Meeting - Peaked Hill Pastures Community Engagement Meeting

The Town of Chilmark is holding the first in a series of three community meetings to discuss development opportunities for the Peaked Hill Pastures property on Monday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m. This site is owned by the Town of Chilmark and includes 16.67 acres off Pasture Road. The Town, in concert with the Martha's Vineyard Commission, has commissioned analysis work which concluded that the property is suitable for development.

Given the dramatic rise in median home prices, Chilmark and other Island communities are continuing to experience widening affordability gaps in the homeownership market. Moreover, Chilmark has less than a hundred year-round rentals, and rents Island-wide are increasing beyond what many Island workers can afford. The seasonality of the housing stock and a lack of multi-family housing contribute to a limited supply of affordable housing for Island workers.

The impacts of Covid-19 have exacerbated an already grim situation, increasing the demand for housing from those who seek a safer retreat during the pandemic, thus reducing housing supply while driving up prices. Those with insecure housing, who have relied on winter rentals in the past, have been outbid or their winter rental has been sold. Moreover, some property owners have decided to stay in their homes and thus are not offering them for rent as in the past, further reducing much needed rentals.

The Chilmark Planning Board believes that the Peaked Hill Pasture property presents an opportunity for the Chilmark community to develop housing that will meet local needs and priorities.

The Planning Board invites all those interested in this potential project to join in on Monday, June 14th at 6:00 p.m. in the first of a series of community meetings to discuss development challenges, concerns, and opportunities for this important property. The consultant, Karen Sunnarborg, will facilitate our discussion which will provide some important background on the project including specific site conditions and project goals. 

This meeting will be held virtually as an interactive zoom meeting. If you cannot attend, the meeting will be recorded and available on the Town's website: https://www.chilmarkma.gov/planning-board/pages/peaked-hill-pastures. Residents will also have the opportunity for further input by contact the following link: https://www.chilmarkma.gov/user/1251/contact.

Zoom Info: https://zoom.us/j/97551539655