Island Properties, Inc. v. Martha's Vineyard Commission

The plaintiff’s predecessors, holding title to land located within the boundaries of the town of Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, obtained approval from the local planning board for definitive subdivision plans which were consistent with the town’s zoning by-law. Shortly thereafter the Legislature passed and the Governor approved St. 1974, c. 637, “An Act protecting land and water on Martha’s Vineyard.” The question posed by this case is whether various regulatory controls adopted pursuant to the statute by the defendant Martha’s Vineyard Commission, some of them more…