A housing project that will include nine new apartments for Island seniors took another step forward in West Tisbury.
During a public hearing Monday, the West Tisbury planning board unanimously approved the affordable housing project pitched for 401 State Road, which will serve residents 60 and older.
The project is being developed by Island Housing Trust (IHT), and consists of a clustered neighborhood of nine rental apartments and a community space within five separate buildings, all of which will be accessible for residents with mobility issues.
While the board gave their approval, members placed a condition on the project that will require town officials to revisit the site to make possible adjustments to a vegetative screen.
Concerns raised by abutters during a previous meeting included potential impact to the area’s water supply, possible traffic problems, and a need for a screening to hide the neighborhood.
A landscaping plan presented at Monday’s board meeting showed the utilization of some of the existing trees in the area, like oaks and hollies, to create a barrier between the development and neighbors.
According to IHT real estate project director Keith McGuire, some changes had been implemented based on the feedback received, such as moving the buildings back from the property perimeter.
Regarding water, McGuire returned with information from local experts. He heard from civil engineer Chris Alley that there had not been water supply issues, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), near 401 State Road. Additionally, a letter from well drilling company Island Water Source stated that in their experience, there have been no circumstances on the Island in which a new well caused the failure of neighboring wells.
McGuire added that IHT will not be able to get a building permit from the town until the West Tisbury board of health sees a water test. The test would consist of drilling a well, testing the water, and pumping water to determine if there is capacity.
There are also no plans to have sprinklers in the buildings. Alanna Jaworski, an associate with Union Studio, said sprinklers were not required for duplexes.
They’re not so much a life-safety as a protection-of-property component,” she said, adding that a firewall could be implemented on the property.
Planning board member Virginia Jones argued in favor of having sprinklers in some of the buildings, pointing out that those with mobility issues will not be able to flee from a fire as quickly. “I think it’s a matter of safety,” she said.
Some residents voiced concern about choosing Lambert’s Cove Road as the entry and exit for the project, rather than State Road. McGuire said Lambert’s Cove Road was chosen after receiving input from stakeholders, and that he was told by West Tisbury highway superintendent Richard Olsen that this was a safe area.
A letter from Islander Juleann VanBelle questioned why the project was not being built as a multigenerational community, and argued that there was a lack of assisted living facilities on the Island, not elderly housing.
McGuire said there are some restrictions in the Fair Housing Law, which prohibits discrimination based on age and other characteristics, that led IHT to choose to make the property a 60-plus neighborhood.
IHT board member Doug Ruskin, speaking as an individual, pointed out the Vineyard is headed in a direction in which 40 percent of the population will be over 60 years old, and while there is a large amount of support for seniors on the Island, there is a lack of staff. He later added that 401 State Road is not a managed project, and is “open market housing,” with income and age restrictions. “There is not an adequate amount of housing for anybody on the Island,” he said.
After further discussion, the planning board voted its approval.
I am using this venue to respond to Charlie Sennott’s statement in his article published a few weeks ago in which he related to the feature story on the need for affordable housing. ” I would love to hear from you if you have ideas on how we should be covering the housing crisis, and how we might convene stakeholders and those most deeply affected by this issue. ”
I am an 88 year old retired Realtor who has been advocating for affordable housing for years. I have been serving on the steering committee of the Coalition to Create a Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank (CCMVHB) for over 3 years with a group of remarkable, dedicated people. We have joined a large coalition of year round housing advocates across the state. The Times could certainly help our mission by providing for an article to be run monthly in which we could provide updates of our progress locally and at the State level. It would help to make everyone more aware of the critical need, progress and solutions to our housing crisis. Could we collaborate on such an outreach project? Thanks for considering it.
I guess this location for a new development is a done deal.
It is too bad that planners cannot find parcels for this type of cluster development closer to town and within already developed areas. I worry that this development will become an “anchor” that encourages the suburbanization of Lambert’s Cove Road, and that intersection, and will change its character.
This is a well-known pattern that encourages suburbanization of rural areas: An “anchor” development becomes a magnet for other building—both services for residents and other projects that “fill in the blank spaces,” and soon you have a suburban neighborhood, not a rural one. Some will certainly say, This is close to the West Tisbury Business District. It is close to it, but potentially creates a new “anchor” on the far side of LC Road that entices filling in. New safe walkways will have to be installed connecting the development to the WT Business District and the bus area. However, this may be too far for some seniors to walk. So they will there be bus shelters on both sides of State Road? Or on LC Road?
I feel that the whole Lambert’s Cove corridor should be protected as a rural way and a rural area.
I feel that West Tisbury planners should encourage this type of development well within the villages of West Tisbury or North Tisbury or within the WT Business District (whose development occurred in a piecemeal, haphazard fashion), and not break open a new area to development, more traffic turns, etc. How long before a traffic light or a roundabout or a reworking a la the Old County Road intersection (which I find more awkward than the original set-up) will be demanded at the intersection of State Road and LC Road, or perhaps mandated by the state highway department?