Updated Dec. 10
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank recently purchased a 6.8-acre property adjacent to Lambert’s Cove Beach in West Tisbury for approximately $3.9 million, and plans to repurpose the land as a public wild space called James Pond Preserve.
The purchase was initially announced last Thursday after the property was put on the market in early September, and according to executive director James Lengyel, the Land Bank “immediately put in a bid.”
This most recent purchase is the latest in a series of land acquisitions by the Land Bank this year.
In June, the Land Bank announced plans to buy the 17.5-acre Child Family farm in West Tisbury in concert with the Island Autism Group (IAG). The Land Bank will acquire 10 acres of the property, and treat it as conservation land, while IAG will buy 7.5 acres and develop housing for adults with autism and staff.
In September, the Land Bank and the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation jointly purchased the 304-acre Aquinnah property owned by the estate of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for $27 million. The Land Bank contributed $15 million to the purchase, while Sheriff’s Meadow will contribute $12 million.
In October, the Land Bank bought the 33-acre West Tisbury Arrowhead Farm from Charlene and Robert Douglas for $4.4 million.
Before being acquired by the Land Bank, the James Pond Preserve property, which has frontage on both the Vineyard Sound and James Pond in West Tisbury, was owned by the Peltz family, and then sold to the most recent landowner, Sandhurst MV.
Sandhurst, a North Dakota limited liability company, then sold the four-parcel property to the Land Bank.
According to Lengyel, the “extraordinarily scenic property” includes 330 feet of beachfront land on Vineyard Sound, and 390 feet on James Pond.
The land will be closed for one year, as per the Land Bank’s regular study period, and information will be gathered pertaining to flora and fauna, and any unique or vulnerable elements of the property. A complete species inventory will be created to see if the Land Bank needs to give special attention to any plant or animal species in the area. A major part of the management plan that is created following the extensive study pertains to how the Land Bank can make the transition from private land to public preserve as smooth as possible.
“We also really look at the neighborhood context. What is going to allow us to integrate the Land Bank into this property without any difficulty?” Lengyel said.
The management plan also determines staffing needs, like whether to hire seasonal staff or a year-round caretaker for the property. Currently, a limited parking area is anticipated to be part of the plan, but that won’t be finalized until the yearlong study by the Land Bank is completed, and staffing needs are considered.
After that process is completed, a public hearing will be held where abutters and any other concerned parties can speak and ask questions. Following public comment, the project must then be approved by the West Tisbury Land Bank board, the Land Bank Commission, and finally the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs.
Lengyel said James Pond Preserve could be open as early as spring 2022 after the management plan is finalized and approved.
Updated to clarify that the Land Bank purchased the Child Family farm with the Island Autism Group. – Ed.
