A hotel planned to stand three stories tall in Oak Bluffs received the green light from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission after months of pushback from neighbors, though the project still needs a few more sign-offs.
In a narrow and split 8-7 vote, the commission approved the controversial Ocean View hotel on Thursday, a 18,543 square foot, 26-room seasonal hotel with three employee housing units in the basement. The project would also absorb part of an adjacent lot on Summerfield Park for a 16-space parking lot and eliminate some street-side parking in the area. Four of these spots would be for electric vehicles, which would be available to the general public from June to September. It’ll also have an eatery and bar limited to hotel guests.
The property is owned by Charles Hajjar, a Boston-based real estate developer and seasonal Vineyard resident who owns five boutique hotels in Edgartown, including the Edgartown Inn and the Richard. Hajjar’s team first submitted a proposal in 2023 to rebuild the Ocean View restaurant, which was destroyed in a fire in 2022, with 10 new apartments. But the applicants submitted a new proposal for the hotel instead in the spring.
While commissioners stated the hotel would economically benefit the Island by bringing jobs to Oak Bluffs, a major sticking point among some members was the size of the building and whether it was appropriate for the neighborhood.
The project had received pushback from neighbors for months about several aspects of the project, including many disturbed by the size of the proposed structure and concerns that it would have a profound impact on the character of Oak Bluffs. There were also concerns over privacy and viewsheds being impacted by the building that is just shy of 35 feet.
Brian Smith, Oak Bluffs commissioner, argued that while the hotel’s size would impede on some people’s viewsheds, this restored a part of the town’s past.
“This is kind of revitalizing Oak Bluffs to its grandeur. This is what we’re known for, these types of hotels,” Smith said, highlighting that the neighborhood around the proposed site used to have similarly-styled hotels in the past.
But some commissioners said while there was a hotel in the late 1800s on the site, which was also destroyed in a fire, before the restaurant, there was a risk to the neighborhood’s current character and cultural identity, something that was highlighted by abutters in their concerted effort against the project.
“What happened in the past, what was there, I think cannot be used to determine … whether or not this should be built,” Jeff Agnoli, Edgartown commissioner, said.
Ultimately, in its split decision, the Commission determined the detriments of the project were outweighed by the benefits it would bring.
Commission staff highlighted at last week’s meeting various ways the applicants offered to mitigate the impact of the project. The pool and fire pit were eliminated from the proposal, and hotel staff would enforce blackout shades of guest rooms facing abutters. Meanwhile, the bar and eatery would only operate from 9 am to 11 pm while the hotel is open from April through November. Hajjar’s team also offered incentives for the project, like donations to the Oak Bluffs fireworks for up to five years and $20,000 to the Oak Bluffs Firefighter’s Civic Association, which can use the money to fund high schoolers’ scholarships and help injured firefighters.
Still, the Commission isn’t done with the project just yet. As a part of its conditions, the project will still need to undergo review by the Commission’s Land Use Planning Committee for its plans including site work, drainage, waste management, HVAC sound mitigation, and landscaping and hardscaping.
