Winnetu gets building, MVC gets dessert

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Winnetu owner Mark Snider proposed a new building on his resort’s property to the MVC. — Brian Dowd

It was a short and sweet meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) Thursday that saw the Winnetu Oceanside Resort receive approval for a new project.

The lone item on the evening’s agenda was Winnetu owner Mark Snider’s presentation on his proposal to construct a 920-square-foot, three-story addition on the north side of the hotel building. A concierge building and accompanying covered walkway will be torn down and replaced by the new addition.The new addition will house existing offices, and massage and fitness rooms from across the street at the Mattakesett, another Winnetu property.

The new addition proposal is tied to a project at the Mattakesett common building, which would turn the building into employee housing, complete with four new one-bedroom apartments for year-round and seasonal staff in addition to a new building being built to house one three-bedroom apartment for staff.

Commissioners unanimously approved the proposal.

After receiving approval, the meeting turned into an ice cream social when Snider pulled out a box of ice cream sandwiches and homemade cookies to say thanks.

“This is not a bribe,” chairman Jim Vercruysse joked.

In other business, MVC regional planner Dan Doyle updated the commission on its permanent traffic counter project. The commission received a grant that allocated $140,000 in funds to install traffic counters at six locations around the Island.

The counters will allow the MVC to study traffic patterns wirelessly by the month, day, hour, and even in 15-minute intervals.

The commission has received three bids for design and installation of the traffic counters, and will choose a winning bid on Sept. 24.

“We’re really going to be able to tell a much better story when it comes to the demands on our infrastructure with real, clean data,” Doyle said.