The following are the steps that an applicant must follow in order to apply to the Martha's Vineyard Commission for approval of a DRI. These steps are explained in additional detail in Making a DRI Application.
A. Obtaining Documents
Before preparing his or her application, the applicant should obtain or consult the following documents. Please confirm with the DRI Coordinator that you have the latest version of each document.
- The DRI Process—Step by Step:
- Making a DRI Application: The downloadable pdf version has detailed instructions that should be followed in preparing an application.
- DRI Application Form DRI: Application Form
- DRI Regulations: These regulations outline the administrative aspects of the DRI process.
- MVC Act (Chapter 831): Refer in particular to sections 14 and 15 that outline the criteria that the Commission uses in weighing the potential benefits and detriments of a proposal.
Applicants should also obtain the latest DRI Fee Schedule from the DRI Coordinator.
B. Pre-Application Meeting with Staff
The Applicant participates in a pre-application meeting with MVC staff. He or she contacts the Commission's DRI Coordinator to set up a pre-application meeting with MVC staff at which the staff reviews the submission requirements and answers the Applicant's technical and procedural questions. The Applicant brings any plans, studies or information on the property and/or proposal to this meeting. Staff of the referring municipal agency (e.g. the administrator of a Planning Board) may be invited to attend to help clarify procedures.
C. Prepare Application
The Applicant begins to prepare the application, starting to fill out the application form and preparing the other materials that constitute a complete application.
D. Pre-Hearing Meeting of the Land Use Planning Committee
Once the application is advanced, the applicant participates in a Pre-Hearing Meeting of the Land Use Planning Committee (LUPC), a sub-committee of the Commission. The Applicant is given an opportunity to explain the proposal, to discuss the project informally with Commissioners and staff, to get feedback as to some of the issues and concerns that should be addressed during the public hearing. At this meeting the LUPC will determine the scope of the required transportation study and will indicate what additional studies or information are needed to complete the application. Notification for this meeting is posted ion the MVC website and sent to the permit granting boards in the town where the project is located.
Town officials are strongly encouraged to participate in this meeting so that members of the LUPC get a sense about the referring board's feeling about the proposal. While this meeting is open to the public, public comment is not generally allowed; occasionally, in the interest of clarification, a member of the public may be asked a question of clarification, or may be allowed to comment. No comments made by town officials or the public at this time are considered part of the public hearing record.
There may be several meetings between the LUPC and the applicant before the committee is assured that the proposal is clear and the application can be completed.
E. Completion and Submission of the Application
The complete application is filed with the Martha's Vineyard Commission at the Commission office during an Application Filing Appointment to be scheduled with the DRI coordinator. The Application is made up of the Application Form as well as all accompanying documents including a list of abutters, the application fee, plans of the existing situation and development proposal, document describing the proposal and its impacts and various studies as required by the Commission.
Applications submitted for filing can only be accepted at this filing appointment if they are complete. Complete applications are defined as those that satisfy the requirements outlined in this document and as specified at the Pre-Application Meeting of the Land Use Planning Committee. Providing a complete application, including the required information and fees, will allow the Commission to act in a timely manner.
The application is then submitted to the MVC Executive Director who will certify its completeness and authorize the scheduling of a Public Hearing.