The Vineyard Montessori School presented about a dozen revisions to its expansion plan during a Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) meeting on Feb. 15.
The revisions include lowering the height of the building’s roof ridge by more than two feet, adding a gable roof to the lobby entrance, extending all three upper-level decks for more comfortable entry, modifying an ADA-compliant ramp, and more.
The school also offered to meet 15 conditions in order for the project to be approved by the MVC.
These conditions state that the school will operate a signup page to help parents carpool, post signs against idling on its campus, adjust the school’s pickup and dropoff schedule to aid the flow of traffic, and encourage the school community to bike and take public transportation. Another condition states that the school will join neighbors in petitioning the Tisbury Select Board to designate one or both sides of Tashmoo Avenue as a no-parking area, and/or to designate the area around the school as a school zone, with lower speed limits.
The school also submitted a preliminary landscape and drainage plan, indicating areas for drainage and for a sound barrier made of wood picket fencing and plantings.
School representatives told the commission that they were still waiting to receive a drainage plan for the project from Schofield Barbini & Hoehn.
Public commenters also weighed in on Thursday.
Abutter Jane Stanek criticized the timing of the submitted landscape, drainage, and updated building plans. “[The plans] were only posted one day before this meeting, which gave neighbors, abutters, and the community at large absolutely no time to study and absorb the changes, and respond to any detailed or comprehensive changes,” Stanek said.
She added that the plan does not show how the school will replace an old, dense forest that had been removed during the construction process. Commission officials told Stanek that at this point in the process, having the preliminary plan from the school meets their expectations. However, if the MVC approves the project, it would request that the project applicant submit a detailed plan stating the species and numbers of plants that will be added.
More than 50 written comments from the community regarding the project are available on the commission’s website.
Statistics on financial assistance to families within the school were also discussed. According to information received by MVC Island housing planner Laura Silber, 53 percent of families of children at the school receive public subsidies, or are members of socially vulnerable populations. Silber added that 25 percent of the school’s students rely upon an Equitable Access grant to attend.
The MVC will meet next on Thursday, March 7, at 6:30 pm, on Zoom and in person.