‘Colin Ruel: Pride and progress: Grapevine celebrates June B2 The Light Is Returning’ B14
Thursday, June 4, 2026
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD TIMES
Volume 43, Issue No. 22
2 Sections
A new school for the next generation
Price $1.00
The $333 million building project passes in an historic, landslide vote that will take a generation to pay off. BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON
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NICHOLAS VUKOTA
Volleying to be champs
fter years of administrative meetings and an historic Island-wide vote, the long-awaited Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School building project, with an addition and renovation price tag of $333.5 million, passed in a landslide with the promise to transform the campus for future generations and address much-needed issues. All six towns showed their overwhelming support for the project, with 3,448 people, or 84 percent, voting yes, despite qualms about the high price tag, which taxpayers across the Vineyard will be paying for over the next 30 years, and the prospect of a five-year period of construction set to begin next summer. School committee members, teachers, and administrators who were part of the planning process gathered at the PortugueseAmerican Club in Oak Bluffs on Tuesday night as the votes rolled in. Just 45 minutes after the polls closed, MVRHS committee chair Amy Houghton announced the decision was decisively in favor of the new school.
Laina Dubin of the undefeated girls’ tennis team as they head to state quarterfinals, one step closer to a championship win. Other teams at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School have also made playoff runs. Boys’ tennis played Newburyport High School yesterday at 4 pm, after our print deadline, in the round of 16. The varsity baseball team lost to Falmouth High School in Falmouth 1–0 at the bottom of the ninth, and were eliminated from the playoffs Monday. And don’t forget, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks start their season today against the Yankees’ scout team. See full sports coverage on A16.
MVC fights to keep power over affordable housing reviews
ELLA MUNNELLY
Superintendent of Schools Richie Smith and school committee chair Amy Houghton embrace at the Portuguese-American Club.
The lawsuit challenges a ruling made by a state agency in April. BY EUNKI SEONWOO
Amid a smattering of applause, Houghton announced to the crowd, “The voter turnout was amazing. It showed that people felt that their votes really counted.” Also in attendance was MVRHS Director of Operations Sam Hart, who spearheaded much of the planning. He told The Times that he’s proud of the community and excited for the next chapter in building a school that will serve future generations, and that will finally repair a building that has long been in decline, and created conditions that threaten the health of students and teachers alike. Hart said to The Times, “We’re going to bring forth a modern, clean, energyefficient, breathable space for you to Continued on A8
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COURTESY MVC
Chapter 40B was created in ith its authority to review 1969 to bolster the development of housing developments in affordable units amid a national flux, the Martha’s Vineyard housing shortage, an issue that Commission (MVC) is attemptpersists. Amid a housing crisis on ing to reverse the ruling that rethe Island, the MVC also acted duced its power in court. as a shield against potential overIn Dukes County Superior development, and worked to preCourt, the MVC and the Edgarserve the character of the Island. town zoning board of appeals “The HAC’s ruling, if upheld, jointly filed a challenge against would undermine the MVC’s the Massachusetts Housing Apability to fulfill its 50-year peals Committee (HAC) and Edstatutory mandate to protect the gartown Gardens LLC, the comA map of the layout of the proposed Edgartown Gardens project. unique natural, historical, ecopany backed by Falmouth-based logical, scientific, and cultural resources developer William Cumming that proposed the MVC a “local board,” and prohibited the regulatory body from reviewing projects of Martha’s Vineyard, and would give building a 60-unit project for seniors near developers a mechanism to circumvent the proposed under Chapter 40B, a state statute the Edgartown Triangle, on May 19. MVC’s regional review authority entirely that allows developers to more easily bypass The 25-page complaint from Vineyard by allowing local local zoning if at least a quarter of the projofficials pushes back against a ruling from deadlines to lapse ect consists of affordable units. April made by the state agency that deemed Continued on A9
© 2026
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