A sweeping new design for parking and site visitors stream on the North Bluff bulkhead on Oak Bluffs harbor had its first airing Thursday earlier than the total Martha’s Winery Fee.
The North Bluff plan features a landscaped roundabout, to information autos by what has lengthy been a disorganized and typically chaotic space for motorists choosing up and dropping off vacationers on the harbor’s passenger ferry landings.
“It’s a dumpster fireplace each time you go in there,” stated commissioner and rideshare driver Ernest Thomas, who estimated he’s pushed to North Bluff for pickups and dropoffs tons of of occasions over the previous two years.
Oak Bluffs additionally plans to scale back the quantity of timed parking within the space, in favor of including areas for fishermen, the harbormaster’s division, taxis and energetic autos — together with rideshares — dropping individuals off.
The North Bluff reconfiguration is part three of the city’s streetscape undertaking, which started with Circuit avenue final yr and continues on Kennebec avenue.
In keeping with a chart from Waterfield Design Group, the city’s design contractor for its multiphase streetscape undertaking, the variety of four-hour parking locations would drop by a 3rd, from 24 to 16, with two-hour areas on Seaview avenue extension going from 11 to eight. Fifteen-minute parking at North Bluff would go from 15 to 14 areas, taxi stand areas from six to eight and harbormaster’s parking areas from three to 4.
The plan proposes including eight “energetic dropoff” spots and three areas for fishermen, who beforehand had no designated parking.
A single house for unloading fishing boats will stay, as will parking for 2 tour buses, though the plan reviewed Thursday strikes the buses to Seaview avenue extension.
Benches, sitting partitions and native crops chosen with recommendation from Polly Hill Arboretum are additionally a part of the positioning plan, Waterfield panorama designer Tim Wong informed the fee.
Abutter Jason Lew, who has a front-row view of the whole space from his longtime residence on the nook of Seaview avenue extension and Circuit avenue extension, stated whereas he’s excited concerning the coming beautification, he has issues about different elements of the plan.
“In an effort to make it look higher we could also be making a catastrophe with vehicular stream,” stated Mr. Lew, who additionally objected to having tour bus parking areas in entrance of his home.
Measurement limitations hold the buses from ready nearer to the passenger ferries, the way in which taxis do, Mr. Wong stated.
“The turning radius of a 40-foot bus is kind of massive,” he stated.
Commissioner Ben Robinson requested why timber and a climate shelter for passengers weren’t included within the landscaping plan.
“Have they thought of shade from shade timber? And in addition, in inclement climate, there’s no safety on the market,” Mr. Robinson stated.
Polly Hill Arboretum director Tim Boland really useful the combination of shrubs within the planting design, Mr. Wong informed the commissioner.
“He didn’t advocate timber in that space,” the designer stated.
Oak Bluffs city administrator Deborah Potter pushed again at something that might block the views of Oak Bluffs Harbor and Nantucket Sound.
“As a lot as I really like timber, I wouldn’t … impede the views which are so properly related to that space,” she stated.
If wanted, a shelter might be added at a later date, Ms. Potter added.
“I’d be hesitant … to delay this course of that we now have in entrance of you as we speak for one thing that we might or might not want down the street,” she informed the fee.
Mr. Lew had a extra low-tech proposal for cover from the weather.
“As an alternative of a construction that’s there on a regular basis, possibly we might have a field with 50 umbrellas,” he instructed. “It’s cheap, it makes widespread sense, you employ it once you want it, you set it again, you employ it for the solar, you employ it for the rain.”
The MVC public listening to continues on Nov. 3. An additional continuation from that date might maintain up the city’s timeline for the overhaul, Ms. Potter stated.
“Clearly, any work in that space needs to be accomplished previous to the season commencing,” she stated.
