Homeport ordered to halt construction 

A lack of a building permit led to a stop order. 

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Homeport in Menemsha was ordered to halt construction. — Eunki Seonwoo

The Menemsha restaurant Homeport has been ordered to halt work on its property because its owner failed to get a building permit before starting construction.

The restaurant had been building a pergola, but the application still needs to come before the zoning board of appeals, aside from getting the permit. 

A stop order has been issued for the project

Chilmark harbor advisory committee member Deborah Hancock said that the pergola project is going before the town’s site review committee on Monday, and she said it was “rather bizarre” that construction could start at the restaurant without permitting. 

“I know there are a lot of people on this call who are abutters that have been very concerned about having no notice,” she said. 

Chilmark zoning board of appeals member Russell Maloney said projects typically go before the site review committee before going to the zoning board of appeals. 

Meeting attendee Erich Greenebaum said he was told by Seth Woods and Bruno Oliveira of Chilhead Ventures LLC, who will be representing Homeport at the site review committee meeting, that a permit was issued for the construction. 

Maloney said he expected the Homeport application to be reviewed by the board in May. 

Homeport has been a part of Menemsha summers for more than 90 years. The restaurant property and business were bought by Woods and Eric Berke in 2022 for a collective $3.1 million, to bring Homeport back after a two-year hiatus brought on by COVID and staffing shortages. 

In other news, select board member Warren Doty announced he will step down from most of his town assignments. The only positions he will stay in are as a Chilmark representative on the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School building committee and the Chilmark facilities management selection committee. 

The Chilmark select board held off on deciding whether to allow cannabis delivery services by the marijuana dispensaries Island Time and Fine Fettle in the up-Island town. Select board chair Bill Rossi wanted to wait until the membership of the board was finalized after the upcoming town election. He also said this could be an issue that needs voter input. The town will look into what options it should take in approaching the request.

1 COMMENT

  1. I have to wonder what the owners of the homeport were thinking when they started construction without a permit.
    You have to get permit to replace a window.
    Given the amount of lumber in the parking lot, it seems like a pretty sizeable project.

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