The prospective buyers of the Lambert’s Cove Inn won unanimous approval from the West Tisbury selectmen Wednesday for a beer and wine license transfer. But south shore hoteliers Stephanie and Jon Saunders found themselves in the midst of wary neighbors with a litany of complaints over the past practices of outgoing inn owners John and Keya Cain.
“The neighborhood has been dealing with a headache for three years,” said abutter Andy Kaye at the public hearing held over Zoom.
Other inn neighbors complained about late-night noise from the Manaquayak Road property and said that hard alcohol had been served there illegally, an assertion backed up by town administrator Jennifer Rand.
South shore hoteliers Stephanie and Jon Saunders attended Zoom hearing and pledged to be good neighbors.
“Hard alcohol isn’t allowed, [and] those rules were flouted,” Ms. Rand said.
Appearing from their Cohasset home, Ms. and Mr. Saunders — who also own inns in Falmouth and Hull — assured town officials and residents that hard spirits won’t be tolerated at the Lambert’s Cove Inn under their ownership.
“That’s something we’re not going to allow,” Ms. Saunders said. “As professionals and people [with] a lot of pride in what we do, we will take responsibility.”
Neighbor Dan Scherlis said it has been difficult in recent years to find someone at the inn who would respond to abutters’ noise complaints.
Ms. Saunders said she and her husband, who are raising two small children, will engage full-time, live-in innkeepers for the property who will be available to neighbors as well as guests.
“We’re looking to hire people who are very experienced, knowledgeable [and] respectful, and that would plan to stay for a long period,” she said.
This came as good news to longtime neighborhood resident Tucker Hubbel.
“That’s really been the problem over the last few years,” Mr. Hubbel said.
Prior to the current ownership, he said the inn had been a good neighbor going back to the 1980s.
“You’ve really done a wonderful job in the last few minutes to alleviate [neighbors’] concerns,” Mr. Hubbel told Mr. and Ms. Saunders.
Select board members Cynthia Mitchell and chairman Skipper Manter voted in favor of the new license and to accept the Cains’s surrender of their existing license.
Ms. Mitchell thanked the neighbors for their comments as well as for extending what she called “a clean-slate welcome” to the new owners.
“I have confidence and high hopes that this will be a return to the relationship that the neighbors have had with the inn in better times,” Ms. Mitchell said.
Wednesday’s votes clear the way for the sale to close this month. Back property taxes owed by the Cains will be paid at closing, according to Frederick Grosser, an attorney for Ms. and Mr. Saunders.
In other business, the board appointed longtime council on aging employee Bethany Hammond as the agency’s assistant director, retroactive to Dec. 6, when she began performing the job’s duties.
