The Martha’s Vineyard Commission this week continued its review of a complex proposal to build a an automotive garage and parking area on just over a half acre in Vineyard Haven.

The project on High Point Lane will require regrading a hillside that drops about 30 feet from east to west, and removing almost all of the trees there, including some on an abutting town property. While showing general support for the project, commissioners have raised concerns about the loss of foliage and the intensity of use on the site.

The applicant is Joe DeBettencourt of Oak Bluffs. The 5,166-square foot project is under review as a development of regional impact (DRI) since it involves a commercial building larger than 3,000 square feet.

A revised site plan seen by the commission Thursday reduced the number of parking spots from 22 to 19 by making some of them wider, and added a narrow strip of green space near the back of the lot. But that did little to satisfy some of the commissioners.

DRI coordinator Paul Foley suggested that reducing the number of parking spots had been an attempt to avoid zoning regulations that would require a five-foot vegetative buffer and a tree every eight spots. He pointed out that MVC policies already require a tree every eight spots.

But Mr. DeBettencourt argued that the wider spots would also accommodate larger vehicles, which make up a significant portion of his current business in Oak Bluffs. He said it would be difficult to add more green space, since trucks would need a 60-foot turning radius to get into the garage. The 10 regular-sized spots would be closer to the road.

Echoing the first public hearing in October, commissioner Kathy Newman said she supported the project in general but also pressed for additional green space, possibly by removing some of the parking spots.

Mr. DeBettencourt said any new plantings would need to be closer to the edge of the property to allow vehicles to maneuver, but that would mean pushing the parking spots closer to the building.

“I do want to put back some trees,” he said, “but I don’t know where I would actually put them.”

Other commissioners seemed less concerned about vegetation, since the property already lies within a commercial district with industrial uses. Commissioner Lenny Jason Jr. noted the water tower, trailers and parking lot in the immediate area.

“I respect the idea of foliage,” said commissioner Ernie Thomas. “But this is a commercial zoned area. I don’t think we can expect to see a lot of trees there.”

The project would also include retaining walls — ranging from four to 12 feet high — on all four sides of the property. Mr. DeBettencourt hopes to obtain an easement to lower the edge of the town-owned property to the east, which would reduce the height of the retaining wall on that side. The Tisbury selectmen have endorsed the project, subject to approval by town boards and the MVC.

Dan Seidman, chairman of the Tisbury planning board, had concerns about the loss of permeability on the site, but was eager to approve a landscaping plan that would improve the town-owned property, including a five-foot buffer along the road. He agreed to draft a letter to the commission outlining his concerns.

Commissioner Joan Malkin agreed with her colleagues that the property was not very attractive. “But that doesn’t mean we need to continue on that trajectory,” she said. She suggested that a zoning variance might allow for a smaller setback and more vegetation between the retaining wall and the abutting property to the west.

“It is not the most beautiful district,” she added. “But that road is travelled by so many people. And it would be nice . . . if we could keep it looking presentable and as lush as possible.”

The commission voted unanimously to send the project on to its land use planning committee, the next step in the review process. MVC staff members will work with Mr. DeBettencourt to develop a list of possible conditions, with a final decision expected Dec. 3.

In other business, the commission voted unanimously not to require a modification review for an affordable housing project at 6 Water street in Vineyard Haven, which it approved last year. To allow for handicapped access, the new building will be 18 inches wider; and to comply with fire code, it will use cement-board siding instead of cedar shingles. The building will also not be built on pilings, as originally planned, but will have its own drainage system. The developer, Island Housing Trust, intends to plant seven new trees along Water and Beach streets and to retain an existing elm.