Oak Bluffs residents will be deciding next month whether some properties may be used for affordable housing.
Oak Bluffs will hold its Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 7 pm at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center. The Oak Bluffs Select Board recently approved the special town meeting warrant.
Atop the warrant, the town is asking voters to consider approving the transfer of two town-owned properties — 9 Panola Ave. and 44 Oak Ave. — to potentially be used for affordable housing.
“It is anticipated that a nonprofit organization will be able to address any potential title issues and build a family home on each parcel with a homeownership preference given to Oak Bluffs residents,” the warrant articles’ executive summary reads. “The transfer of this property will be based on a competitive procurement process to select a developer, and the selectmen intend to condition the transfer on the requirement that the property remain deed-restricted in perpetuity to support affordable housing for Oak Bluffs’ low- and moderate-income families.”
Oak Bluffs Select Board member Gail Barmakian did point out a need for more information regarding the plans, such as wastewater connection. Other board members, Jason Balboni and Emma Green-Beach, pushed for the warrant articles, underscoring that a process toward affordable housing shouldn’t be delayed, and the Oak Bluffs affordable housing committee will have the needed information.
Oak Bluffs Select Board member Dion Alley said that it’s better to get some residents into homes than none. But he emphasized that the board will need to develop a strategy with other town bodies to address the housing issue more effectively. “If we’re going to build house by house, we’re going to lose,” Alley said.
Affordable housing isn’t the only topic for voters to consider in November. Oak Bluffs is also asking for voter approval to lease roughly 18 acres of town-owned land located on Vespar Avenue, County Road, and Byron Avenue for a solar photovoltaic system and a battery energy storage system. The systems would be implemented for an initial term of up to 30 years, with a possibility of up to two additional, five-year terms.
According to the warrant article, the creation of a solar system in the town began several years ago, but was delayed because of COVID and other reasons. The idea is for Oak Bluffs to enter into an agreement for a “payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT)” for the systems, which are expected to reduce the town’s energy costs.
The rest of the warrant articles consist of potential amendments to the town’s personnel bylaws for pay range and position reclassification purposes, and spending requests, such as $57,300 to purchase a truck for the harbor department and $50,000 to hire help for backlogged work and property research.
A warrant article that did not make it to the warrant was the establishment of a wastewater improvements stabilization fund. This would fund things such as new building construction, feasibility studies, repairs to municipal buildings, and more. The fund was suggested to begin planning for and addressing long-term maintenance requirements of the town’s wastewater capital assets.
The Oak Bluffs wastewater commission wanted more time with this warrant article, and the board decided to postpone the issue until the annual town meeting on April 9.