Passersby at the intersection of County Road and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs have been noticing a new addition to the landscape: a 113-foot-long, four-foot-tall stone wall emblazoned with the word “Ogkeshkuppe.”

The wall, which is still under construction, belongs to longtime Islander and landscaping company owner Dana Mylott. It stands on the street-facing edge of his property where he houses several of his employees.

“Ogkeshkuppe” is the Wôpanâak word for the land of Oak Bluffs, Mr. Mylott said. He told the Gazette that he wanted to use his highly visible property to create something meaningful that people could enjoy while paying homage to the Wampanoag Tribe.

“I’ve been on this Island for 25 years, and because I’m so visible right there, I started kind of thinking about what I could create out of this space,” said Mr. Mylott, who is not a tribe member. “Paying respect to the town had to start with the original people of the Island.”

The wall itself is made of Island stone and fitted with lettering made out of steel edging by Island metalworker Lisa Leonard. The wall is bookended by two blank squares, each five feet long by four feet high. On the left, Mr. Mylott plans to install artwork representing the history of Oak Bluffs. He hopes to invite each year’s crop of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School seniors to the property to create artwork on the right.

Mr. Mylott said he sought permission from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) before embarking on the project. He says he spoke with Bettina Washington, the tribe’s historic preservation officer, to bring the project to life and ensure the spelling on the wall was correct. 

Ms. Washington did not respond to a request for comment this week.

Mr. Mylott also said he went through the proper channels to get permission for the project at the town level, communicating with the Oak Bluffs zoning board of appeals and the Oak Bluffs building department.

“We don’t need a permit because it’s an art piece. It’s not showcasing a business,” he said. “The town had no issue with it.”

Oak Bluffs building official Matt Rossi confirmed in an email to the Gazette that Mr. Mylott’s installation is legal and does not require a permit. He said the wall’s height, placement and distance from the centerline of the road exempt it from needing town approval under both state building code and local zoning by-laws. 

Mr. Rossi added that the wall does not require a sign permit per town zoning bylaws, which define a sign as “any privately owned permanent or temporary structure, device, billboard, letter, word, banner, pennant, insignia or representation which is used as, or which is in the nature of, an advertisement, announcement, or direction, and which is within public view.”

“[Mr. Mylott] originally told me he wanted to do an art installation and then put his company’s abbreviation (D.T.A.L.S) in large letters in the middle. I told him that would be considered a sign per the Oak Bluffs Zoning By-Laws,” Mr. Rossi wrote. “[He] then asked if he could just do an art installation and I told him that would be allowed.”

Mr. Rossi said he’s received questions from people wondering whether the wall is allowed or considered a sign. He also wrote that some officials worry about the wall’s potential effect on traffic safety.

“Informally, some town employees expressed concern that it will be a distraction to drivers at a busy intersection,” he wrote.

Mr. Mylott said the feedback he has received has been overwhelmingly positive, although he also noted that some had expressed skepticism online and in person.

He invites conversation and visits to his property from those who want to discuss the wall, whether they support it or not.

“You’re part of my community, and it’s okay if you don’t agree with me,” he said.