Vineyard Wind’s plans to build an observation tower next to the Tisbury Marine Terminal on Beach Road have been swapped out in favor of helping to fund a new public park and beach area. 

Representatives of the offshore wind energy company and the town of Tisbury went before the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s land use planning committee Monday to discuss the switch from view tower to potential park, which would be built on town land across the road along the edge of Lagoon Pond. 

“We own from Wind’s Up all the way to the state public [boat] landing,” Tisbury town administrator Jay Grande said at Monday’s meeting. 

“That area does provide, if improved, tremendous opportunity for public access that would be more meaningful and readily available to not just Tisbury residents, but the public at large,” Mr. Grande said. 

Vineyard Wind’s previously planned harbor viewing tower, located on town property between the terminal and the state seawall, was originally intended to make up for the loss of public access to the harbor where the company is building a terminal for boats servicing its offshore turbines. 

The company is required by the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act to provide mitigation for building on a waterfront site, said Jack Arruda, Vineyard Wind’s technical development manager.

But officials came to see the observation tower plan as flawed, he said. 

“This viewing platform may not be the best use of funding or access for the public, since you did have to cross Beach Road in a relatively busy area … where there would be very limited parking,” Mr. Arruda said.

The new park took inspiration from Oak Bluffs’ redevelopment on its side of the Lagoon Pond drawbridge, according to Mr. Grande. 

“It’s a good example of a public improvement that’s been quite successful,” Mr. Grande said.

Lagoon Pond Park, as it’s being called, is already in the early design stages and there are multiple conceptual drawings.

Final plans and a budget have yet to be developed, but Mr. Grande said the project is guaranteed to cost more than $400,000 – the sum Vineyard Wind has offered up as a donation for the idea. 

“I think we’ll be quite successful in getting other funds, though,” Mr. Grande said. “Obviously the [community preservation committee] funding would be a logical funding source for parks and recreation.”

Martha’s Vineyard Commission member Clarence Barnes, who also sits on the Tisbury community preservation committee, backed Mr. Grande’s optimism.

“This project would be well received by [the committee],” Mr. Barnes said.

The land use planning committee unanimously voted to recommend the change to the full Martha’s Vineyard Commission, which is expected to take it up on April 4.