The Zoning Board Of Appeals Has Failed At Its Job To The Detriment Of The Community
Peter McCausland •
(Editor's note: this letter was originally sent to the Zoning Board of Appeals in reference to comments made by member Elisa Allen at a recent meeting)
To the editor: Dear Ms. Allen, the way you attacked Lisa Botticelli at the ZBA hearing on July 11 was shameful. How can you criticize a person for serving on the board of an organization trying to help islanders find housing? Did you know that 40 percent of the first 22 Lease to Locals placements were conversions from short-term rentals? Did you know that Lisa went to bat for the program on multiple occasions and helped get the go-forward funding? Lisa serves as a community volunteer and receives no direct or indirect financial benefit.
Your website says “THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HER ABILITY TO ADVISE HER CLIENTS AND ASSIST IN CREATING …..A VALUABLE, TASTEFUL & DESIRABLE INVESTMENT PROPERTY TO RENT OR SELL”. Why didn’t you disclose your involvement in the real estate business, including short-term rental properties, on your ZBA application or during the hearing? Why didn’t the other board members who are real estate lawyers and brokers disclose their conflicts? Those are the real conflicts of interest!
You represent an element in the community which is trying to extract as much money as you can regardless of the impacts on attainable housing, infrastructure, the environment and the quality of life. You don’t take into consideration the plight of police officers, nurses, teachers and others essential to our community who can’t afford to live here. You don’t take into consideration the fact that many people can no longer enjoy their homes or neighborhoods because of mini-hotels nearby.
As far as your attack on ACK Now is concerned, you have missed the boat. Despite baseless attacks by you and Linda Williams and the people on social media, voters know that all we ever wanted was to help the community.
You and the other board members presented the weakest of arguments in support of your desire to promote investor-owned STRs. You ignored the plain meaning of words in the English language and the opinion of Judge Vhay which cited cases explaining the meaning of accessory use. Your stated position mocks Judge Vhay, a respected Land Court Judge, and will result in another reversal and rebuke just like the one you got in March.
And this isn’t just about the Land Court. Most of the board members are also ignoring the fact that voters have rejected your stated position on four occasions in the last four years. The voters know that things have turned for the worse on Nantucket. They know people who struggle to find a place to live. They see the impacts from STR intensity of use. They can’t drive across the island. They see the trash, hear the noise, wait in the lines and watch as their neighborhoods become hotel districts. Why aren’t these things important to you?
The purpose of the Zoning Board of Appeals is to enforce Nantucket’s zoning bylaw. It is not to make new laws. You have repeatedly failed at your job to the detriment of the community.
Peter McCausland
Founder, ACK Now