The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank will be limiting people to one reservation per week at the James Pond Preserve in West Tisbury.
The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank will be limiting people to one reservation per week at the James Pond Preserve in West Tisbury.
The land bank commission voted to put limits on the reservation system at its Monday meeting in an effort to ensure more people can visit the property, which gives visitors access to Lambert’s Cove.
Repeat visitors make up a large portion of the weekly reservations.
Repeat visitors make up a large portion of the weekly reservations.
Harrison Kisiel, the land bank’s land superintendent, suggested changing the reservation system so that the land bank can better meet the crush of demand. Currently, the 12 parking spots at the preserve must be reserved ahead of time online. Each reservation lasts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“That’s been a positive, people like that,” he said. “There is still a push on how can we get more public access there.”
According to Mr. Kisiel, about 20 per cent of a week’s reservations go to the same people.
In an effort to allow more visitors, beachgoers are asked to cancel their reservation if they leave before 6 p.m. to allow others to book parking spots. The average visit lasts four and a half hours. Mr. Kisiel said that when a reservation is canceled after a person leaves, it is usually rebooked within 90 seconds.
The board discussed a number of options to make the preserve more accessible to the public, including changing from a full-day reservations to half-day reservations. Mr. Kisiel said that while it may allow for more people to visit the property, it would require staff to tell people to leave, which he says concerns the workers.
Commissioner Kristen Reimann of Oak Bluffs echoed Mr. Kisiel’s concerns.
“I feel like it’s unfair to put the staff in a position where they’re going to have to be policing people. That doesn’t feel good to me,” she said.
Mr. Kisiel also said that because most visitors arrive at noon and leave around 4:30 p.m., creating half day reservations would not meet the need based on when people are actually visiting.
The commissioners voted unanimously to limit visitors to one reservation per week. Mr. Kisiel said he would have to speak with the reservation system manager to determine how soon the change can be made.
Comments
Was sold out this morning
Ed Edgartown/BostonWas sold out this morning within about 17 seconds.
The system is so broken.
Ted WTThe system is so broken. Between partial days and no shows, the lot is often more than half empty even during peak times. Also, I've seen situations where it appears that the workers are allowing friends/family to park and I've heard many others that have witnessed the same. These complaints are totally ignored.
This shows the need for more
John ChilmarkThis shows the need for more public beaches up island and also the need for more parking at James Pond.
Who will pay for them?
Albert GosnoldWho will pay for them?
Why not let people visit
Cat TisburyWhy not let people visit before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on a first-come first-serve basis? The mornings and evenings are the best light on the beach and it's sad there's no access.
How about a four hour limit
Patricia West TisburyHow about a four hour limit at both there and Lambert’s Cove. I paid for beach passes for many years but could never get a parking spot.
Not everyone wants to come
Anna Alley West Tisbury5Not everyone wants to come and sit on the beach. Some would like to just walk through the property and then leave, requiring only and hour or two at most for parking. Why not reserve some spots for that?
THis lot and the new one in
Chris Mara EdgartownTHis lot and the new one in Aquinnah are empty most of the time because people book for the day, leave and don't return
Install parking meters. Fair
Andy CTInstall parking meters. Fair for all. $5 per hour. 4 hour max per day. $40 fine for leaving car
More than 4 hours. Have parking attendant give tickets. People can stay an hour or longer and opens more opportunities each day. Many other towns do this.
What we really need to be
Barbra M MenenshaWhat we really need to be talking about is why the land bank is allowed to continue land hoarding in a place with a federally recognized tribe… I would think they ought to start having a discussion about land returns and transitioning towards local tribal stewardship over their lands. It’s awful to see these groups continuing to grab up thousands of acres of land here and not even bat an eye at whether this land should start being returned to its rightful owners - the Wampanoag.
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