After months of discussion and differing viewpoints with county staff, the owners of the Islander Restaurant on Gwynn’s Island got the green light Tuesday to move forward with their plans for renovations there. 

Despite a plea from the county administrator and a board member to be cautious, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 during its meeting Tuesday afternoon in the historic courthouse to direct Jamie Wilks, the county’s building official, to issue all of the necessary building permits for the process to move forward.

“We’re fools not to give them a building permit,” said G.C. Morrow, vice chairman of the board, who made the motion to direct the permits to be issued. “It’s an unfair process we’re putting them through.”

Morrow’s motion stated, “To avoid potential litigation and promote the economic welfare of Mathews County, I move that based on the 2012 International Existing Building Code, which...