Choose Granite Countertops in Edgartown, MA for Elegance and Durability

Although the full costs of implementing Edgartown’s 20-year comprehensive wastewater management plan isn’t fully realized yet, the project won’t be cheap.

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, the Edgartown Wastewater Commission hosted the first of several meetings delving into the components of the management plan at the Edgartown Public Library. Representatives from the engineering consulting firm Tighe & Bond — Ian Catlow, Daniel Roop, and Brian Kiely — were at the session to present the information to the people.

According to Catlow, there are several drivers of the comprehensive wastewater management plan, including potential population changes and infrastructure assessments within the 20-year planning cycle, the total amount of loading of nitrogen in Sengekontacket Pond and Edgartown Great Pond alongside changes to Title 5, a new state permitting process aimed at reducing nitrogen in coastal embayments. However, Catlow did point out Title V does not impact the Vineyard as much as other areas, for now.

Additionally, there are several phases for the management plan, starting with an assessment of existing conditions and future conditions alongside a needs analysis.

“If you want to talk about money — as a lot of people do as they’re thinking about these types of plans — where we really get into that is in phase two,” Catlow said, continuing that public input and a regulatory review would happen through the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act process before the management plan is established. “Ultimately, where we want to be headed is to develop watershed permits for Sengekontacket and Edgartown Great Pond so we can manage nitrogen in those impacted watersheds and also develop a 20-year plan that helps the town move forward.”

Catlow said the watersheds of greatest concern for Edgartown are Sengekontacket Pond and Edgartown Great Pond. The total Maximum day loads (TMDL) — which is the calculated highest amount of pollutants that a watershed can take in while maintaining a healthy system — for Sengekontacket is 16,757 kg of nitrogen per year and 16,812 kg of nitrogen per year for Edgartown Great Pond. The maximum loads are based on the Massachusetts Estuaries Plan, a report from 2001 that chronicled nitrogen issues across the state.

The 2023 nitrogen loads for both watersheds are already exceeding those targets. The load in Sengekontacket is 18,742 kg of nitrogen per year and Edgartown Great Pond it’s 19,424 kg of nitrogen per year.

Edgartown also shares these watershed areas with other towns. Sixty-four percent of the Sengekontacket watershed and 95 percent of the Edgartown Great Pond watershed are within Edgartown’s borders. The rest are from neighboring communities.

With this in mind, Catlow said there would be several options to look at to reduce nitrogen levels, such as the amount of nitrogen discharged from the town’s existing wastewater treatment facility and septic systems through “engineered solutions.”

The consultants are also looking into other bodies of water for the plan, including Trapps Pond, Edgartown Harbor, Katama Bar, and Crackatuxet Pond.

There are other factors that the consultants are looking at as well while preparations for Edgartown’s plan continues.

Edgartown’s population has grown over the decades with around 5,000 year-round residents and an estimated summer peak population of a little below 25,000. The number of year-round residents are expected to decrease between now and 2050 with a drop-off in the baby boomer population. Meanwhile, the projected peak summer population by 2050 is less certain, possibly remaining stable, increasing, or also decreasing. An increase in population could lead to more wastewater usage. In terms of development patterns, the downtown area has smaller properties that are bunched closer together with larger, more spread out buildings to the western portions of Edgartown.

Additionally, there are issues that need to be considered for climate change risks and resiliency measures, such as an estimated 1.6 to 1.8 feet in sea level rise by 2050 and implementing upgrades to monitor pump stations that face flood risks.

One of the major parts of developing the plan includes analyzing Edgartown’s wastewater system. Roop said alongside the Edgartown Wastewater Treatment Facility, the town has 10.05 miles of force main pipelines, 6.83 miles of gravity sewer pipelines, 9.7 miles of low pressure mains, around 500 e-One Grinder pumps, and eight pump stations. The peak daily flow from sewers and septic systems are also expected to increase in the next 20 years based on Title 5 regulations, although the septic flow increase will not be as high with more advanced treatment. The future flow projections are still being calculated.

Roop listed several needed upgrades deemed from intermediate (e.g. structural repairs, replacing control systems, etc.) to high risk upgrades (e.g. providing a local electrical feed, major structural repairs, etc.) that are needed for pump stations. The pump stations’ intermediate risk and high risk repairs are expected to cost $209,000 and $247,000 respectively.

The next steps of developing a management plan include finalizing the future flow projections, completing a needs analysis, and identifying alternative options.

There was also some time for attendees to ask questions. Some concerns that arose included whether a second wastewater treatment plant would be needed and the process of connecting existing homes to the town lines.

When Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty asked for a ballpark range for project costs. Catlow did not have a number ready. However, Catlowdid share how much it cost the Cape town of Orleans to upgrade its sewer lines.

“We just finished up phase one of Orleans’ buildout, which was a treatment plant for 250,000 gallons per day and … about five miles of sewer, and that cost them over $60 million,” Catlow said, adding that another phase for around five miles of sewer work costing around $24 million.

Catlow added Edgartown being on an Island can also possibly increase costs when hiring contractors. However, there are funding mechanisms the town can look at, such as federal funding or the zero-interest state revolving fund loan.

Orleans’ costs elicited groans from several meeting attendees.

The next presentation is expected to happen in about a month.

Why book?

This gut renovation of the historic (if a bit tired) Kelley House brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to downtown Edgartown.

Set the scene

New Englanders are slow to accept change–especially in historic towns, and especially on islands. So when buzzy Boston-based real estate firm Blue Flag partners acquired the six buildings compromising the iconic Kelley House in 2020, more than a few Edgartown eyebrows were raised. This hotel, after all, was 300 years old, dating back to a pre-Revolutionary time when whaling captains built their fortunes on the high seas, and would return to Martha’s Vineyard to live large in their lavish homes. The Kelley House stood in the middle of downtown Edgartown, and was the kind of landmark that generations of Vineyard-goers would return to summer after summer. So when it changed hands, the most devout Edgartonians couldn’t help but wonder how its next act would change one of the most historic, charming towns in the country.

The backstory

Luckily, Blue Flag did with Faraway Martha’s Vineyard what it does best: they operated the Kelley House more or less as usual for a year in order to acclimate to the community, and then brought the property into the 21st century with a to-the-studs renovation, and this summer relaunched it as the Faraway brand’s second property (Nantucket was the first). The result is something that both design-minded, social media-savvy jet setters and even the saltiest locals can get behind.

The rooms

The design is spot on—think New England seaside fantasia. At both of its locations, Faraway appears to pose the design question: what does modern maritime look like? The answer lies not within the tired, stereotypical realms of blue and white stripes and anchor-shaped cabinet knobs, but in the idea of living close to the sea, reveling in its textures, and celebrating the treasures you bring home from your explorations. Rooms are done in neutral tones replete with cozy textures, with international inflections like carved-wood accents and fringed, shaggy throw pillows and rugs. There are great finishing touches including linens by Bellino, Byredo bath amenities, Apple TVs, refrigerators, and Bluetooth-enabled turntables with a few records for chasing those perfect seaside vibes. Rates start at $599 per night.

The best room to book is a Studio Suite not in the main building, but in the neighboring Chappy House. It features vaulted ceilings and a private deck overlooking the pool area and Edgartown harbor.

Food and drink

If locals felt protective about Kelley House, they felt positively threatened over the beloved Newes from America pub located on the hotel’s ground floor. As the second oldest pub in the country, it’s a piece of American history; thankfully, while F&B is one of Blue Flag’s strongest suits, very little about this beloved tavern has changed aside from a few welcome updates to the menu. Highlights include: scallops and pork belly with tarragon beurre blanc, fiery peri-peri chicken, and lobster roll (with an ‘even more lobster’ option for an additional $12).

It’s also worth noting that, any day now, pending final approval of its liquor license, Faraway Martha’s Vineyard will open Pelican Club, an outdoor cocktail and sushi lounge, literally and metaphorically opposite from Newes from America. While Pelican Club wasn’t open when we visited, we did get to walk through the space and sample a fizzy gin cocktail: it’s safe to say that once this spot opens, it’s going to be the most popular place in town for a post-beach tipple.

The neighborhood/area

The location couldn’t be better; Kelley House was part of the fabric of downtown Edgartown, and Faraway is sure to feel the same. Here, you’re literally adjacent to the Chappaquiddick Ferry dock, and steps to all that Edgartown has to offer. Hop on over to neighboring Mad Martha’s for ice cream, Murdick’s for fudge, and the adorable Edgartown Books for beach reads. Dinner at nearby seasonally-driven restaurant The Covington is an absolute must.

The service

The service is friendly and warm without being overly reverential. You’ll feel like it’s OK to ask any of the staff about where they’d go for a drink or their favorite spots on the island.

For families

Faraway definitely skews towards a more grown-up clientele, but there some of the larger multi-bedroom suites are built with bunk beds ideal for stowing away the little ones. Families traveling with younger children may also want to check out the Winnetu Oceanside Resort, located on a quiet stretch of South Beach a few miles south of town, which offers a dedicated Children’s Program.

Accessibility

While there is no elevator in the centuries-old buildings which make up Faraway Martha’s Vineyard, there are a number of ADA accessible rooms on the main floor. The gardens in front of the hotel’s lobby feature an integrated ramp, which feels less like an afterthought and more like a carefully integrated part of the architecture.

Anything left to mention?

The L-shaped main building once curved around a sad parking lot with dumpster, which has been replaced with a fantastic, sprawling salt-water pool and hot tub area complete with cabanas and a snack counter. It might just be one of the best places to take a dip in the entire Cape and Islands regions—except for the Atlantic, which is right there, of course.

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Edgartown is weighing the costs of big septic changes as the town’s wastewater treatment facility falters and the Island’s water quality continues to decline.

The town unveiled the general outline of its 20-year comprehensive wastewater management plan this fall, a capital project intended to accommodate the town’s vast summer population growth and mitigate the rising nitrogen levels in its coastal ponds. Those plans became more urgent when earlier this year the town’s wastewater treatment facility failed, prompting officials to look into repairing or replacing the 53-year-old pipes.

To start addressing these long- and short-term goals, the town’s wastewater commission is seeking a $3 million article on the spring town meeting warrant for wastewater treatment facility repairs. The full price tag of the 20-year plan is estimated to be $40 million.

In a presentation to the select board and financial advisory committee, Ian Catlow from the environmental engineering group Tighe & Bond outlined the need and costs to upgrade the aging wastewater facility and preserve the town's coastal ponds. A complete replacement, the most expensive option at roughly $4.9 million, would last for the next 100 years, Mr. Catlow said, while more economical options would only last another 50. The lower-tier options came in at an estimated $2.29 million and $3.65 million.

As the town’s summer population continues to rise, officials must also weigh in on what infrastructure changes could best accommodate that growth.

A complete replacement would allow the town to complete a sewer system in the dense suburban neighborhood of Ocean Heights, Mr. Catlow said, reducing the levels of nitrogen runoff in Sengekontacket Pond. Currently, a majority of homes in Ocean Heights rely on septic tanks that contribute higher levels of nitrogen runoff than a connected sewer system. Even with new septic technology that promises to treat wastewater more effectively, a centralized treatment plant is the most efficient option, Mr. Catlow said.

All runoff from the facility would go into the town’s watershed, he added, and would be much cleaner than what is currently seeping out of the Island’s septic tanks.

While no decision has been made yet, the select board and financial advisory committee have until March 4, 35 days before the April 9 town meeting, to vote on financial warrant articles.

Regardless, the town could be looking down the barrel of significant expenditures. Oak Bluffs is currently readying itself for a $44 million overhaul of its wastewater treatment facility after approving $26 million for the project at town meeting last spring. Mr. Catlow said the town of Eastham on Cape Cod has spent roughly $16 million on septic repairs in recent years.

If passed, Edgartown would need to borrow the $3 million, giving the select board pause. The town is not part of the Cape and Islands Clean Water Trust Fund that offers grants for septic upgrades, but it does plan to move its short-term rental tax revenue to a capital stabilization fund for the purpose of projects like these, town administrator James Hagerty said.

As the tourist season nears, wastewater facility manager Bill Burke stressed that time was of the essence.

“The pipe is in bad condition,” he said. “If it were to break in the summer, it would be a mess.”

Updated May 3

Edgartown is making plans to keep itself above water.

During a public information session held by the Chappy steering committee on Thursday, April 27, consultants shared their findings of a study looking at climate change, its impacts on Chappy Ferry infrastructure, and possible next steps to protect parts of the harborfront.

Possible solutions include raising Chappy Ferry infrastructure nearly six feet in some areas.

Edgartown joined the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program in 2019, and received grant funding to assess climate change vulnerability on municipal infrastructure.

“We identified three areas that needed to be looked at,” Edgartown town administrator James Hagerty said. “One was Memorial Wharf, two is Chappy Ferry, and three was North Wharf.”

Chappy Ferry has already undergone a phase of improvements, and North Wharf improvements are underway. According to Hagerty, improvements to ferry infrastructure are expected to be the most expensive of the three.

Woods Hole Group senior environmental scientist Joseph Famely said a townwide climate vulnerability assessment was done by environmental services firm Woods Hole Group and engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill on Edgartown’s infrastructure and natural resources.

“We used the Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Assessment Model to do this,” he said. “Here in Massachusetts, we benefit from some really forward-thinking agencies that developed both sea level rise projections, as well as feeding those into an integrative, highly dynamic storm surge model.”

The impacts of sea level rise and storm surge were the biggest risks studied. A map shown by Famely displayed the projected average “higher high tide” encroaching around a couple of feet into Edgartown and Chappaquiddick coastal lands as soon as 2030, and nearly six feet by 2070. Nuisance flooding — also known as high tide flooding — is also expected to rise. Additionally, the flood risk to Chappy Ferry infrastructure and equipment is elevated.

Fuss & O’Neill senior transportation engineer Katherine Patch said the scope of the project included field surveys and investigations, development and evaluation of potential options, strategizing for permitting and compliance, and a 40 percent design drawings and construction cost estimate.

Consultants looked at changes to the Edgartown ferry landing area (Memorial Wharf and parts of Dock Street and Daggett Street), the Chappaquiddick ferry landing area (parking area and an adjacent portion of Chappaquiddick Road), the ferries and ferry landing hoists, the Chappy Ferry operations building, and Old Sculpin Gallery.

“This is going to be a menu of sorts, and each have their pros and cons,” Patch said. “But we are looking at resilience adaptations for each of these pieces of infrastructure.”

The consultants recommend raising four of the areas. The Edgartown ferry landing infrastructure would be raised to 3.4 feet on an interim basis during the first phase, and then to 5.8 feet in the second phase. The second phase would encompass a larger portion of the planned area. The Chappy ferry landing area could also be elevated. As for the Chappy Ferry operations building, the proposal is to raise the existing building or to construct a new one. The Old Sculpin Gallery would also be raised, with options to keep it at its current location, or to move it up to eight feet to the southwest or northwest.

Consultants recommend modifying or replacing landing hoists at the terminal, or replacing the hoists with double-ended ferries equipped with deployable ramps.

Patch said the long-term goal of the project is to maximize resilience to climate change, maximize adaptability, minimize vulnerability to climate change–induced damage, and minimize costs associated with the operation, maintenance, repair, and future replacement of parts. Although a work in progress, Patch expects the final version of the 40 percent plans, specifications, and cost estimates to be presented in September or October.

Segments of the meeting were reserved for questions and comments from the public. Eighty-four people attended the Zoom meeting at its peak.

When meeting attendee Lindsay Allison asked why the project focused on only a small part of the Edgartown waterfront, Patch said the mitigation methods that will be brought forward will be applicable to other areas.

Edgartown Master Plan steering committee member Rob Strayton pointed out Edgartown’s entire waterfront is vulnerable to sea level rise, and the town should look at addressing these areas as well.

“We should all be concerned about the rest of it as well,” he said. “All of Chappy Point is certainly vulnerable. I mean, just look at high tides now, with the breach. The water’s right up to that seawall, and washing over.”

Meeting attendee Julia Livingston suggested looking at electric vessels if new ferries are implemented as a part of the planning.

Hagerty also clarified how much of the improvements will be publicly and privately funded. He said that will be clearer once the Chappy Ferry’s new ownership is fully settled. Paul O’Donnell, who is with a nonprofit looking at possibly buying the Chappy Ferry, expressed interest in upcoming planning during the meeting.

Patch said more consulting will be done with the town, and the plans will “iron out” the construction phase details.

The Kelley House, a historic 1742 tavern on Martha's Vineyard, will begin a new chapter of its storied history as part of hospitality group Faraway. It's the second property in the growing portfolio from the Boston-based real estate firm Blue Flag Partners. Taking over Kelly Street in Edgartown, Massachusetts, in May 2023, The Faraway will offer guests an outdoor sushi restaurant, a new pool, a spa, 58 rooms, and lush gardens.

"As our first property on Martha's Vineyard, we truly understood the challenge of being the next stewards for the Kelley House, a historic and beloved property," said Jason Brown, one of the managing partners at Blue Flag Partners and co-creators of Faraway Hotels, told Travel + Leisure. "The campus's design is rooted in the historic backdrop of Edgartown, with midcentury styling, while remaining true to the laid-back island vibe and beautiful botanicals that Martha's Vineyard is known for."

Brown and Guidi drew inspiration from the 1970s art and music culture on the island as well as from a fictional muse that the duo and the team came up with in order to synchronize the aesthetic of the multi-era buildings that will make up The Faraway hotel.

"We dreamed up a woman who grew up on the island in the 1960s, tending to her gardens all the while learning the healing powers plants possess. She documents the potent, powerful sense of calm, tangled root systems, and healing power of plants throughout the property. Every drawer, wall, cup, and corner is filled with artist experimentation," Guidi explained.

They scoured antique markets for authentic midcentury furniture and décor and commissioned artists to create custom botany-inspired artworks to display in the lobby. The reception area is anchored by a sleek sitting area with statement leather sofas and a fireplace, while floral arrangements spill from the lobby's bookshelves. Additionally, each room will feature a record player referencing the island's musical heritage.

Long-time guests of Kelley House will be happy to return to their beloved Newes From America pub, which will serve locally sourced food and drinks. The pool and spa are now in the middle of the property, surrounded by lush greenery that gives travelers more privacy. The Pelican Club, which started as a pop-up in 2021, will return to Faraway as a sushi restaurant and cocktail bar. The new property will also have an extensive experiences program that, according to Brown, will include sunset boat rides, barefoot golf, deep sea and shore fishing excursions, and stargazing by Edgartown's lighthouse.

"Ultimately, we want to create a new place on the Vineyard to inspire people well past checkout. After all, the best boutique hotels in the world grasp and give shape to the community in which they are built. We aspire to do just that," Brown added.

Nightly rates at Faraway Martha's Vineyard will start at $695, and the property will be open year-round.