The Martha's Vineyard Commission killed the Katama Meadows proposal on its final day of deliberation, voting 10 to 3 with one abstention. The 54-acre Edgartown plan, which promised 26 below-market homes for police, teachers, and firefighters, died after seven marathon sessions. This marks the longest final deliberation in the commission’s history, ending a saga that began when Utah developers Richard Matthews and Douglas Anderson bought the land for $6.6 million in 2017.
Environmental backlash proved fatal. Commissioners designated the parcel a “full detriment” to the environment, citing nitrogen pollution risks to the adjacent Edgartown Great Pond. Tisbury commissioner Ben Robinson argued the site functions as a wildlife corridor, making it unsuitable for septic systems even with mitigation measures. The vote reflects a hard environmental ceiling: the island’s ecosystem limits now override urgent housing needs for essential workers.
Critics also attacked the luxury component. The plan included 19 market-rate lots, each over 4,000 square feet, capable of supporting $5 million homes. West Tisbury commissioner Linda Sibley called the income-segregated design “offensive,” while Chilmark commissioner Joan Malkin questioned trading affordable units for high-end seasonal stock. Supporters, like commissioner Doug Sederholm, argued the trade-off secured housing for 26 island families and preserved 32 acres of woodland, warning that rejection invites worse proposals.
The rejection leaves the land barren for now. Commissioner Jannette Vanderhoop noted that over 60 percent of the island’s housing stock serves only seasonal residents for two months or less. The commission indicated Matthews and Anderson will likely submit a new plan, forcing the island back into the same contentious cycle. The next public hearing on a revised Katama Meadows proposal is expected in the coming months.