In an upcoming Oct. 5 meeting, the West Tisbury zoning board of appeals (ZBA) will hold an informal hearing to approve transferring Airport Fitness’ lease to Airport Road Collaborative, LLC, of Vineyard real estate developer Jefrey DuBard.
DuBard and current owner Connie McHugh say there are no current plans to modify the facility’s staff or operations.
Airport Fitness, which has operated in the Martha’s Vineyard Airport business park since 1996, provides services including indoor tennis and pickleball courts, steam rooms and saunas, and fitness classes.
“[Airport Fitness] are a special group of people that, first and foremost, I’d be learning from,” says DuBard.
The upcoming ZBA hearing follows the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission voting in August to transfer McHugh’s 18-year lease to DuBard’s company.
DuBard, also a member of the West Tisbury affordable housing committee, says he began a process to buy Airport Fitness in early June, after he heard that owner Connie McHugh was interested in selling.
“[Airport Fitness] is a sort of wonderful business that really serves the year-round community in a whole bunch of positive ways, not the least of which being health and wellness, and it has a wonderful staff,” says DuBard.
As per the special permit granted for the property, the zoning board must be involved upon a sale, lease, or change of use of the property.