To the Editor:
We are writing to share our concerns regarding the proposed construction of the Ocean View Hotel. We are a neighborhood of small and very old cottages, many occupied by year-round residents. While this may seem like a not-in-my-backyard issue (and it certainly is), it also reflects many unwelcome changes on the Island. The massive size of the proposed hotel will not benefit the neighborhood in any way. Rather it will block the views of longstanding cottages, and be within mere feet from others. There will be no neighborhood restaurant, as originally applied for by the property owner, but rather a massive building inconsistent with the surrounding properties. It is aimed at folks with money.
And while much of the Island workforce relies on the income that comes in the summer, we also need protection from being visually and economically overrun. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission narrowly approved this project, with 57 conditions to mitigate the neighborhood impact, many of which cannot realistically be enforced. This building is not a “rebuild.” The mechanics on the top of the building will make it four stories, which is larger than any predecessor.
Please support your neighbors in our efforts to maintain our neighborhoods as we would try to support others on the Island. Attend the next meeting of the Copeland Plan Review Committee, expected on August 31 at 5 pm at the Oak Bluffs Town Hall. Or Zoom on the link provided at oakbluffsma.gov/AgendaCenter.
Shelly Davis, Toni Dorsey, and Robert Leatherbee
Ocean View neighbors
