Martha's Vineyard Commission approves the Pennywise Project
Citing the growing need for low and moderate income housing, the Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC) voted unanimously on July 22, to approve the Pennywise Path affordable housing project in Edgartown.
Along with approving the 60 mixed-income rental unit subdivision, the commissioners imposed a hefty list of conditions, including restrictions on residency requirements, lighting, and access to the development.
The project was before the MVC as a Chapter 40B development. The project must now go before the Edgartown zoning board of appeals for a special permit.
The Community Builders Inc. (TCB), a non-profit housing developer based in Boston that the town of Edgartown chose last year to build and manage the subdivision, hopes to begin construction on the project sometime next year.
Last week's MVC meeting began on a positive note for the town and the developer when Jane Greene, commissioner from Chilmark, made a motion early on to approve the Pennywise Project with conditions. Richard Toole, commissioner from Oak Bluffs, seconded the motion.
After debating the conditions to place on the project for nearly three hours, the commissioners discussed the benefits and detriments of the project before finally voting.
The single benefit overwhelmingly cited by the commissioners was that the project created much needed affordable housing. The primary detriment was the impact the development would have on surrounding neighborhoods, particularly the homeowners on 12th Street, the single access road into the subdivision.
"I think it is a reasonably well designed and executed project that meets the single most overwhelming need of the year-round community on Martha's Vineyard…The major detriment, one that we have all struggled with, is it is going to have a horrible impact on 12th Street," said Doug Sederholm, Chilmark MVC member.
"But the benefits clearly outweigh the detriments," he added.
Megan Ottens-Sargent, Aquinnah commissioner, said, "I agree that the benefits clearly outweigh the detriments."
Linda Sibley, MVC member from West Tisbury, said, "We have never had a 60-unit affordable housing project on the Vineyard before, and a lot of people feel this isn't the kind of solution they would like, but the very forces that created the problem of so many people unable to find affordable housing, and the wildly irrational price of land has forced solutions that are not typical."
John Breckenridge, MVC member from Oak Bluffs, agreed.
"This is a project, but it is all about people, and people are going to be well served by this project. It's not a perfect project, but in my mind the benefits are going to outweigh the detriments," he said.
Along with the creation of affordable housing, Mr. Toole also cited the fact that the town of Edgartown has been working on the project for several years.
"I think that with the town support throughout the whole process, and the years of effort they have put into it, I have confidence that this is going to be a successful project," he said.
The town has been planning the Pennywise project since Edgartown voters voted to designate the site for affordable housing in 2001.
After two years of preparation with the help of state housing officials and outside consultants, the Edgartown affordable housing committee drafted a request for proposals from developers to build 40 to 70 affordable units on 12 acres of land within the 27 acres of town owned land.
The proposed site is adjacent to the Pennywise Preserve, a 118-acre property owned by the town, over which the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank holds a conservation restriction. It is bordered by Arbutus Park and the Vineyard Golf Club.
Last year the town chose TCB, to design, build, and manage a 60-unit affordable rental subdivision.
The town has continued to work closely with TCB, refining and modifying the project, throughout the MVC process.
At last week's meeting, Edgartown's continued involvement was clear as the commissioners accepted a list of offers from the town.
Among the offers, the town agreed to provide sewer and water lines into the development, and to create a second emergency access into the site.
The town also agreed to conduct a traffic study two years after the project is complete. Town leaders said they would return to the MVC with the results of the study to determine if another access, or other traffic mitigation measures are needed.
The MVC members also imposed a list of conditions on TCB. Among the conditions, the commissioners required that "to the extent allowable by law," 70 percent of the units would be for Edgartown residents, and the rest would be for other Islanders.
The commissioners also place conditions on the project in an attempt to protect a nearby frost pocket and the rare moths that live in it.
A long list of exterior lighting requirements, including the use of yellow or "bug lights" on houses that face the frost pocket were approved to help protect the moths. Lighting at the three crosswalks within the development was also limited to one bug light no brighter than a 75-watt incandescent bulb, at each crossing.
After voting on each of the conditions, which were approved with unanimous or overwhelming majority votes, the commissioners finally voted to approve the project. The final vote tally was 11-0.
Following the vote, Fred "Ted" Morgan, chairman of the Edgartown affordable housing committee and retired long-serving selectman thanked the commissioners.
"On behalf of the town, I would like to thank you all very much. We have looked upon this as a very important project," he said.
