Martha’s Vineyard Commission continues DRI checklist hearing

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The Martha’s Vineyard Commission continued a public hearing held Thursday night about proposed changes to its checklist for projects referred as developments of regional impact (DRI). The hearing will resume at the commission’s meeting on November 15 and the written record kept open until November 16.

Commissioner Doug Sederholm of Chilmark ran the hearing as the chairman of the MVC’s land use planning committee (LUPC). With winds and rain from winter storm Athena still pummeling the Island, only three members of the public, including Oak Bluffs planning board members Mark Wallace and Eric Albert, showed up for the hearing.

The MVC is required by statute to review the DRI checklist every two years. It sets the thresholds that identify development applications that towns must refer to the MVC for possible review, before approving or denying the applications.

As Mr. Sederholm explained, the proposed DRI checklist revisions resulted from a process that included a series of meetings open to the public held in 2011 to address issues such as large houses and commercial development, and several meetings by a subcommittee over the last few months.

When he opened up the floor to public comment, Mr. Wallace suggested that it might be a good idea for the town planning boards that commented previously on possible DRI revisions and the MVC to review the final draft document once more together. Mr. Wallace said he did not think the DRI revisions went far enough in addressing some of the changes planning board members had recommended.

Mr. Sederholm agreed to continue the hearing in case there are planning board members that want to come in and testify about the final draft document or submit something in writing, preferably before next week’s meeting.

For more information, call the MVC at 508-693-3453 or view the draft revised DRI checklist document online at www.mvcommission.org.