About the MVC

In 1974, Dukes County voters and the Massachusetts General Court made the bold decision to create the Martha's Vineyard Commission and give it special powers to manage Island development. According to the Commission's enabling legislation (Chapter 831 of the Acts of 1977 as amended): Martha's Vineyard possesses unique natural, historical, ecological, scientific, cultural and other values . . . These values are being threatened and may be irreversibly damaged by uncoordinated or inappropriate uses of the land.

The Commission was given two primary responsibilities.
  • Planning: It is responsible for regional land use planning for all seven towns of Dukes County.
  • Regulation: It has special regulatory roles with respect to development in the six towns of Martha's Vineyard.

On the Vineyard, six towns share one island. Only by working together can we effectively deal with our shared resources and concerns such as water, open spaces and Island character, traffic and transportation, sustainable economy and the supply of affordable housing. The MVC has been promoting smart growth for decades and have shown that respecting the environment is key to a strong economy.

The Martha's Vineyard Commission is explained in the following sections.

Office location:

Office location:

The Stone Building
33 New York Avenue
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

Telephone: 508-693-3453
Fax: 508-693-7894

Mailing Address

Mailing address:

Martha's Vineyard Commission
P.O. Box 1447
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

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Martha's Vineyard Commission
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