. On Wednesday West Tisbury selectmen voted to refer the proposed project to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission for review as a development of regional impact (DRI).

Selectman Richard Knabel argued that the $1.1 million state project tripped article 3.701 of the commission’s DRI checklist, which provides for review of any construction or expansion of facilities that “exist as part of an internal regional transportation system for the Island.”

“I’ve got a lot of concerns and questions from various people about this traffic circle or whatever name it will eventually be called,” said Mr. Knabel. “It looks like section 3.701 is designed exactly for this kind of project. The three towns surrounding this particular intersection have good reason for concern. I think it’s truly a regional issue.”

The move comes less than a week before Oak Bluffs voters will vote on an article to purchase easements for the project at a special town meeting Tuesday.

Oak Bluffs selectmen briefly discussed whether to refer the roundabout at their meeting on Tuesday night but decided against doing so based on the ongoing support for the project from the commission executive director Mark London. The town selectmen approved the project in 2006.

“It came from the commission,” said board chairman Kathy Burton. “It’s my understanding that they were actively involved in it from early on.”

Yesterday Mr. London said the process for discretionary referrals allows for the cross-town variety, but he said the commission had already extensively studied the roundabout in 2006 at the request of the Oak Bluffs selectmen.

“The question about whether it is a DRI or not, it could be argued that it does trigger the checklist but in 2006 and 2007 no one sent it when the town approved it or when the studies were done,” Mr. London said. “A presentation was made to the full commission but it was not at the time reviewed as a DRI because no one referred it. Subsequently the town approved it and had a public hearing earlier this year.”

Mr. London added by way of endorsement that roundabouts, which are often mistaken for their high-speed cousin, the rotary, often provoke strong reactions prior to construction, but are usually quite popular afterwards.

On Wednesday West Tisbury selectman Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd voted against referring the roundabout project to the commission, saying that he was uncomfortable interfering with a neighboring town’s project.

“Oak Bluffs could have referred this to the commission if they wanted to,” he said. “I just get uncomfortable referring an out-of-town project. It’s in Oak Bluffs, Oak Bluffs has been redesigning it for some time getting a lot of input and I feel uncomfortable telling another town what should be referred when, if they thought it was appropriate, they could have sent it there themselves.” The other two selectmen disagreed, voting for the referral.

In other business Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society president Dale McClure approached selectmen to discuss the growing use of the Agricultural Hall. He said the society is currently in negotiations to buy 10 abutting acres from the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.

“If we buy that we’re going to have to take out a mortgage that’s going to cost about $75,000 to pay that mortgage off,” Mr. McClure said. “We just need more income.”

Mr. McClure listed a number of uses for the property that is zoned residential-agricultural, including church meetings, birthday parties, weddings, trade shows, auctions, lectures, West Tisbury school graduation ceremonies, art shows, community dinners and the annual barn-raisers ball.

“The Ag hall has become an Island community center, everybody wants to use it, everybody helped us build it and it gets a lot of use,” he said. Mr. McClure wanted to know from selectmen whether the uses were beginning to overstep the property’s zoning.

“If there’s a problem we want to know about it,” he said.

“From my point of view you’ve been a good neighbor,” said Mr. Knabel, who lives near the hall. “I don’t have any complaints.”

Mr. Knabel suggested Mr. McClure arrange a meeting with surrounding property owners to discuss the issue.

“I think it’s evolved into a terrific community center and that’s a great thing for the Island,” said selectman Cynthia Mitchell, who also lives near the hall.

Selectmen also appointed Eric Low to the library building.