In 1974, Dukes County voters and the Massachusetts General Court made the bold decision to create the Martha's Vineyard Commission and give it special powers to manage Island development. According to the Commission's enabling legislation (Chapter 831 of the Acts of 1977 as amended): Martha's Vineyard possesses unique natural, historical, ecological, scientific, cultural and other values . . . These values are being threatened and may be irreversibly damaged by uncoordinated or inappropriate uses of the land.
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Planning: It is responsible for regional land use planning for all seven towns of Dukes County.
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Regulation: It has special regulatory roles with respect to development in the six towns of Martha's Vineyard.
On the Vineyard, six towns share one island. Only by working together can we effectively deal with our shared resources and concerns such as water, open spaces and Island character, traffic and transportation, sustainable economy and the supply of affordable housing. The MVC has been promoting smart growth for decades and have shown that respecting the environment is key to a strong economy.
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Background and Mission: This page outlines the history and purpose of the MVC.
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What We Do: This page highlights some of the Commission’s key roles.
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Commissioners: This page describes how the Commission is set up and gives information about current Commissioners.
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Committees and Meetings: This page describes current committees and gives meeting information.
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MVC Staff: This page gives information about current staff members.
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Working with the Larger Region: This page describes our collaboration with other planning agencies on the Cape and Islands, as well as throughout Massachusetts and the nation
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Finances and Administration: This section gives some information about funding and employment.