Each town has a planning board consisting of from five to seven elected members. Planning boards have three major functions:

Zoning
The board proposes changes or additions to zoning bylaws, holds public hearings, and then submits them as proposed warrant articles to be voted on at town meeting.

Administration of the Subdivision Control Law
The planning board reviews all applications for the division of land into lots, and bases approval on town zoning bylaws, its own rules and regulations, and applicable state statutes.

Master Planning
After special studies of the town's assets and problems, the board prepares a master plan for the town, establishing the town's policies for the ways in which land or water may or may not be used. A master plan is a guide to the future growth of a town. After consultation with citizens and town agencies as well as professional planners, the planning board may create a master plan with recommendations for conservation, recreation, residential protection, neighborhood improvement, etc. It must then be approved by a two-thirds vote at a town meeting. The master plan is an advisory tool designed to help a town develop clear and workable goals.

Subdivision
There are special laws pertaining to a subdivision, which is defined as a development where new roads are necessary and where a tract of land is to be divided into two or more lots and possibly divided again. If every lot in a development has frontage on an existing way in public use, there is no subdivision.

Most towns on the Island and the Martha's Vineyard Commission have adopted regulations that limit the number of houses that may be built in one year on a piece of property being divided. Exceptions may be allowed under certain circumstances.

Historic Preservation
The purpose of the historic preservation commission is to preserve the cultural heritage of the towns. The commission compiles an inventory of town properties of historic, archeological, or architectural significance. The inventory is then submitted to the State, which assumes a protective function if historic properties are threatened. The inventory also helps the State evaluate properties when they are submitted to the National Register of Historic Places.

National Registry property owners are eligible to apply for grants-in-aid for historic preservation. When an area containing several structures of historic value is identified, the commission may set up a historic district study committee, its members appointed by the selectmen. Following a poll of residents in the proposed district and a public hearing, a historic district is established by a two-thirds vote of town meeting. From that time forward, any changes in the exterior design of the buildings within the district must be considered and approved by a district commission. Its jurisdiction may extend to cover the following: terraces, walks, driveways, sidewalks, walls or fences, paint color other than white, color of roof material, size of signs, demolition of buildings, reconstruction, new structures and additions. Property owners have the right of appeal.

Zoning Board of Appeals
A zoning board of appeals in each town may grant special permits and variances to individuals pleading hardship or special circumstances. Approval may be given, subject to conditions or restrictions. Beginning in 1972, Island towns adopted comprehensive zoning bylaws, which are presently in place in all towns. Although zoning bylaws differ in each town, they all state the types and locations of the various districts—residential, business, industrial, and agricultural—and describe the permitted uses for each. They regulate the size of lots and the density permitted, the siting and the height of the structures. The selectmen or building and zoning officers of the towns administer the bylaws, issuing permits for all construction. Cases involving Developments of Regional Impact are referred to the Martha's Vineyard Commission.

Town Government Information

See also specific town government information for useful telephone numbers and contact information for various boards and public offices, both elected and appointed.