West Tisbury voters will be asked at town meeting to designate a three-acre town property for affordable housing, following a unanimous vote by selectmen Wednesday afternoon.

Known as the Silva lot, the parcel at 401 State Road, just east of Lambert’s Cove Road, has been owned by the town since 1987, affordable housing committee member Susan Silk said.

“It’s time we do something with it that needs to be done,” Ms. Silk told selectmen, who quickly approved the committee’s request to place an article on the annual town meeting warrant seeking voter approval for the affordable housing designation.

Selectmen also approved May 18 at 5 p.m. for the annual town meeting, although the town election must, by law, take place more than a month earlier.

“The town election cannot move,” town administrator Jennifer Rand said, explaining that the state has updated its rules and now allows municipalities to reschedule town meetings, but not elections.

“The legislation did not expire the regulations for [changing] town meeting,” Ms. Rand said. “It did expire them for elections.”

Ms. Rand said she had consulted with town counsel Ron Rappaport about the anomaly, which will have voters casting their ballots long before election-related articles are discussed on the town meeting floor.

“We have looked into it and we cannot move the election, unless you want to have town meeting on the second Tuesday in April,” Ms. Rand said.

“Ouch,” selectman Skipper Manter said, before reluctantly joining Kent Healy and chair Cynthia Mitchell in approving the May 18 date.

“It seems like the right thing to do,” Mr. Manter added.

The deadline for articles for the town meeting warrant is Feb. 2, Ms. Rand said.

A potential warrant article to repair a culvert on Tiah’s Cove Road, originally requested by the town conservation commission, got a thumbs-down from Mr. Healy.

“This is a project which is unnecessary,” Mr. Healy said. “To me it would be a waste of money to do anything.”

Ms. Mitchell and Mr. Manter asked to hear again from the commission before proceeding with the request.

Also Wednesday, selectmen appointed Hunter Moorman to the town personnel board and accepted a letter of resignation from former board member Ben Retmier, and received letters of support for affordable housing at the Silva lot from the Island Housing Trust, Healthy Aging MV, Vineyard Village at Home, Bea Phear and Greg Orcutt.

The Jan. 27 board meeting will begin at 4 p.m. instead of the regular hour of 4:30 p.m., Ms. Rand said.