<p>The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted unanimously Thursday to review the replacement of a Spanish tile roof on the historic Stone Bank in Vineyard Haven.
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted unanimously Thursday to review the replacement of a Spanish tile roof on the historic Stone Bank in Vineyard Haven as a development of regional impact (DRI). The Main street bank is owned by Santander. The tiles on the bungalow-style building have already been replaced with red asphalt shingles.
The roofing project was under way last fall when town building inspector Ken Barwick referred it to the commission.
At a meeting two weeks ago, commissioners were unclear about whether they could review the project as a DRI since it was already finished, but chairman Jim Vercruysse said Thursday that attorneys for the commission had given the green light.
In a letter to the commission on Monday, Carole Berger, chairman of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust awards committee, noted that in 2004 the committee gave its annual award to Compass Bank in recognition of its stewardship of the 1905 building. Bank ownership has since changed hands and the building is now a Santander Bank.
“Replacement of the original Spanish-style terra cotta tile roof with asphalt shingles has amounted to the destruction of the fabric of the Island’s cultural heritage,” Mrs. Berger wrote, encouraging the commission to conduct a review. “As stated in our award, this important, pure arts and crafts design represents a brief but distinctive transitional phase in our Island’s architectural history.”
Commissioner Linda Sibley cited the MVC’s founding legislation in 1977, which aims to preserve and enhance the Island’s unique character. “This is one of those really unique buildings,” she said. “It’s very public.”
In other business Thursday, the commission voted to allow the Denniston House in Oak Bluffs to be torn down, ending a years-long debate over the house on Masonic avenue property that once served as a mission for Portuguese immigrants and was an early African American church on the Island.
A public hearing in January saw strong support for demolishing the 1895 house in light of its poor condition, longstanding vacancy and a potential for mixed-use development on the site which is zoned for residential and commercial use. The owner is Matt Viaggio.
The commission voted by a wide margin to allow the demolition, and also to end the property’s status as a development of regional impact (DRI), but only once a plaque is installed on the site to commemorate the history of the building, which among other things is included on the Martha’s Vineyard African American Heritage Trail.
Commissioner Joan Malkin welcomed the idea of a plaque. “We are losing the physical structure, but there will be ample recognition of its existence,” she said. She also noted that many objects from the house have been removed and added to the collection at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
But commissioner Fred Hancock bristled at the idea of allowing a historic property to be demolished for the sake of clearing a lot with no further plans by the applicant. “That is not a good precedent to set,” he said.
The commission voted 9-1 to allow the demolition, with Mr. Hancock dissenting.
The commission also voted unanimously to designate Manter’s Path in West Tisbury as a special way to protect it from future development. The 0.4-mile path runs northeast-southwest through woodlands between Tiah’s Cove Road and Blackthorne Road, and connects with Scrubby Neck Path, another special way to the north.
Katherine Upson, who lives on the byway, said efforts to protect the path began about a year ago, when the Sheriff Meadow Foundation leased a field it owns just north of the path to Morning Glory Farm for use as a hayfield. “I don’t think anybody is against it,” she said of the designation, although she said plans to use the field for agriculture had raised some concerns about the path being used for access.
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation director Adam Moore said Friday that Morning Glory Farm will begin using the field in the spring, and that the foundation has no objections to designating the path as a special way.
The West Tisbury planning board nominated the path in December, noting its importance as part of an early network of trails in the area. Town voters must still decide whether to approve the designation, which would limit development within 20 feet of the center line on either side. As part of the nomination process, a moratorium on development began in January and will end with the town meeting vote in April.
Comments
The bank followed the laws in
WashAbhored EdgartownThe bank followed the laws in replacing the roof. The plans were shared with the town and the work was inspected. Allowing the MVC to reviews something after the fact is very dangerous.
Why don't the concerned people raise the money for the tile roof and work with the bank to replace it?
The question is, is this in
Ken Edg.The question is, is this in the historical district. If it is then there is a case, if not live with it.
Absolutely agree.. The work
gina Menemsha/nycAbsolutely agree.. The work was done with the required work permits per town codes.. The VH Building Inspector was fully aware & didn't bother to bring it up. so what is this review for?? Serious over reaching in my opinion.. Be grateful it's still a red shade.. They could have picked tan..
If it is located within a
WashAbhored EdgartownIf it is located within a historical district (it isn't) then it is a matter for the town selectmen not the MVC. Tisbury seems to like to try and use the MVC as a weapon (think about what they did with Stop & Shop).
I totally agree with you.
Barbara EdgartownI totally agree with you. They did everything correctly and it's now being questioned? Too late!
Who cares what the roof is
charlie callahan so boston/edgartownWho cares what the roof is made of or what color it is. Maybe this COMMISSION should discuss some real problems, like hungry kids, people living in their cars cause they can't find any reasonable priced apartments,drug od'ing,etc. They probably won't print this but it's true this island spends more time worrying about aesthetics than about helping REAL WORKING PEOPLE who don't make enough to live here and most of them were born here.
Is there anyone in Tisbury
EH TisburyIs there anyone in Tisbury who would vote to spend $200,000 of their town's money in order to preserve a tile roof over an asphalt roof? I doubt it--the money would be better used almost anywhere else. The tiles were an inefficient and expensive luxury, pretty that they were. And though it's easy to spend someone else's money, it doesn't mean we should do so.
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Why am I focusing on cost? Because we should remember that finances are a good check on government overreach. That's why taxes are self-limiting: by forcing people to make hard budget choices we control their desire to do more than they can afford. We should *want* government to be forced to choose between benefits. When we allow government to get things for "free" by placing all costs on a tiny voting minority, there is no incentive for balance or moderation.
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We should grant property owners the same budget freedom that we grant ourselves. That includes the decision not to preserve a building which has only mental value: as muh as we may want it, there's nobody who is willing to pay what they say it's worth.
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Leave Santander and the Bradley House alone.
Maybe it's a little late,
A concerned summer person A month on the VineyardMaybe it's a little late,
Or
Change this years marketing campaign,"Let's raise the roof"
Please go back to trying to ban mopeds
look into the pricing of the
rob the roofer new jerseylook into the pricing of the already installed shingles and the tile replacement. $100.000.00 for the shingles is extreme as well as the reported $400.000.00 for the replacement of the tile roofing.
"Concerned" people pretend to
Peter Riverside, Connecticut"Concerned" people pretend to wonder about the shortage of affordable housing, which the free market would provide. But these same people revel in their power to tell other people what to do with their properties. There are so many overlapping boards and commissions on MV, that are ready to stop any project or to add costs that more housing is not built. They make it too difficult and expensive and then cry crocodile tears for the housing shortage. Yes. They have their nifty houses themselves and love to tell you what you cannot do with your property but the rest of you can jump in a lake. Government regulation is strangling the housing market on MV. It's a progressive paradise. Perhaps MV should be run for the people and not the elites? Maybe make a new sewage treatment plant and allow greater density in part of the island?
As a lifetime visitor to the.
Margaret Harrer Oradell, NJAs a lifetime visitor to the. Vineyard I have always admired the preservation of the bank and it's glorious tile roof. I support the commission on reviewing this and hope a way can be found to restore the tile. Also agree with commissioner Hancock that a plan should be presented before allowing demolition of an historic structure. Appreciate all the commissions efforts!
I think it's shameful and
James Garfield Wakefield, RII think it's shameful and sadly ironic that Santander, a Spanish bank, would commit such an atrocity as removing the Spanish tiles on such an iconic building. It always lifted my spirits to walk past this unusual gem of a building. Santander's lack of stewardship since they acquired the building is sad, it has been a downward slide since they took over.
The new roof suggests an interest only in their bottom line. If that is all they understand, I would suggest that anyone who is upset about them ruining this building should take their business elsewhere, and let them know why.
Regulatory obligations aside,
Arts Girl Vineyard HavenRegulatory obligations aside, it was insensitive of Santander Bank to replace the tile roof, a dominant feature of the iconic Arts and Crafts style building, with a asphalt roof. Kudos to Compass Bank for maintaining the integrity of the historic building during their stewardship and thumbs down to Santander Bank for compromising it. Santander Bank needs to be more "invested" in the fabric of the island.
Nothing like changing the
Gay Head GuyNothing like changing the rules of the game when the game is over. Laws were followed. The Town employee screwed up and now folks expect the property owner to apologize and re-do the work....crazy. I agree that the Commission is over stepping it's authority - maybe they should start a Go Fund Me campaign to raise the funds necessary to replace the roof?
More time and $ should be spent on funding affordable housing, family support services and finding solutions to the pollution crisis facing the ponds.
To defend Santander by saying
Gregory Palermo EdgartownTo defend Santander by saying it obeyed the laws is to ignore the fact that replacing the tiles with asphalt was an insult to the community in which the bank operates. The bank has shown itself to be a bad neighbor willing to act against the well-being of the community in order to avoid the cost of preserving the historic appearance of its landmark building. That's where the outrage should focus, not on the MVC.
The town is at fault. Someone
Kristin A Buck West TisburyThe town is at fault. Someone should lose their job and be held accountable.
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