The Martha’s Vineyard commission held the first public hearing for its review of Edgartown Gardens on Thursday, a sizable housing project for ages 55 and up on Upper Main Street.
The proposal is to create a total of 60 units — or nearly 100 bedrooms — for ownership in ten separate buildings; 12 of the units would be considered affordable. Also in the plans are 88 residential parking spaces, a community building, and a pool.
Commissioners and residents expressed concern both over an increase in traffic the project could bring to nearby roads, as well as nitrogen contributions to the impaired Edgartown Great Pond.
The hearing took place at the commission’s Old Stone Building last Thursday. No decisions were made except to continue the public hearing on April 17. The regional planners are considering the project as a development of regional impact after accepting a referral from Edgartown’s building department.
Applicant Edgartown Gardens LLC, managed by local business owner and select board member Michael Donaroma and developer William Cumming, is seeking a comprehensive permit from the town, but first will have to go through commission review. The project would replace the Donaroma’s Nursery operation in Edgartown, which would relocate to Oak Bluffs.
Commission staff estimated that the 96-bedroom project would contribute 29.99 kilograms of nitrogen per year to Edgartown Great Pond if connected to town sewer systems. Commission staff is awaiting a town wastewater letter indicating the project’s ability to connect to sewer, and the amount of flow to be allowed.
Congested roads were another topic of concern from commissioners and the public. As per the proposal, Edgartown Gardens’ residents will access their homes via an existing driveway from Upper Main Street and another driveway from Chase Road. Developers have proposed a 22-foot curb cut onto Chase Road and use of an existing 24-foot curb cut onto Main Street.
Project advocates on Thursday said that there would be a reduction in traffic with the proposed building compared to the area’s current business use. But residents nearby disagreed.
Fred Fournier of Edgartown spoke about difficulty using the four-way intersection near Stop & Shop, as well as on nearby Chase Road. “It makes Five Corners look good,” he said of the intersection. “There are schoolchildren coming from that neighborhood … walking on the road,” he added, noting that that congestion will grow worse with this development. “Chase Road at its widest point is 22 feet wide. No sidewalks, no lighting, no restrictions as far as vehicle size or weight, three S-turns.”
Edgartown Gardens consultant Daniel LaCivita did say before public comment that he expected a reduction in traffic once the project is finished compared to current uses in the area. The project is expected to generate approximately 39 percent fewer vehicle trips on an average weekday, he told commissioners.
Residents did criticize the fact that much of the study was conducted in May, however. “You might as well have done it on Christmas Day,” said Richard Heller.
If the Edgartown Gardens project is approved as proposed, it will provide affordable housing in 20 percent of its units. A dozen units would be permanently deed-restricted to people aged 55 and up who earn below 50% AMI. The project’s market-rate units are expected to sell for $950,000 (for a one-bedroom) and $1,100,000 (two-bedroom), while affordable rate units are expected to sell for $83,000 (one-bedroom) to $92,000 (two-bedroom).
The developer is also interested in working with the town to give preference to Edgartown employees, businesses, and residents for up to 70% of its affordable units, the maximum allowed by law, according to project attorney Jason Talerman of firm Mead, Talerman & Costa.
Lighting was also discussed on Thursday. Commissioner Ben Robinson of Tisbury suggested mitigating lighting spillover into adjacent properties, and adding more bike storage and more electric vehicle chargers. According to the developers’ plans, six electric vehicle chargers are proposed, and the project would not use fossil fuels and would be solar-ready.
Project documents are available at the commission’s webpage for the review.
Chase Road can not handle any more traffic. It is already used as a cut through for anyone coming from Edgartown West Tisbury Road. It’s extremely difficult getting into Edgartown from June to August. There is absolutely no way this will not contribute to traffic. It’s just not the right fit for Edgartown.
“20 percent of them *considered* affordable” (my emphasis) sounds ridiculously few and ridiculously weak. Here’s hoping the MVC nixes this PDQ.
Traffic study needs to be done in August. If these developers are truly interested in affordable housing they would be looking to island housing trust to complete the project.
Donaroma’s relocating to Oak Bluffs? I have issues with fertilizers so close to our sole source aquifer and the lagoon. Seems like the primary motivator in this scenario is greed.
We need to build a desalination plant to have fresh water in the future. If we embrace wind energy and put solar panels on every rooftop, then operating a desalination plant would be inexpensive.
We have enough million dollar homes with market- rates…focus on who’s here, working year round and doing the seasonal shuffle to survive and forget the rest. These people will have one or two cars…Seasonal properties start with 4 or more.
Sturgis is right. 20% “affordable” is ridiculously few and weak BUT note Ezra Klein writes “One generation’s solutions have become the next generation’s problems. Rules and regulations designed to solve the problems of the 1970s often prevent urban-density and green-energy projects that would help solve the problems of the 2020s. Laws meant to ensure that government considers the consequences of its actions have made it too difficult for government to act consequentially.”
I agree with BARBARA 100% very foolish idea. In the summer, I have waited to go through the triangle for 45 minutes when it’s only 2 miles. This would be unacceptable. If it Goes through it will be a prime example of money changing hands to put pressure on officials to give in. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN.
Edgartown’s infrastructure simply cannot afford this. Wastewater Treatment Plant is already at capacity, not to mention traffic and other valid concerns.
The trade-off that this project would demand of Edgartown’s infrastructure is simply not worth the 12 units of affordable housing. Would jamming 100 units of housing into 4 acres be a sensible use of land? Is there any parcel of land anywhere on this island that is developed to that level right now? This project does not belong anywhere on Martha’s Vineyard unless we are all ready for this to be the model for the future.
Speaking of trade-offs for needed housing, this island has already crossed the proverbial Rubicon when it comes to becoming too hyped, too crowded, and too short-handed for workers and service providers each and every Summer. So although unpalatable to long-timers here, we now have the reality of busy commercial and service concentrations in the 3 down-island towns, and with that comes the obvious need for adequate beds to house the people we rely on to keep the wheels turning. And I the traffic study made mention of the fact that the existing Donaroma’s (along with Bad Martha’s Brewpub co-located) adds more net vehicle trips in and out of that location on summer days than the residential units would. So subtracting the large Donaroma’s business to be replaced with residential units -which do Not generate constant in-and-out in vehicles by every resident, contrary to what some comments seem to imply- would be somewhat of a one-to-one tradeoff. After all, this is a walk-to location with both the Edgartown Summer shuttle out of the Triangle parking lot, close-by necessities like Stop and Shop and the Post Office, etc. and steady VTA Rt 1 and Rt. 13 bus service going by both ways on Upper Main, all day and into the night.
Thank God we got off the Island in 2020 haven’t looked back. from 1980 it was a beautiful place than
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