To the Editor:
Where would you park for this proposed three-story, 88-parking-spots, 96-bedroom, 10-building prefab complex — called Edgartown Gardens — that is double the height and greater in gross square footage than the newly expanded Stop & Shop? That’s big in size, and will create a number of needs and impact, including parking needs. There seem to be some misunderstandings about whether or not the commercial businesses would remain, or if the area would be for residential use only, as the two uses would produce distinct traffic and parking needs. The argument has been that commercial use creates more traffic than residential. This proposal requests to retain the current commercial businesses: Bad Martha’s Brewery; the site of the former Sharky’s restaurant and bar; former Tropical Bakery, and a scaled-down version of Donaroma’s (preserving four greenhouses and a retail shop, in addition to their new location in Oak Bluffs), while eliminating all of the current Donaroma’s parking that has been utilized by these four commercial establishments, and replacing the parking with a 96-bedroom development with 88 parking spots.
The proposal is to “reserve” 16 of the 88 parking spots for “shared commercial use only.” With 72 spots remaining, eight of those would be set aside for resident handicap parking, and another six for EV charging stations, leaving 58 spots “reserved for residents.” Where will the age-restricted and affordable housing residents park? Where would their friends and family, the Amazon and Uber drivers, emergency vehicles, or the overflow commercial consumers and employees park? Bad Martha’s Brewery was approved by the planning board 11 years ago, based on the fact that “ample” parking was provided by Donaroma’s, which under this current proposal will almost all disappear. Current zoning requires one parking space per every three seats for eating establishments. Where would you park? Please attend the next public hearing being held at the M.V. Commission, on Thursday, April 17.
Susan Pratt
Edgartown
