On April 9, I understand residents of Oak Bluffs will have their annual town meeting and this year it will include voting on what is affectionately known as the town-wide LIMOD zoning overlay.

I understand how demand for commercial services has grown tremendously in recent years. I also understand that this town overlay seeks to distribute the need for additional commercial property across the town of Oak Bluffs.

While laudable in its premise, unfortunately, certain areas outside of Oak Bluffs would be unfairly burdened to accommodate this need. In particular, Area One incorporates several parcels that are traversed by the rural and beautifully wooded William Norton Road in Tisbury. This area is quite unique, in that the town of Oak Bluffs boundaries extend as a pointed finger or triangle over a portion of William Norton Road. However, the vast majority of William Norton Road is in Tisbury and is characterized by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission as rural. It is also an environmentally sensitive area of the Island underlain by a sole source aquifer.

My hope is that on April 9 the good residents of Oak Bluffs will not approve Area One in the LIMOD. This is not to say that some of the other designated LIMOD areas should also be more thoughtfully considered. However, I am certain that should commercial development proceed in Area One it would dramatically change and alter the character of our rural, residential neighborhood.

The issue of improving how commercial operations are managed and permitted in Oak Bluffs is not unique to Oak Bluffs. Given what I have seen with the inter-town impacts of this proposal, and the Island-wide challenges of the growing commercial businesses, I respectfully suggest all town officials to work together and come up with an Island-wide approach to this problem. Something that while difficult, would be more equitable for all.

Nick DeRose

Vineyard Haven