The West Tisbury board of selectmen endorsed the move of the West Tisbury Farmers Market from the Grange Hall to the Agricultural Society property to allow for social distancing.
After a brief discussion, during which selectman Skipper Manter asked about whether the farmers market met the zoning for the property, the board voted unanimously to allow that and also to allow some farmers to set up shop even sooner, to sell shellfish and mushrooms.
Manter asked if building inspector Joseph Tierney had reviewed the proposal, saying he believed it required a special permit to allow businesses to set up and sell merchandise. But Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society executive director Kristina West said the Ag Society property is exempt from some local zoning because of the Dover Amendment.
Manter and West have gone at it before over the appropriate use of the Ag Society fairgrounds.
“We’ve been talking about that for many years, and I don’t have an objection to it moving, I think it will be better off, but again my concern is the continued expansion of big activities,” Manter said. “Certainly the farmers market will have an extremely big impact on — I can’t remember Bob Woods’ exact words, but something about the quiet tranquility of the historic area there … This, to me, would have an impact on that — traffic and just noise and things.”
West said the farmers market is in keeping with what the Woods intended for the property in the agricultural preservation restriction (APR) that was placed on the property. “It’s a farmers market; so as far as the Woods’ wishes about the use of the property, it completely falls in line with what the original intention was, which is the promotion of local agriculture here on the Island,” she said. “It’s actually one of the things actually listed in the APR as being allowable to happen on the property.”
When it was clear chair Cynthia Mitchell and selectman Kent Healy had no objections to the farmers market, Manter quickly moved to approve it, under the condition that town administrator Jen Rand would relay his concerns to the building inspector.
In another unanimous vote about the Ag Society property, the board agreed to allow Serving Hands to do its food giveaway program on the grounds. The program had been using the West Tisbury library, but because of increased demand, it caused a traffic jam, West said. The Ag Society property gives the food program a way to queue up vehicles and put bagged groceries into the trunks of cars as they move through.
In other business, Rand updated the board on moving the June 23 town meeting to the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. She said she is still working out those details, though the VTA did say a bus could be made available to transport voters. On the possible court case to lower the town’s quorum to 30, Rand said she is waiting for a possible vote by the state legislature to allow towns to reduce quorums for town meetings before proceeding. A further update on town meeting will be made next week.
West offered the Ag Hall or Ag Society property as a backup plan.
Is there a reason Mr. Manter is so dead set against anything positive the Ag Society is trying to do for the benefit of the community? The fairgrounds would appear to be the best venue for social distancing on the island for most events. With most of their events canceled, It seems the perfect, and only, place to still have positive, safe, island benefiting events.
You know what else has an extremely big impact of the quiet tranquility of the area? The Coronavirus- and its impact on people’s health, ability to shop in the enclosed food markets, and also their hunger due to loss of income. This is the right move.
I like the headline. ????