A sweeping new design for parking and traffic flow at the North Bluff bulkhead on Oak Bluffs harbor had its first airing Thursday before the full Martha’s Vineyard Commission.
The North Bluff plan includes a landscaped roundabout, to guide vehicles through what has long been a disorganized and sometimes chaotic area for motorists picking up and dropping off travelers at the harbor’s passenger ferry landings.
“It’s a dumpster fire every time you go in there,” said commissioner and rideshare driver Ernest Thomas, who estimated he’s driven to North Bluff for pickups and dropoffs hundreds of times over the past two years.
Oak Bluffs also plans to reduce the amount of timed parking in the area, in favor of adding spaces for fishermen, the harbormaster’s department, taxis and active vehicles — including rideshares — dropping people off.
The North Bluff reconfiguration is phase three of the town’s streetscape project, which began with Circuit avenue last year and continues on Kennebec avenue.
According to a chart from Waterfield Design Group, the town’s design contractor for its multiphase streetscape project, the number of four-hour parking places would drop by a third, from 24 to 16, with two-hour spaces on Seaview avenue extension going from 11 to eight. Fifteen-minute parking at North Bluff would go from 15 to 14 spaces, taxi stand spaces from six to eight and harbormaster’s parking spaces from three to four.
The plan proposes adding eight “active dropoff” spots and three spaces for fishermen, who previously had no designated parking.
A single space for unloading fishing boats will remain, as will parking for two tour buses, although the plan reviewed Thursday moves the buses to Seaview avenue extension.
Benches, sitting walls and native plants chosen with advice from Polly Hill Arboretum are also part of the site plan, Waterfield landscape designer Tim Wong told the commission.
Abutter Jason Lew, who has a front-row view of the entire area from his longtime home at the corner of Seaview avenue extension and Circuit avenue extension, said while he’s excited about the coming beautification, he has concerns about other aspects of the plan.
“In an effort to make it look better we may be creating a disaster with vehicular flow,” said Mr. Lew, who also objected to having tour bus parking spaces in front of his house.
Size limitations keep the buses from waiting closer to the passenger ferries, the way taxis do, Mr. Wong said.
“The turning radius of a 40-foot bus is quite large,” he said.
Commissioner Ben Robinson asked why trees and a weather shelter for passengers weren’t included in the landscaping plan.
“Have they thought about shade from shade trees? And also, in inclement weather, there’s no protection out there,” Mr. Robinson said.
Polly Hill Arboretum director Tim Boland recommended the mix of shrubs in the planting design, Mr. Wong told the commissioner.
“He did not recommend trees in that area,” the designer said.
Oak Bluffs town administrator Deborah Potter pushed back at anything that would block the views of Oak Bluffs Harbor and Nantucket Sound.
“As much as I love trees, I wouldn’t … impede the views that are so well associated with that area,” she said.
If needed, a shelter could be added at a later date, Ms. Potter added.
“I would be hesitant … to delay this process that we have in front of you today for something that we may or may not need down the road,” she told the commission.
Mr. Lew had a more low-tech proposal for protection from the elements.
“Instead of a structure that’s there all the time, maybe we could have a box with 50 umbrellas,” he suggested. “It’s inexpensive, it makes common sense, you use it when you need it, you put it back, you use it for the sun, you use it for the rain.”
The MVC public hearing continues on Nov. 3. A further continuation from that date could hold up the town’s timeline for the overhaul, Ms. Potter said.
“Obviously, any work in that area has to be done prior to the season commencing,” she said.
