A divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted 8-7 Thursday to approve plans for the Ocean View Hotel, a 26-room seasonal hotel in East Chop with an additional apartment for the manager and two dormitory rooms for up to eight employees.
A divided Martha’s Vineyard Commission voted 8-7 Thursday to approve plans for the Ocean View Hotel, a 26-room seasonal hotel in East Chop with an additional apartment for the manager and two dormitory rooms for up to eight employees.
To gain the commission’s approval, owner Charles Hajjar has agreed to replace a planned outdoor pool and fire pit with a landscaped garden area and install blackout curtains for windows overlooking neighbors’ properties, with hotel staff required to ensure the curtains are drawn from sunset to 7 a.m.
Other conditions include measures to reduce the sound from rooftop air-handling systems and limits on when refuse collection may take place.
The hotel is planned to have a partial kitchen providing guests with light fare such as charcuterie platters, according to the approved proposal.
The 26-room hotel features a Victorian design that has been criticized for being too big.
The 26-room hotel features a Victorian design that has been criticized for being too big.
Its bar would be unstaffed, with hotel employees trained in alcohol service, and both food and alcohol would be served only to registered guests, who would be prohibited from bringing other people onto the property.
Rising three stories above Chapman avenue, the hotel will block views of Oak Bluffs harbor from parts of the surrounding neighborhood, where residents organized to fight the development with lawn signs and coordinated testimony at commission hearings.
During deliberations, it emerged that the Martha’s Vineyard Commission is not bound by a change to Oak Bluffs regulations for development in the Copeland Plan District, which includes the East Chop neighborhood also known as the Highlands.
While town meeting voters had approved language that would prohibit buildings that block views from existing homes, that change was never approved by the MVC, hearing officer Douglas Sederholm said.
Commissioner Brian Smith strongly supported the project, which architect Peter Gearhart has designed to evoke the Victorian era of grand Oak Bluffs hotels.
“This is exactly what belongs in Oak Bluffs on this lot. This neighborhood was filled with these kind of hotels,” Mr. Smith said. “There was the Wesley right down the street [and] the Highlands Hotel, down where the East Chop Beach Club is now, which was a huge hotel that had 200 bath houses,” he said.
The original Ocean View Hotel, which preceded the Ocean View restaurant that burned down in early 2022, existed alongside the neighboring cottages, Mr. Smith said.
“This is the character of that neighborhood,” he said.
Commissioner Michael Kim agreed that Mr. Gearhart has designed a handsome building, but sided with abutters in considering it too large for the area.
“The neighborhood came together as a community in its opposition, and in my years here, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Mr. Kim said.
“I think [the applicants] are close to doing something the neighborhood can live with, and I think they actually have done a very commendable job … but it’s just too big,” he said.
Part of the problem, Mr. Kim said, is that the commission’s guidelines seek to place employee housing on the development site.
“It should take place on a close-by site, so we can make this thing a little smaller,” he said.
Mr. Kim was joined in opposing the project by commissioners Jeff Agnoli, Ben Robinson, Bernadette Cormie, Mark Gauthier, Kate Putnam and Peter Wharton.
Voting with Mr. Smith in the majority were Willa Kuh, Greg Martino, Kathy Newman, Linda Sibley, Ernie Thomas, Jannette Vanderhoop and Mr. Sederholm.
Thursday’s decision frees Mr. Hajjar, who owns several other hotels on the Island, to seek town permits for the hotel, but the MVC is not finished with the Ocean View: Mr. Hajjar still must submit plans for landscaping, exterior lighting and wastewater for approval by the commission’s land use planning committee.
Also Thursday, a continued public hearing on the proposed Green Villa apartment complex in Oak Bluffs was postponed at the request of project’s applicants and will resume Jan. 26, Mr. Sederholm said.
Comments
Excellent! This is a lovely
David West TisburyExcellent! This is a lovely design and an great nod to East Chop's history!
The design is lovely, it
MARIE EDGARTOWNThe design is lovely, it reminds me of a hotel in Scituate where an elderly aunt from Boston would vacation years ago. The problem with this hotel is it’s not on the water, it doesn’t have adequate parking, and no restaurant for its guests. The positive sign is it doesn’t have a liquor license then again it will be used by people coming to party and the stores are at the end of the road….Sorry, don’t be fooled by the architecture this is OB and I see this as a nightmare for the neighbors….Sorry OB…
The building likely is a bit
Diana Francis New YorkThe building likely is a bit of an eye-sore due to its height. Perhaps Tiny Home cabins could have been built to accommodate the employees that will be residing on site.I do empathize with the surrounding home owners.
This is exactly what should
Wonderful Oak bluffsThis is exactly what should be built. This is what a building in Oak Bluffs would’ve looked like in 1800. It most likely would’ve been designed bigger back then. It’s also consistent with a scale of the approval on a nearby site. As a lifelong generational resident of Oak Bluffs I’m disappointed the Commission was a split vote. In my opinion. It should’ve been your unanimouslyapproved.
It looks a hell of a lot
Ken Rusczyk OBIt looks a hell of a lot better than a burnt down bar!
I’m sad the MVC approved the
Rob Oak BluffsI’m sad the MVC approved the Ocean View Hotel over the objections of 24+ neighbors, of which I am one. We’re not NIMBYS, we live in a District of Critical Planning Concern and deal with DCPC restrictions. We counted on the MVC to protect our legacy neighborhood from inappropriate development.
Yes, there was a hotel there over 60 years ago. There was also a three story skating rink on the North Bluff and a three story ballroom nearby. They are all gone because time moves on. What those in the past favored was not what those in the present favored, and they were either torn down or not rebuilt.
The MVC analyzed 8 categories finding no net benefit and only net neutral or net detrimental impacts to the Island in each. And rather than dig deeper, they surprisingly called a vote and approved it - sending the project to the Town for review.
We are grateful to the seven commissioners above who saw this project for what it is and had the courage to vote against it. Sadly the others carried the day and mystifyingly approved it. I hope the town doesn’t. The next chapter to this saga begins soon.
Watch out Vineyard neighborhoods. Our sad story may be coming to your street corner next.
Time is still moving on, Rob.
Roddy Seasonal VisitorTime is still moving on, Rob. This cycle will forever continue. Could it be possible that the “present” you refer to might have actually already become part of the new “past”?
It should not be allowed
Karen New JerseyIt should not be allowed period
UGH. I side with the
Danapel de Veer North WeymouthUGH. I side with the neighbors. Sure it may look nice but it's too big and will only bring more traffic to the neighborhood. I am so tired of the developers and builders who continue to get richer by building things that are not needed on the island. Enough is enough.
Reminds me of the new
EdReminds me of the new Mansion House in Tisbury and the new Sea View condos in Oak Bluffs. Not my cup of tea, these new buildings trying to look like an old building. Looks massive to me.
The “Island” ain’t like it
Eben West TisburyThe “Island” ain’t like it used to be.
I’m not sure you actually
Huh? Oak BluffsI’m not sure you actually understood the article. This hotel will re-create a previous hotel that was there for somewhere around 80 years. So how on earth is this not the island as it used to be?
No food or beverage service
Lynn vera OakbluffsNo food or beverage service except ( seasonal) hotel guests? Black out curtains needed ( hotel staff will actually go into rooms and draw them , before sunset? I doubt it…) because rooms look into long standing neighbirs homes and yards? A huge drain on OBwastewater, a huge building in anotherwise smaller homes part of. East chop… just doesn’t seem fair to impose this on OB. Even if design is lovely, it’s huge and in the wrong place if it won’t even serve the neighborhood it impacts ( at least should have open restaurant and bar like the ocean view had ). Hopefully OB permitting and historic commissions will be more thoughtful
Thank you Lynn for pointing
Kate B Oak BluffsThank you Lynn for pointing out the ludicrous ‘condition’ of window shades lowered from sunset to sunrise. An odd marketing note, if it weren’t so impossible to comply with. Another benefit to the potential employees…live in the basement…attend classes on safe serving protocols, serve drinks, make snacks (small plates, perhaps). These amenities for the guests, paying a large amount of money. One benefit for the town and others will be funding of the fireworks and a great view of them from the new hotel…….if they are allowed to raise the blackout curtains. Please OB stand strong. One Commissioner only made the vote pass,the others have thoughtful opinions which should be considered.
Poor Martha , Why can’t the
Beach Walker EdgartownPoor Martha , Why can’t the Island develop a plan to stop this BS
View blocking is at the most
switch chilmarkView blocking is at the most inconsiderate. Reconsider the height.
The MVC made a very dangerous
John Oak BluffsThe MVC made a very dangerous ruling for the town of Oak Bluffs when they voted to approve the Ocean View rebuild. Not only did the MVC let the community know that their voices really don’t matter they also pointed out that they have no authority to protect viewshed. While we are still hopeful that the Copeland commission will protect the views of our neighbors’, others not in the Copeland district will not be as fortunate.
I appreciate the commissioners who opposed the hotel, recognizing its lack of benefit to the town and considering strong local opposition. While this project may not affect all residents, ignoring neighborhood input and failing to protect water or park views could set a precedent for future MVC decisions.
They approve this,but they
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownThey approve this,but they shutdown almost all affordable housing proposals.kinda makes u wonder what's really going on, and the gazette sides with MVC on most decisions and doesn't like negative comments about the MVC
I think it’s devastating to
Chris OBI think it’s devastating to the homeowners whose views will be blocked by this structure. The value of their properties will decline because of the loss of view, and they will be deprived of one of the key reasons they bought their homes in this location in the first place. Why are the rights of existing property owners denied in favor of someone who already owns multiple hotels on the island. The homeowners only own their property, why does Mr. Hajjar’s desires take precedence over existing town citizens. How many hotels should one person own on the island and does the island really need one more hotel? I hope the town of Oak Bluffs protects these homeowners.
Yes, always a risk for re
Barbara EDGYes, always a risk for re-development when you buy next to/very close to a commercial zone. That said, it is stunning and does provide workforce housing. Focus on the gardens - improve the neighborhood. Would be lovely if they serve breakfast and maybe a late afternoon cheese/wine service.
Whatever the hotel serves
John E. Brooklyn/summer visitorWhatever the hotel serves will be of no importance to nonguests, since there will be nothing served to others and guests can’t even invite people to stop by. All of that should cut down on traffic. Many guests will probably walk over from the ferry anyway. Sorry for the people losing their views, but that’s always a risk when you buy near a commercial structure. The NIMBY above saying the neighbors aren’t NIMBYs was rather amusing.
I spent all my summers there
Lincoln Pope FloridaI spent all my summers there even through my college years and was a year round resident for 2 years the old Ocean View was one of my haunts …I spent my early years in that neighborhood riding bicycles with my peers and going to the penny candy places with my friends ..the hotel is too big and takes away from the vibe for sure …I wish the MVC would reconsider …to rely on shades being drawn and no parties and no non guest to be there …is a stretch …having been and worked in OB as a college student and trying to put that be part of my life and remembering what me and my peers focused on not very responsible basically work party work party etc let the neighborhood continue to be why it has evolved back to again a neighborhood not a commercial zone please reconsider and let it be Thank You
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