Cape & Islands News

By JAMES KINSELLA, The Vineyard Gazette

Nearly two decades ago, the late Ernest J. Boch Sr. paid $600,000 for what he called "a nice little spot" on Vineyard Haven harbor.

Today, despite the property's current scruffy appearance, members of the Tisbury planning board could not agree more.

Board members recently unveiled a master plan for the waterfront and downtown area that identified the parcel, known as Boch Park, as a crucial element.

Tisbury officials hope to resolve the long-running conflicts between the town and the Boch family that have stymied productive use of the parcel, which covers just under an acre off Beach Road. As of January 2005, the town assessed the value of the parcel at a little over $2 million.

Raymond LaPorte, chairman of the Tisbury selectmen, confirmed that the board has held executive session discussions with representatives of the Boch family. Selectman Tristan Israel said Ernest Boch Jr., the son of the late Mr. Boch and the head of the family's extensive business holdings, has participated in the talks.

But Mr. LaPorte said the discussions have a long way to go before the selectmen can bring anything concrete to the town. No warrant article is planned for this spring's annual town meeting, he said.

"We've had conversations," Mr. LaPorte said. "I wouldn't call them negotiations. They've shown an interest in it being more than its dormant state."

Mr. Boch could not be reached for comment...The Boch parcel became a bone of contention between the town and the late Mr. Boch soon after he bought the land in 1987...Over the coming years, he proposed a number of other uses, including an inflatable boat sales center, a storage facility, and a rental car business.

But the recurring proposal was to use the property for a parking lot, a plan that plunged the town and the late Mr. Boch into a lengthy, complicated legal tussle.

The battle started in 1993, when the Tisbury planning board denied the late Mr. Boch a special permit to operate a valet parking lot at the parcel. The late Mr. Boch appealed the issue to land court, leading to several reversals for the planning board.

The businessman then took a different tack, receiving permission from the town to demolish three of the four buildings on the site and renovate the remaining building into an office.

In May 1999, the late Mr. Boch opened a 99-space commercial parking lot at the property. The Tisbury building inspector, Kenneth Barwick, issued a cease-and-desist order...In December 2004, the Boch interests sold the marina property for $2.45 million to Tisbury Marina LLC, which is controlled by the owner of Falmouth Marine and the Pied Piper ferry shuttle service. The late Mr. Boch had bought the property at foreclosure auction in 1997 for $875,000...

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