Nantucket Town Government Roundup, September 20 - October 1

This edition of the Current’s local government roundup includes new information on rental car medallions and the Sconset Beach Preservation Fund’s dealings with the Nantucket Conservation Commission.

• Is the town considering buying or leasing the Valero property at 64 Old South Road? Developer Alan Worden recently struck a deal with the Valero family for a long-term lease of the land, which he intended to develop into the private membership Hensdale Club. But Friday morning, the Select Board met in executive session “to consider the purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property regarding 64 Old South Road.” The most straightforward explanation may be that the meeting is pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 61. The Old South Road property currently receives a tax break as agricultural land under Chapter 61. That law specifies that if land receiving the tax break is sold or if the use of the land is changed, the town has a right of first refusal to buy the property, so the Select Board may be meeting to decide whether to waive that right. If it opts not to do so, Worden has a workaround. If the Valero family does not apply for a Chapter 61 designation this year, the property will lose its tax status next July, and a year after that, the town will lose its right of first refusal. The club could then open without any issues pertaining to Chapter 61. Worden did not return a request for comment from the Current.
• The Sconset Beach Preservation Fund is currently fighting two high-profile battles over its controversial geotube installation along the Sconset Bluff, one over expanding the erosion control project and the other over repairing a damaged portion of the installation that already exists. But they found themselves in a third battle last week, clashing with the local Conservation Commission, which permits their projects, over whether they should be allowed to replace a section of a less controversial coir fabric array that was washed away in a storm. The Conservation Commission is willing to allow the replacement, but believes that the work would require Town Meeting approval, as it would amount to a new installation using town-owned land. The Sconset Beach Preservation Fund does not believe Town Meeting approval is needed, characterizing the work as repairs. Town Counsel is expected to weigh in soon.
• Two rental car companies provisionally awarded eight medallions for rental cars in August returned to the Select Board for final approval. They received that approval, though Select Board members Matt Fee and Bob DeCosta raised the usual concerns about traffic and the legitimacy of the car-sharing platform Turo that dogged the process to award the medallions for over a year.
• The African Meeting House procurement work group, formed to select a private firm to investigate the town’s response to the African Meeting House hate crime, has been officially dissolved by the Select Board. The work group recommended a firm some time ago, and the firm finished its report in July, but some members of the group—most notably Clifford Williams—have continued to agitate for more meetings of the work group, including one with the investigator. The Select Board vote to dissolve the group prevents that.
• The Select Board approved utility work at the so-called "New Downtown" development on Sparks Avenue, despite some confusion over the plans, though the developer will need to coordinate with various town departments before that work can begin.

And here are the local government stories we covered in full over the last two weeks:

• The Select Board has cut over $600 million from the town’s ten-year capital improvement plan. More cuts may be coming. But are Select Board members correct that voters won’t support more spending?
  
• Select Board members lambasted the non-profit senior living community Sherburne Commons for demanding an additional $200,000 in mitigation payments to facilitate the construction of a new Our Island Home skilled nursing facility.
  
• The Community Preservation Committee is feuding with the town over efforts to hire a new staffer for the committee.
• The Select Board endorsed a plan to establish coastal resilience districts on Nantucket on a split vote.
• The town is moving closer to installing a new field at its Nobadeer Farm Road athletic complex, but after all bids came in over budget, Department of Public Works director Drew Patnode said that some elements of the project may need to be cut.
• The town is considering some fairly major changes to its beachside concessions, but it does not appear that any of those changes will become reality soon after the Select Board deferred most of the more substantive decisions.