The town of Oak Bluffs and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank have petitioned state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, to file legislation and complete the “doughnut hole” land swap.
In a joint April 5 letter, the town and the Land Bank asked the Island’s delegation to file legislation in accordance with article 97 that would allow for an exchange of property. “The two lots are, for all intents and purposes, identical: in acreage, general configuration, natural features, etc. No cash is to change hands,” the letter states in part.
The doughnut hole, nicknamed because it lacks access from public roads, is a 24-acre parcel of land in the Southern Woodlands area of Oak Bluffs, landlocked by a large swath of conservation land owned by the Land Bank. Legislative approval is the final hurdle for the two entities.
The deal began in 2004, when the town and the Land Bank struck a deal to give the doughnut hole to the Land Bank. In exchange, the town would gain a newly-carved-out 24 acres abutting an existing eight-acre town parcel with frontage on Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, to be used for affordable housing.
The deal sat in limbo for 17 years, but a new agreement was reached following a Times story that detailed the standstill between the Land Bank and the town. The parties reached an intergovernmental agreement in March.
