After more than an hour of debating whether the character of Menemsha would be forever changed, voters approved a harbor improvement plan for the fishing village at a special town meeting Monday night.

The vote was 40 to 25. A total of 77 voters turned out to the special session at the Chilmark Community Center.

The final vote came after heavy discussion between opponents of the project who argued keeping the character of Menemsha relied heavily on its wooden aesthetic and proponents who said safety and durability were top priorities.

The plan calls for a new yacht dock, otherwise known as the transient dock, with a fixed wooden pier for the first 60 feet and floating concrete docks surfaced with wood planking for the remaining 180 feet. New handicap access ramps will be built to accommodate wheelchair accessibility. A new 40-foot fixed wooden fuel dock was also approved as part of the plans.

Selectman Bill Rossi said the project was in keeping with the town’s master plan, which calls for keeping the fishing village a working fishing port and maintaining the visual character.

“We’re not adding any new recreational vessels to the slips; the number will stay the same and the number of commercial vessels has not been changed,” he said. “As far as maintaining the visual character of Menemsha, it’s not an appreciable difference, especially with the wood decking, which is significantly better ascetically than concrete [from] my personal perspective.”

Harbor master Dennis Jason, a supporter of the project, said the concrete floating dock system met functionality, durability and safety. He said the dock sees between 12 and 15 injuries a summer because of the rise and fall of the tide, which can fluctuate at least 2 and a half feet.

“We’ve had some serious injuries — a broken collarbone, separated shoulder,” he said. “As people get older and kids, too, have to climb in and out of boats . . . it’s a no-brainer.”

But Marshall Carroll, owner of Menemsha Texaco, took another view and argued for replacing the current docks with what they have now by keeping it all wooden. He said voting in favor of the plan would be electing “to modernize it and have an any-town USA feel.”

Mary Murphy Boyd agreed. “We’re going to make a change we don’t fully understand the ramifications of,” she said.

No new money was raised for the project, which will be funded by a $629,000 grant from the Massachusetts Seaport Advisory Council. The grant was awarded this spring for repairs stemming from the July 2010 Menemsha boathouse fire. The grant money was required to go toward new projects.

Voters also approved spending $75,000 for the Chilmark housing year-round rental conversation program, which assists residents in year-round rental support. The vote was unanimous.