Ensuring The Peace And Quiet Of Nantucket

To the editor: As Nantucket continues to grow, construction and landscaping noise has become one of the frequent concerns voiced from residents - both year-round and seasonal. Over the past three years, the Nantucket Police Department has received a steady, and increasing, number of noise complaints from every part of the island – not counting the many more incidents that go unreported.

Over the past two years, the Nantucket Civic League has sponsored an initiative to update and simplify the Town’s noise bylaw for construction and landscaping equipment. The current rules are confusing and inconsistent - different times apply depending on where you live, what kind of work is happening, and even the time of year. Depending on these factors, noise curfews can start as early as 5 p.m. or as late as 10 p.m., with morning start times varying from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. (or 10 a.m. on Sundays). As a result, even our Police Department has said the bylaw is difficult to interpret and enforce.

After many months of discussion with town officials, police, and representatives from construction and landscaping companies, a clear and practical proposal has emerged – one that has gained broad support. The goal is simple: to make the rules easy to understand, fair to residents, as well as construction and landscaping service providers, and enforceable.

The proposal would establish uniform, consistent noise curfews across the entire island:

• Quiet hours would begin at 6 p.m., year-round.
• During Daylight Saving Time, construction and landscaping noise could begin at 8 a.m. (noon on Sundays and holidays).
• During Standard Time, given the shorter daylight hours available for outdoor work, construction and landscaping noise could begin at 7 a.m. (noon on Sundays and holidays).

An alternative version would prohibit all construction and landscaping noise on Sundays and federal holidays, like rules already in place in such places as Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Chatham, and Stockbridge.

This initiative has been positively received by the Police Department, town administration, and members of the Select Board. We believe these updates will help preserve Nantucket’s peace and livability—while still being fair to the professionals who help create and maintain our island’s beauty.

The Select Board will review both versions of the proposal at its November 5 meeting and decide whether to include a proposed bylaw amendment as a warrant article for a vote at the 2026 Annual Town Meeting.

We encourage all residents who care about preserving Nantucket’s quality of life to participate:

• Attend the November 5 meeting in person or via Zoom
• Share your comments with the Select Board in advance by sending them to Town Manager at townmanager@nantucket-ma.gov

A summary of the proposal can be found here.

Together, we can take a meaningful step toward keeping Nantucket the peaceful, special place we all love.

Charles Stott and F. Scott Wilson
Co-Presidents, Nantucket Civic League - Representing 23 neighborhood associations.