An unusual possible conflict of interest could delay a Martha’s Vineyard Commission vote this week on a plan to build a solar canopy over the parking lot at Cronig’s Market in Vineyard Haven.
The applicant for the development project is the community-based energy cooperative Vineyard Power. Of the 15 voting members of the MVC, 11 are members of the cooperative. On Monday land use planning committee chairman Doug Sederholm announced that the commission must wait for an opinion from the state ethics commission before voting on the project.
Do Islanders like it, not know about it or just not care?
A nearly-nonexistent turnout at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission Thursday night for a public hearing on a new 12,200-square-foot solar canopy over the parking lot at Cronig’s Market in Vineyard Haven had some commissioners scratching their heads.
“There certainly doesn’t seem to be an outcry of public concern about this project, but I’m curious whether people are really paying a lot of attention,” said commissioner Linda Sibley.
Cronig’s Gets Greener
While building a new deli section in their Vineyard Haven store, Cronig’s Market also has shifted to more biodegradable and compostable items made from corn and bulrush. The gocery store already shifted to different packaging for its meat products; now a new line from Vineyard Haven retailer Eco MV means changes to Cronig’s soup cups, cutlery, unbleached deli sheets, to-go containers, and various other packaging containers for the deli and salad bar.
To reduce its environmental impact, Cronig’s Market has teamed up with Eco MV to replace all its styrofoam packaging. Styrofoam is a byproduct of petroleum and has a landfill life of over 3,000 years, and while it has been touted as a light and well-insulating material, more sustainable alternatives abound. For Cronig’s Market, the more environmentally friendly alternative is unbleached bulrush fiber.
The old-fashioned practice of allowing some customers to hold house accounts at Cronig’s Market will be getting a high-tech twist in the coming weeks, as customers will have to use a fingerprint identification system in order to access their accounts.
The grocery store offers house accounts as a courtesy to certain customers, and up until recently the practice caused few problems or disruptions.
Why does food cost so much on this Island?
Coming from Steve Bernier, owner of Cronig’s Market, the answer is part career grocer’s insider view, part disaster warning.
“There’s a flood coming,” said Mr. Bernier, sitting in a cocoon-like office space above the Cronig’s main store in Vineyard Haven. “The rise now is exponential, dynamic. We’re at the end game of what goes around comes around.”