Vote YES on 67 & 68
Articles 67 & 68 are short-term rental articles that are sponsored by island residents and are modeled on a previous article that a majority of voters supported.
Is this just Article 2?
Articles 67 & 68 are short-term rental articles that are sponsored by island residents and are modeled on a previous article that a majority of voters supported. That is, Article 2 at last year’s Special Town Meeting received 55% of the vote. Unfortunately, because it was a zoning article, it needed a 2/3 vote to pass.
Article 2 was popular because it was based on a few reasonable provisions. It allowed homeowners to rent their property as much as they wanted, provided it was for fewer days than they occupied their house. It also required them to occupy their house for 30 non-consecutive days a year. This meant that homeowners could rent up to six months a year.
However, Articles 67 & 68 are even more liberal than Article 2 because a residential use could include use by family and friends. As a result, we think these articles have an even better chance of passing. While very similar, Article 67 is a zoning bylaw amendment and Article 68 is a general bylaw amendment. Therefore, the zoning amendment would offer more protection to island residents because it would be more difficult for commercial interests to overturn.
Benefits
Article 67 & 68 would do all of the following:
Discourage investor-only short-term rentals
Protect the quality of life in Nantucket neighborhoods.
Require a minimum stay of 7 days in July and August and a minimum stay of 3 days the rest of the year.
Create more housing opportunities for local residents. Specifically, it would increase our housing inventory and make housing more affordable because local residents wouldn’t have to compete in bidding wars with real estate investors.
Reduce the cost to taxpayers to provide affordable housing and reduce the impacts on our environment.
Benefit the local economy since most of the short-term rental revenue currently leaves the island.
Benefits
Article 67 & 68 would do all of the following:
- Protect the right of homeowners to short-term rent their homes in the Nantucket tradition.
- Discourage investor-only short-term rentals
- Protect the quality of life in Nantucket neighborhoods.
- Require a minimum stay of 7 days in July and August and a minimum stay of 3 days the rest of the year.
- Create more housing opportunities for local residents. Specifically, it would increase our housing inventory and make housing more affordable because local residents wouldn’t have to compete in bidding wars with real estate investors.
- Reduce the cost to taxpayers to provide affordable housing and reduce the impacts on our environment.
- Benefit the local economy since most of the short-term rental revenue currently leaves the island.