The "Compromise" Short-Term Rental Article Is Not A Compromise

To the editor: Reading Jim Sulzer’s letter about the misnamed “Select Board compromise” article on STRs, one would think that Jim favored an accessory use article that codifies STRs in the Nantucket tradition. After all, he uses phrases like:

- unabated housing crisis,

- discourage investor-only STRs,

- protect the peace and integrity of neighborhoods, and

- protecting the tradition of Nantucket rentals.

But no, Jim is using the opposition’s language to urge voters to support the Select Board article which:

- allows families to have multiple STRs just like the Copley group,

- has no minimum stays,

- imposes a limit of 8 turnovers in July and August, which is no limit at all because that is the market,

- allows owners of multiple STR lots 8 years to figure out how to transfer the STRs to family or partners,

- allows new STRs [ do we really need more?] which are limited to 3 turnovers in July and August which is easy to meet, and

- totally exempts Cottage Colonies, but these aren’t the Wade cottages that pre-date zoning. These are STR compounds recently built which will allow 4 STRs on the same lot, and they don’t pre-exist anything but the date of the proposed bylaw.

Bottom line: Article 1 is worse than Article 59 which the voters rejected in May. It is brought to you by the same people who have tried to make commercial STRs legal for the last several years. This article would destroy residential zoning. It would make the housing crisis worse; ruin more neighborhoods; and, encourage investors--the exact opposite of what Jim says it would do. I do agree with Jim that the legal language of the proposed bylaw is confusing, but I submit that it is purposely confusing in the hope that voters are confused, tired or just plain stupid. It won’t work. Voters want the protection of residential zoning.

Article 2 protects both the right of homeowners to rent and residential zoning. It should receive the votes of those who want to save our community.

Peter McCausland