Oak Bluffs voters will consider mopeds, housing, and a new town hall

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Richard Morris (standing) was awarded a special permit for a home based firewood business over the strong objections of Oak Bluffs Planning Board member Bo Fehl (far right). — Barry Stringfellow

Last week’s annual re-emergence of the pinkletinks means that town meeting and election season are right around the corner. And acting on Tuesday, Oak Bluffs selectmen approved three ballot questions for the April 13 election.

The only binding vote will be on a Proposition 2.5 debt exclusion to finance a new town hall. Plans for the building, which are on display on the town website, were based on Keenan + Kenny architects’ original 2013 design, subsequently revised by a 12-member building committee over the past several months. The original plans came with $6.5 million price tag. Although a new town hall was approved on a voice vote at the 2014 town meeting, voters defeated the debt exclusion resoundingly in the voting booths that year. Town hall building committee chairman Bill McGrath told selectmen that Keenan + Kenny will submit a final price for the new town hall before week’s end.

Selectmen also voted unanimously to take voters’ temperature on a rental-moped ban and the creation of an affordable housing bank, with two non-binding resolutions.

Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank regional president for Martha’s Vineyard Richard Leonard, who brought forward the housing bank resolution, told the board that a yes for a housing bank would “create a strong sense of the direction we’re moving as a community … The benefit is clear communication about a desire to create a resource that’s needed in the community.”

Specifically, voters will be asked, “Are you in favor of establishing a regional housing bank, to address the critical housing needs on the Vineyard?” Mr. Leonard revealed no specific details of the plan.

“The Land Bank has a dependable source of funds,” Mr. Leonard said. “With a dependable source of funds, Island-wide, we’d have the success that the Land Bank has preserving land.”

“If the Land Bank continues to conserve land, that goes in direct opposition to what your plans are,” selectman Greg Coogan said.

“If this does get approved, by next year’s town meeting, we’ll bring back plans that are a little more concrete,” Mr. Leonard said. “Approval would also send a message to state legislators.”

“We’ve been working on housing for a long time and getting nowhere fast,” Oak Bluffs MVC commissioner Richard Toole said. “Hopefully, this will show the state we’re serious.”

A petitioned article asking townspeople if they want to eliminate moped rentals will also appear on the ballot. Selectman Michael Santoro made clear that selectmen did not endorse the measure by putting it on the ballot.

In other business, selectmen unanimously approved a special permit for a nonconforming home-based business for County Road resident Richard Morris, owner of firewood company Got Wood.

Mr. Morris said the bulk of the activity on his property is splitting wood and storing it, and that chainsaw use, and its accompanying noise, was minimal.

Several abutters turned up to support Mr. Morris. “I’m probably the closest abutter, and I see nothing bad about it all,” Peter Martell said.

Selectmen appeared concerned primarily about the optics of a massive wood pile on a residential lot on County Road. Mr. Morris agreed to put up a six-foot stockade fence and plant trees along the County Road boundary by April 30.

Oak Bluffs planning board member Bo Fehl adamantly opposed the special permit. “I’m totally against it,” he said. “It doesn’t meet the home-business requirements for a special permit. If we let this go through, where do we draw the line?”

Selectmen approved the special home-business permit unanimously for Got Wood, 5-0.

Selectmen once again put off a vote on the creation of an Oak Bluffs Cultural District, this time until summer. Gail Barmakian, chairman of the selectmen, argued for public hearings when seasonal residents could have a chance to weigh in, rather than suddenly finding out their houses are in a cultural district.

Downtown business owner Dennis daRosa said he is frustrated with the selectmen’s “micromanagement.”

“We’ve been talking about this for months,” he said. “A lot of people spent a lot of time working on this, and you keep coming up with ideas to change it. It’s already gone before the planning board and been unanimously approved. It still has to be approved by the state. I’d be darn proud if my house was part of a cultural district.”

Parks commissioner Amy Billings told selectmen she had not been consulted before park land was designated in the cultural district. She added that she didn’t see the benefits.”I don’t quite get what it means. We have the Copeland District, the Historic District, the African American Heritage trail. What would this mean?”

Oak Bluffs Association executive director Christine Todd said the selectmen only had to approve the concept, and there would still be much vetting to be done. “We can discuss this for hours. We’re just trying to get approval of the concept. It won’t go any further until we have a public hearing.”

Selectman Michael Santoro urged the board to get on with it. “The planning board vetted this very thoroughly, and unanimously voted to move it to us. Any activities still have to go before selectmen or the parks department. Let’s move it along.”

Selectman Kathy Burton, attending via teleconference from Florida, suggested the benefits of a cultural district should be described and explained before the public hearing.

Selectmen voted 4-1 to endorse the cultural district concept and to hold public hearings in early summer. Ms. Barmakian dissented.

Selectmen also agreed to name town administrator Robert Whritenour the town’s record access officer. Mr. Whritenour said the position will enhance public access to public records, a stated priority of the Baker administration. “People will get their documents quickly and with a smile,” he said.

Correction: an earlier version of this article said that the housing bank funding model would be similar to Land Bank, based on a fraction of real estate transaction. The housing bank funding mechanism has not been determined.