Each year the Nantucket Land & Water Council reviews the articles in the Annual Town Meeting Warrant and participates in local government meetings and hearings to discuss them. The NLC carefully reviews and considers those articles that could affect the island’s unique and valuable natural resources and quality of life. We are pleased to provide this year’s voter recommendation sheet based on our review. It is longer than usual as many of the 2020 ATM articles were postponed for reconsideration this year.
As usual we have commented on a number of zoning articles that impact land use and development, including Article 62 which strengthens protection of the marine environment from proposed reconfiguration of existing docks and piers. The Land Council also remains strongly opposed to Article 97 proposing to divert 25% of Nantucket Land Bank funding to support year-round housing.
The NLC has spent considerable time discussing Article 90 and the short-term rental industry in the context of current development trends and impacts. As a component of the current rate and intensity of development on island which creates greater pressure on our fragile natural resources and impacts on the environment, island infrastructure, and quality of life, the NLC supports the regulation of investor owned short-term rentals and with recent amendments which reduces the hardship on island residents, supports Article 90. Please read our recommendations and associated comments for further details. Click for the 2021 NLC Annual Town Meeting Voter Recommendations.
We hope to see you all at Town Meeting on June 5th. Vote for the Environment!
Annual Town Meeting
The Town of Nantucket is holding its Annual Town Meeting on Saturday, June 5, 2021 beginning at 9am in the Backus playing fields behind the Nantucket High School located at 10 Surfside Road. Each year a number of articles are submitted, often including those related to zoning, appropriation for road improvements, bike path extensions, groundcover ratio bylaw change, and the leasing of town-owned land, among others.
Click here to read the 2021 Annual Town Meeting Warrant.
For every Town Meeting the NLC reviews the warrant and provides recommendations based on articles that would have a negative or positive effect on the environment and natural resources of the island. Click for the 2021 NLC Annual Town Meeting Voter Recommendations.