Construction was the predominant theme at the Oak Bluffs selectmen’s meeting Tuesday night, as the board unanimously voted 4-0 to increase building permit fees, per the recommendation of building inspector Mark Barbadoro, while also unanimously voting to revive the campaign for a new town hall by referring the project to the planning board for site-plan review.

Mr. Barbadoro began lobbying selectmen for the increased fees in July, citing a sharply increased demand for building permits — between 2012 and 2014, the number of permits issued more than doubled, from 569 to 1,117 and the figure is expected to be significantly higher for 2015.

The new fees will be based on building valuation data (BVD), not square feet. BVD is a national average, updated every six months, that factors current economic conditions, the type of building, and the materials which are used. Mr. Barbadoro said its inherent flexibility and uniformity is a better measure than square footage or building valuation, which encourage builders to lowball the overall cost of the project. The permit fee for a new 2,000-square-foot home in Oak Bluffs is currently $900. Under the new BVD metric, the permit fee will increase to $1,464.45. Mr. Barbadoro said the change to a BVD-based fee structure will reduce the burden on smaller projects, because the $300 base fee and low square-footage costs favor the larger projects. First-time homeowners who demonstrate that they qualify for the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank transfer fee will pay a reduced BVD rate.

Mr. Barbadoro has estimated the increase will generate more than $100,000 for the building department, which can pay for a full-time inspector/assistant zoning enforcement officer and for technology upgrades.

The fee increases will be effective Jan. 1, 2016.

Riding the momentum of the nearly completed fire station, and citing the decrepit condition of town hall, selectman Walter Vail asked the board to revive the campaign for a new town hall, which was approved at 2014 town meeting by a voice vote, but subsequently crushed at the ballot box.

“We’ve been talking about this since 2005, maybe before that, and it’s time,” he said. “We have to start planning now. We have to organize public hearings to get on the ballot for April town meeting.”

Fire station architects John Keenan and Antonia Kenny, principals in the architectural firm Keenan and Kenny Ltd. of Falmouth, were on hand to update selectmen. “We’ve done preliminary design, design development, and we’re recommending that we go through the bid process to get a hard number and a fixed contract price,” Mr. Keenan said. “We’ve seen better results when bidders know the money is appropriated.”

Mr. Keenan said the cost of the building has gone up $200,000 since the 2014 price of $5.16 million. “I think we’ve proved what we can do with the fire station. It’s the same team,” he said.

“I think the town will be ready,” selectman Kathy Burton said. “I think the voters wanted to see one success at a time. Now they have.“
The board voted unanimously 4-0 to refer the project to the planning board.

Selectman Gail Barmakian was attending a family funeral.