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Nantucket residents voted against a proposal to limit short-term rentals
A new proposal is in the works for a special town meeting this fall.
Nantucket residents voted down a proposal to limit short-term rentals on the island over the weekend.
At Nantucket’s annual town meeting on Saturday, residents voted 558-378 against Article 60, which would have amended the zoning bylaw to prohibit short-term rentals in residential zones of Nantucket, except if lived in by the owner for six months of the year or, in the case of commercial properties, used more for long-term residential use than for short-term rental use. The proposal needed a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
On an island facing a housing crisis and where 80 to 85% of the lodging nights are provided by short-term rentals, residents have been divided over the article for months. Supporters said the article would protect homeowners and neighborhoods and keep commercial interests in check, while opponents said it would wreak havoc on the island’s economy and force islanders to sell family homes.
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The article was sponsored by Emily Kilvert, a lifelong Nantucket resident who at the meeting called the article a “reasonable, common-sense zoning amendment.”
“We cannot afford to wait any longer,” Kilvert said before the vote. “And we don’t need more data or consultants to tell us that the explosion of full-time commercial STRs across the island is eroding the year-round housing that is left and threatening our neighborhoods and local community.”
Town leaders recommended that voters take no action on Article 60 and wait for the results of a short-term rental workgroup formed to study the situation and make a recommendation during a special town meeting in November.
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“This is a complicated and controversial issue that probably cannot be solved in one fell swoop,” said Jim Sulzer, a year-round resident and member of the short-term rental workgroup, before the vote. “That approach is likely to cause too much collateral damage and probably more harm than good. “
The group is taking “a different, more targeted approach,” according to Sulzer. The group, which has consulted with experts and vacation communities, aims to limit the negative impact of STRs on neighborhoods, avoid discrimination against seasonal residents, prevent a negative impact on the economy, and more.
The short-term rental workgroup will hold a public meeting on June 1 for community feedback about its findings before submitting its recommendation by the July deadline for the November special meeting, Sulzer said.
The island has been grappling with short-term rental issues for years. Nantucket residents voted against previous short-term rental restrictions in 2022 and in 2021.
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