Town Government Roundup, November 14-27

This government roundup includes new information on e-bike ridership at the Nantucket Public Schools and the end of a dispute over the future of the Summer House.

• Two Historic District Commission decisions are being appealed to the Select Board. One relates to a deer grate, and the other is an appeal of the HDC’s decision to condition a front-facing solar array at 65 Polpis Road on substantial site modifications.
• As available year-round rentals continue to decline, the Affordable Housing Trust is considering a pair of programs intended to provide financial incentives to encourage landlords to preserve those that remain.
• Facing significant community pushback, the School Committee is considering revising its plans to renovate the schools’ athletic complexes. Superintendent Elizabeth Hallett also told the School Committee that there has been a “dramatic decline” in the number of students riding e-bikes in recent weeks as the Nantucket Police Department ramps up enforcement of violations.
• Citizen warrant articles for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting include a proposal for an offshore wind farm stabilization fund and an amendment requiring a two-thirds vote of the Historic District Commission to demolish any building on Nantucket that is over 50 years old.
• The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority is launching a new on-demand bus service.
• The Department of Public Works will not remove an iconic directional sign at 14 Main Street, after initially indicating that removal was one of three options under consideration.
• After over a year of debate, the future of the Summer House’s beachside dining looks to be on firm ground after the Conservation Commission approved the hotel’s unique dune dining option with a series of conditions. The conditions limit the Summer House to eight tables and 48 chairs on the dune. They also require the Summer House to educate guests about the importance of the coastal dune and to ensure that no eel grass in the area is lost. While dining on a coastal dune would usually be prohibited under wetland protection regulations, the Summer House has been using the dune for dining since before those regulations were enacted, making it a pre-existing non-conforming use. Despite suggesting significant pushback at previous meetings, the Conservation Commission voted 4-1 to approve the continued operation of the restaurant’s beachside dining offering, with only Mike Misurelli opposed.
• The African Meeting House Procurement Work Group met on Monday in response to progress and transparency concerns raised by advocates in recent months.