The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted 8-2 Thursday night to approve eight new second-story rental apartments at Post Office Square in Edgartown. Commissioners who backed the plan said the acute need for workforce housing outweighed other problems.
Recently I became aware of an application by Haven Road Realty Trust (Charles Hajjar) for a special permit to construct 10 apartments (total 20 bedrooms) as a second floor to two buildings in Post Office Square in Edgartown.
These comments were sent to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission regarding the proposal for 10 loft apartments in Post Office Square at the Triangle in Edgartown.
With its budget in the spotlight, the Martha's Vineyard Commission was the subject of a broader discussion in Chilmark this week over its role today as a regional planning agency.
As chairman of the Martha's Vineyard Commission, it concerns me that recent criticisms of the commission seem to be largely based on misinformation about the issues.
I’d like to clear up some misinformation about the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s fiscal year budget that has appeared in the press and at various town board meetings over the last few weeks.
Leadership is needed, to get ahead of the doubters and remind Islanders in a compelling way why the commission was formed, what its purview is and what’s at stake.
Already under pressure for the lengthy pace of its development reviews, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission has come under heightened scrutiny in Island towns over its budget for next year. Staff salary increases and soaring legal expenses have led to a 10 per cent increase in the commission’s budget, with some town assessments going up more than 14 per cent.
And as they prepare their own annual town budgets for the coming year, four of the six Vineyard towns are registering strong concerns about spending at the commission.
In a strongly-worded letter, the committee cited “lack of clear management, focus and prioritization,” as reasons for not recommending the $1.45 million budget. The town has requested an immediate meeting with the MVC executive director.
