The Kelley House, a hotel and restaurant in Edgartown, is under new ownership.
At a board of selectmen’s meeting Monday, the board unanimously approved the surrender of the liquor license at the close of business on Sept. 30. The letter was sent by manager Steve Skoczylas of PS Kelley House. LLC, according to the letter, in anticipation of the sale of the property.
On Friday, 23 Kelley St. LLC purchased the Kelley House and its related properties for $19.6 million, according to records from the Dukes County Registry of Deeds.
Moments after approving the license surrender, selectmen set a date of Oct. 19 at 4 pm for a liquor license hearing to transfer the license to Evan Bailey, manager. They also voted unanimously to transfer the innholder’s license to the new owner.
In a follow-up email, Hagerty said the business is open, but cannot serve alcohol until the license hearing later this month.
Jason Brown of Blue Flag Partners LLC, the parent company of 23 Kelley St. LLC, told The Times the Boston-based real estate investment company owns and operates a hotel on Nantucket, but has never done business on the Vineyard. Brown said he’s had personal ties to the Island since he was a kid, and got married on Chappaquiddick 10 years ago.
“We’re just really excited to be stewards of the property there,” Brown said. “We have a huge and deep respect for the asset there.”
Brown said no immediate changes are planned for the Kelley House.
In other business, selectmen unanimously approved the appointment of Jack Ensor to the town’s energy committee after hearing a recommendation from that committee’s chairman, Alan Strahler and town administrator James Hagerty.
“He’s held a bunch of high management positions in telecommunications industries over the years, and the last third of his career was involved in energy, energy departments, and energy services … He’s the ideal person to help us out with the energy committee,” Strahler said.
Selectmen chairman Arthur Smadbeck said a vote of confidence from Strahler is something good to have on a résumé.
Hagerty concurred with Strahler’s assessment: “A vote of confidence from me, too, Art. Jack, Alan, and I had a meeting probably a couple of weeks ago to go over some of the parameters putting out an RFP for additional solar fields, and he’s definitely, without a doubt, value-added to the energy committee.”
