It's Time To Take A Deep Breath On Short-Term Rentals

To the editor: The Town is overwhelmed by the number and complexity of issues confronting us: Vineyard Wind, PFAS, water scarcity and purity, looming sewer problems, coastal resiliency, climate change, and major infrastructure emergencies. Yet, a single short-term rental operator is threatening to call a special town meeting this fall to try to ram through zoning bylaw changes to serve the personal financial interests of a comparatively small percentage of the island’s property owners. Should we siphon off the Town’s cash and personnel resources, already seriously stretched, to schedule yet another STM, the sole aim of which is to protect these interests?

The answer is clearly no.

As one of NNF’s supporters, a year-rounder who does the “Nantucket shuffle” to rent their primary residence in the summer, wrote us two days ago: “I had a strong takeaway from the Select Board meeting Wednesday, July 23, and that was: it’s time for all of us to make a sacrifice for the island.” So, let’s all take a deep breath on the STR issue and try, once again, to work on a true compromise article for our next Annual Town Meeting that is sensible and one that the community will understand, embrace, and pass. That’s a far better use of Town resources and our tax dollars than wasting them on a forced vote that is doomed to fail.

Let’s try that instead.

Charity Benz for Nantucket Neighborhoods First (NNF)