In a move that may drastically affect a number of Circuit Avenue businesses, the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) board of directors has informed commercial leaseholders that as of June 1, no trucks larger than a standard van will be allowed to make deliveries on association roads. Central Avenue is currently used for deliveries to Linda Jean’s and other businesses on that side of Circuit Avenue.
An April 28 letter informed commercial leaseholders of the change in policy, giving them 30 days to make alternative delivery plans.
“Obviously that puts a strain on the town, to have deliveries on Circuit Avenue,” selectman Mike Santoro said at the selectmen’s regular meeting on Tuesday night. “This could effectively shut down Linda Jean’s.”
Mr. Santoro, former owner of two businesses on Circuit Avenue — the Atlantic Connection nightclub and Seasons Restaurant — said traffic on association roads was considerably less than it used to be, when septic trucks used to make daily stops before town sewering.
“It hinders my business enormously,” Marc Hanover, owner of Linda Jean’s, told The Times on Wednesday. “I’ve been doing this for 41 years. I know the selectmen aren’t happy about it. Hopefully we’ll find an amicable resolution. I was asked to come before their board this Saturday, which is huge.”
Mr. Hanover added that due to the renovation of Montgomery Square, he’s also lost 10 percent of the parking lot. “They did a beautiful job with Montgomery Square. In the meantime, I’ve lost space and had my lease raised.”
“Their big argument is the trucks that are used to deliver to restaurants are increasingly becoming the largest trucks that are available on the road,” town administrator Robert Whritenour said at Tuesday’s meeting. “They claim they’ve been working with the owners to not get the absolute biggest trucks, but business owners don’t get to choose. That is creating conflict.”
Mr. Santoro acknowledged that the supply trucks from off-Island have gotten bigger over the years. “The size of the trucks is getting ridiculous,” he said. “Marc has requested smaller trucks. He’s limiting deliveries to three days a week, and he’s cut back [on delivery times] from 9 to 2 to 9 to 12.”
Mr. Santoro said the move runs contrary to past overtures from the MVCMA, which has gone before selectmen asking to form a partnership with the town. “We’ve asked them specifically if they did anything with Central Avenue, to come back and work with us because there’s ramifications that come with that,” he said.
Selectman Brian Packish said the streetscape committee — a subcommittee of the Oak Bluffs planning board — has gone to great lengths to work with the MVCMA. “We took their input, we valued their input, we spent a lot of time on loading zones, creating more time limits, and I felt like we worked really hard to be partner in that discussion,” he said. “I think we’ve worked hard to be a good neighbor, and we should stress that in the conversation.”
Mr. Packish also noted a lack of cooperation from the MVCMA on a streetscape proposal to create diagonal parking on the south side of Lake Avenue, across from the harbor. A section on the north side of Lake Avenue was recently converted to diagonal parking.
Chairman Kathy Burton said some quid pro quo is in order between the town and the Campground. “We’ve actually fought for CPA funds for the Campground,” she said.
Gail Barmakian offered to represent selectmen at this Saturday’s association board meeting, and deliver a letter from the board. “If they will let me in,” she said.
Speaking with The Times on Wednesday morning, MVCMA executive director C.J. Rivard expressed surprise that the matter was discussed at the selectmen’s meeting without notice from the town. She said the association is eager to work with Mr. Hanover. “Everybody loves Linda Jean’s;, we want to be supportive of his business,” she said. “Marc and I have had many discussions about how to work through this. It’s a matter of safety. These roads are not built for these big trucks. Over the past years, trucks have been stacked three at a time into Montgomery Square.”
Ms. Rivard said the issue is a long-simmering one. “This is not a new conversation; there have been many letters and sit-down meetings,” she said. “We had conversations at the end of last summer, and a letter was sent to the selectmen in September. No one wants to see a hardship for Marc’s business. I think half the board has breakfast there every day.”
Ms. Rivard said one option is for deliveries to be made on Circuit Avenue in the early morning, before businesses open.
“Town roads are popping at the seams,” she said. “I don’t think any town roads were built for trucks as big as the ones we’re seeing now.”
Ms. Rivard said timing of the new restriction, coming right before the busy season, was because most of the association board members are seasonal residents.
Time to have the delivery companies bring two people to half the amount of time it takes for the available dedicated delivery spaces in the peak months. Most food establishments use many of the same suppliers. Larger cities supply their restaurants daily. Staging and organising the products inside of the trucks will also save precious minutes in the loading zones.
Liftgates instead of ramps also require less space. More expensive for the Shipper, but larger trucks fitting into the same available space require that expense.
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