Airport Commission Purchases Kittiwake Lane Property For $2.2 Million

The Nantucket Airport commission completed the purchase of a Kittiwake Lane property for just over $2.2 million this week, which will be used to house the island's new airport manager, Warren Smith, and as employee housing in the future if/when Smith is able to obtain his own housing.

The 16 Kittiwake Lane property, located in the Naushop neighborhood, was sold to the airport for $2,295,000. The seller was the Dennis L. Winger and Barbara L. Waldman Revocable Trust, according to property records, while the buyer was listed as the Town of Nantucket, acting by and through the Nantucket Memorial Airport Commission. The property is .14 acres, and includes an existing four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom dwelling. It had been listed by Maury People Sotheby's International Realty for $2,295,000, so it was sold at the asking price. 

During an April Airport Commission meeting, commission chair Art Gasbarro confirmed that the property acquisition was made to provide housing for new airport manager Warren Smith, who began the job in March, and his family. As the home is now airport property, it can be utilized as employee housing in the future if and when Smith can obtain his own housing, Gasbarro said.

The purchase came after the commission was unable to construct two dwelling units at a Nobadeer Farm Road property owned by the airport due to high construction costs. They did not obtain support from the Capital Program Committee or the Finance Committee for the project, which led them to pursue an existing dwelling on the market.

“It was suggested on more than one occasion through that process that the airport should purchase a currently-constructed home,” Gasbarro said. “Part of the problem or challenge is the cost of construction, especially under municipal requirements, as we are finding with the dorm. By the time you have paid prevailing wages, all those associated costs, and the big one at the current moment is a factor of timing. We have spent months and months now trying to secure a rental, and it has proved impossible, frankly, in the current market. This is where the commission is at. Just because we buy this one, I don’t believe the airport should stop from what I consider to be some form of a housing production plan and continue to pursue construction of some additional units.”

Gasbarro said this purchase will have no impact on island taxpayers and was acquired with funds saved by the airport through its enterprise fund. 

This purchase follows the town's signing of a purchase and sale agreement in early April to acquire a $1.9 million single-family home in Naushop that will be used to house municipal department heads. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home was sold to the town by Noah and Jennifer Karberg. Noah Karberg was previously the airport manager before resigning last year, which prompted the airport commission to conduct a manager search that led to the hiring of Smith.