Nantucket residents voted in opposition to a proposal to restrict short-term leases

New England Journey

A brand new proposal is within the works for a particular city assembly this fall.

Nantucket residents voted down a proposal to restrict short-term leases on the island over the weekend.

At Nantucket’s annual city assembly on Saturday, residents voted 558-378 in opposition to Article 60, which might have amended the zoning bylaw to ban short-term leases in residential zones of Nantucket, besides if lived in by the proprietor for six months of the yr or, within the case of business properties, used extra for long-term residential use than for short-term rental use. The proposal wanted a two-thirds majority vote to cross.

On an island dealing with a housing disaster and the place 80 to 85% of the lodging nights are offered by short-term leases, residents have been divided over the article for months. Supporters stated the article would defend owners and neighborhoods and preserve industrial pursuits in examine, whereas opponents stated it could wreak havoc on the island’s financial system and power islanders to promote household properties.

The article was sponsored by Emily Kilvert, a lifelong Nantucket resident who on the assembly known as the article a “affordable, commonsense zoning modification.”

“We can’t afford to attend any longer,” Kilvert stated earlier than the vote. “And we don’t want extra knowledge or consultants to inform us that the explosion of full-time industrial STRs throughout the island is eroding the year-round housing that’s left and threatening our neighborhoods and local people.”

City leaders advisable that voters take no motion on Article 60 and watch for the outcomes of a short-term rental workgroup shaped to check the scenario and make a advice throughout a particular city assembly in November.

“It is a difficult and controversial challenge that in all probability can’t be solved in a single fell swoop,” stated Jim Sulzer, a year-round resident and member of the short-term rental workgroup, earlier than the vote. “That strategy is prone to trigger an excessive amount of collateral injury and doubtless extra hurt than good. “

The group is taking “a unique, extra focused strategy,” in line with Sulzer. The group, which has consulted with specialists and trip communities, goals to restrict the damaging influence of STRs on neighborhoods, keep away from discrimination in opposition to seasonal residents, stop a damaging influence on the financial system, and extra.

The short-term rental workgroup will maintain a public assembly on June 1 for group suggestions about its findings earlier than submitting its advice by the July deadline for the November particular assembly, Sulzer stated.

The island has been grappling with short-term rental points for years. Nantucket residents voted in opposition to earlier short-term rental restrictions in 2022 and in 2021.