March 27, 2017 — The fishing cages, nets and other gear that lie scattered around Menemsha may soon have a place of their own behind the Chilmark landfill.
In an effort to support young fishermen in town and relieve congestion in the historic fishing village, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust has proposed designating a one-acre lot at the landfill on Middle Line Road as a storage area for fishing gear and larger equipment.
The town owns an eight-acre parcel at the landfill that selectmen say could serve the purpose, and also provide space for the town shellfish and highway departments, and training for the fire department. The shellfish and highway departments currently use a 3.5-acre homesite at Peaked Hill.
At the selectmen’s meeting on Thursday, trust president John Keene, owner of Keene Excavation in West Tisbury, formally proposed the new site, and offered to create the required access road at no charge to the town — and idea that furthered the selectmen’s support.
“That’s not going to hurt,” selectman Bill Rossi said.
Trust board member Katie Carroll pressed for the project to move forward independently of plans for the town departments. But several questions remained, including how much land each fisherman would need, and whether to include a fence around the lot.