The Edgartown planning board voted Tuesday to refer a large renovation and expansion of the Edgartown Stop & Shop to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, marking the end of the first phase of the public review process.

The company’s plan for a 16,000-square-foot addition, expanded parking and a revised traffic flow now goes to the MVC for review as a development of regional impact.

In a slightly changed process, the review began at the town level with public hearings before being sent to the commission. Concerns have centered on noise, parking and traffic in the Upper Main street area, which is congested in the summer season.

Meanwhle, a plan to remove the small Edgartown National Bank branch next door to make way for parking and an exit that aligns with Pinehurst Road has been resolved. Last month representatives from the bank and Stop & Shop said the two parties had not reached an agreement about the branch removal. Stop & Shop’s parent company, Ahold, owns the building; Edgartown National Bank has a lease through 2020.

Small bank branch will be demolished as part of the expansion.

Mark Lovewell

Small bank branch will be demolished as part of the expansion.

Mark Lovewell

At the planning board hearing Tuesday, attorney Geoghan Coogan, who is representing Stop & Shop, said an agreement had been reached to relocate the bank elsewhere on the Stop & Shop property. The plan now shows the bank just to the north of the store, in the parking lot.

Bank president Fielding Moore attended the meeting, but said he had no comment to add.

Mr. Coogan told the Gazette after the meeting that the existing brick bank building will be demolished.

Stop & Shop representative Randy Hart said the bank branch will be located in an under-utilized area of the parking lot.

Company representatives noted other lingering issues, including requests to store shopping carts in the lobby of the building, create a snow management plan and build better walkways through the parking lot. Representatives have said the store will remain open during construction, and a complete construction timeline will be available after the permitting process is complete.

A VTA bus stop located on Upper Main street next to the store will be shifted north to accommodate the renovation, but will remain off the road. VTA administrator Angela Grant said the company is happy with the plan and the realignment of the exit with Pinehurst Road. In the long term, she said, they would like to see a bus shelter to accommodate employees and others who use public transit to get to the store. “Which is what we need as a community to reduce congestion overall,” she said.

Conservation commission member Edward (Peter) Vincent Jr. asked about changing Main street to a three-lane road between the Triangle and Memorial Park.

Planning board member Fred Mascolo said the town has pursued that idea with the state Department of Transportation, which has oversight of the road, to no avail.

The board voted unanimously to refer the project to the MVC. Commission executive director Adam Turner, who has attended all three hearings, said he saw progress in the plan.

“I think they’re farther along than they were when they started,” Mr. Turner said. He commended the planning board for a thorough initial review. “We’ll do the same before we bring it back to you for a final chance,” he said.