Density Matters:

One of the reasons Edgartown Great Pond is among the healthiest Island ponds is because of the very low housing density immediately surrounding it.  Properties with frontage on Edgartown Great Pond (EGP) have an average housing density of 212 square feet per acre (367,049 ft² / 1734 acres). By the same methodology, the proposed Meeting House development, currently under review by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, has an average housing density of 2,385 square feet per acre (128,800 ft² / 54 acres).

Native vegetation and intact landscapes have a natural ability to attenuate nitrogen. When housing density is low enough, the landscape is able to transform most of the nitrogen before it enters pond water.  The higher the density of the housing, the greater the impact the development will have on watershed and the health of EGP.  The proposed Meeting House development has a housing density that is 10X greater than the housing density of properties fronting EPG. 

For full details, see our July letter to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission: