NAREB NEWS
UPDATE ON NEW COMMUNITY IMPACT FEE ON STR'S
As you are likely aware, Special Town Meeting passed a 3% Community Impact Fee on owners who own 2 or more properties in a town that rent on a short-term basis. Due to the amount of confusion surrounding this article, the Select Board, at their meeting last night, agreed to work with Town Counsel to stall the implementation until there is a more clear understanding of the article. It is likely that a decision will not be made until after the Annual Town Meeting in May of 2024. One of the flaws in the article is that there was no date certain for implementation and we asked that it be tied to the date of the lease, not the date of occupancy, given the large number of contracts already executed for 2024. Add to this the conflicting information we are getting from the Department of Revenue and legal counsel for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and it is clear that it makes sense to better understand the implications of the article before implementing it.
​
​
Neither of the most hotly contested articles (Articles 1 and 2) related to Short-Term Rentals garnered enough votes to pass. It was clear that Nantucket voters were concerned about giving away current and future property rights.
What this means is that nothing changes as Nantucket awaits a verdict from the Land Court judge on one of the three pending lawsuits brought by a neighbor against her neighbor. The basis of the suit and the harm to the plaintiff is that the rental of her neighbor's home is a commercial use in a residential zone and because Nantucket's zoning by-law does not specifically address short-term rentals under zoning, they are not legal. It is possible that the judgement may be rendered prior to our next Town Meeting. We do, if necessary, have the ability to call another Special Town Meeting before the ATM.
Below is a summary of the articles from Special Town Meeting and what to expect next for each article.
​
2023 NAREB VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR
At the NAREB Principal's meeting held yesterday, we voted unanimously to honor two of our members for their commitment to the community through their volunteer work: Congratulations ladies and well done!
DAWN HILL HOLDGATE
Broker, Great Point Properties
Dawn was unanimously voted as a 2023 Volunteer of the Year by the Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers. Dawn, who was raised on Nantucket, has served as a member of the Nantucket Select Board since 2015, four times as Chair of the board during her tenure. She guided the community through the challenging pandemic years with calm, thoughtful and fact-based leadership, for which we are grateful. Dawn has also served for 12 years as a member of the Historic District Commission and has worked in the Planning Department. She is currently serving her third term on the Nantucket Select Board. With this recognition, there is an honorarium that will be given to a local non-profit of Dawn’s choice.
KATE KLING
Sales Assoc., J. Pepper Frazier Company
The Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers unanimously voted Kate Kling as a 2023 NAREB Volunteer of the Year. Kate is actively involved in the Nantucket community, most notably as the founder of the annual Dragonfly Fundraiser, an event to inspire change with mental illness, that she created after she lost her sister. Since 2016 Dragonfly has donated $800,000 to mental health organizations on Nantucket including Fairwinds - Nantucket's Behavioral Health Center and National Alliance on Mental Illness CC&I on Nantucket. Kate also volunteers for her son’s school, The Nantucket New School and Inky Santa, and previously, Meals on Wheels, and the Nantucket Food Pantry. With this recognition, there is an honorarium that will be given to a local non-profit of Kate’s choice.