Edgartown: The new Woodstock?

To the Editor:

The recent decision by the Edgartown planning board to authorize outdoor amplified music at the Winnetu Resort raises serious questions about zoning integrity, environmental stewardship, and the responsibilities of public officials entrusted with safeguarding the town’s residential character.

The Winnetu is a family-owned commercial enterprise operating within a residentially zoned

neighborhood under a special permit. Similar requests for outdoor amplified music were denied — twice — by prior planning boards. This third request was met with substantial public opposition: More than 45 letters were submitted against the proposal, representing over 200 residents, including the Katama Association, the Navy Way Association, and every abutter to the Winnetu property.

Those letters were not emotional appeals; they were substantive and well-documented. They cited specific zoning bylaws that the approval appears to violate. They included peer-reviewed studies and scientific papers detailing the harmful effects of noise pollution on both human health and the fragile environment, including critically endangered species that inhabit the surrounding area. Actual decibel measurements were submitted, indicating that nearby homeowners would experience noise levels comparable to a jet flying overhead every 30 seconds.

Equally troubling are the predictable secondary impacts. Increased traffic congestion and parking shortages are inevitable, and clearly inconsistent with the health, safety, and welfare standards that zoning laws are designed to protect. The approval also undermines the residential nature of the neighborhood — the very character the planning board is charged with preserving — and sets a precedent that invites other commercial enterprises in similarly zoned areas to seek comparable exemptions.

This decision was not about the financial survival of a business. It was about expanding entertainment offerings at the expense of residents, environmental protections, and longstanding zoning principles.

As a voter, I will be paying close attention going forward. I intend to reserve my future vote for

individuals who prioritize their official responsibilities over personal relationships, who uphold zoning laws as written, and who recuse themselves when making decisions involving individuals or businesses with whom they are, or have been, financially connected.

Edgartown should not become “the new Woodstock” through incremental decisions that ignore precedent, public input, and the rule of law.

Angelo Guadagno
Edgartown