Tisbury, Vineyard Wind plan for new park

Tisbury may be getting a waterfront recreational area on the Lagoon side of Beach Road with the help of Vineyard Wind. 

According to planning documents submitted by Vineyard Wind, the concept is the creation of an area called Lagoon Harbor Park, between the existing Wind’s Up, a water sports equipment rental store, and the state-owned boat launch. 

Town officials say that the idea has been in the works for years, and while it’s still early stages, there’s the possibility of a walking trail and picnic areas. 

Vineyard Wind spokesperson Craig Gilvarg said that as part of its permitting for its operations and maintenance facilities in Tisbury, Vineyard Wind would make a $400,000 payment to expand public access in the community.

“Vineyard Wind is committed to being a good community partner in Martha’s Vineyard and working with the town of Tisbury and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to support their recreational priorities on the Island,” Gilvarg said in a statement

He added that planning, permitting, and construction will be the responsibility of the town. 

The original plan for the area was to construct a public observation platform on the Vineyard Haven Harbor shoreline, next to Vineyard Wind’s operations and maintenance terminal. But Tisbury town administrator John Grande says the idea was scrapped because the configuration of the platform didn’t work for the area; there was also a concern that people would need to cross a busy road to access the area. 

Grande said developing the Lagoon Harbor Park area has been a goal of the town for decades. He added that there is a bike path running along Beach Road, but it was never fully developed to make it more accessible. 

Open space and recreation committee chair Cheryl Doble told The Times that the town would like to see a walking path from the bike path to the water’s edge. She also said there’s a variety of options that can be considered, like picnic areas and improving accessibility for shellfishers. 

While final costs are still uncertain, Vineyard Wind’s donation likely won’t cover all of the costs. 

“I don’t think $400,000 will do the job,” Grande said. He added that the project is eligible for Community Preservation committee funding.

Doble told The Times that open space committee members are excited about the opportunity, although it was still very early in the planning process. “We think there’s potential there,” she said. “We’re ready to start putting our efforts toward it.”

Doble said the public will have the opportunity to provide their input on the project as well. The project is expected to be before the full Martha’s Vineyard Commission on Thursday, April 4.