Martha's Vineyard Land Use Regulations

Each of the six towns on Martha's Vineyard promulgates their own unique rules for items such as building height limitations, sideline set back requirements and in some instances, architectural limitations. Whether you are interested in renovating, adding to an existing structure or building new structures, it would be wise to consult with the officials in each town to ensure compliance with the rules and regulation that govern land development.

Additionally, each town maintains separate rules and regulations related to the use of property within each town. These bylaws describe areas or zones wherein certain uses are permitted, either commercial or residential. In most instances, the public hearing process is utilized to review projects.

In addition to the local reviews, there are certain projects, which due to their scope and impact on the community, may exceed established local thresholds in which case they are referred for review to the Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC), the regional metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Dukes County region.

For more specific information please refer to our Town Information section of this site. There you will find specific information, including the official departments, names of officials and their related telephone numbers.