voices: the community speaks of Nantucket and GHYC

READ McCAFFREY
8 Deacons Way
Nantucket, MA 02554

December 22, 2003

VIA FACSIMILE

Ms. Marian Stanton
Editor and Publisher
The Inquirer and Mirror
1 Old South Road
P.O. Box 1198
Nantucket, MA 02554

Re: Great Harbor Yacht Club

Dear Ms. Stanton:

On behalf of the Concerned Citizens and Friends of the Union Street/Washington Street Extension Neighborhood, I am responding to the Great Harbor Yacht Club (GHYC) developers' Open Letter to the Citizens of Nantucket, which appeared in this newspaper on Thursday, December 11, 2003.

That letter begins, "As the owners of the Great Harbor Yacht Club, we would like to set the record straight . . ." It should be noted that there is no Great Harbor Yacht Club; it does not exist; it is a plan which is opposed by many residents of Nantucket. It is a plan which is opposed by at least 700 residents of Nantucket who signed a petition which was presented to the Planning Board (Board of Selectmen) at the time of their last meeting on Wednesday, December 17. It is a plan - and one which is in the very embryonic stages of seeking the concurrence of the Town. It has not received a single permit, license, zoning exception or other required municipal approval. It is not a done deal! On the contrary, it stands on the threshold of seeking the imprimatur of the Town and its Citizens.

The Open Letter mentions open access to the waterfront, a community floating dinghy dock, public boat ramp, use of the facility by the Nantucket Community Sailing School and community marine service for the benefit of all citizens. We are not aware of any of the details concerning the alleged "attractive walkways along the harbor" but we are aware that a promise of citizen access to our waterfront as well as marine services (for the exclusive few) cannot possibly counterbalance the negative impacts of parking surely to overflow into the neighborhood, (storm water runoff) and flooding of the neighborhood as a result of the (change in) elevations suggested in the plan and the deleterious effects of the concentration of underground storage tanks, fuel lines, parked cars and boat maintenance operations on the waterfront's environment. Dangling favors to the town cannot offset the damages which it will suffer if this project proceeds as planned.

The Open Letter also tells us that if developed and constructed as proposed, GHYC would, "be paying more than $250,000 a year in town taxes" and that "All the above is at no cost to taxpayers." The town and the taxpayers will indeed be subsidizing this project in the form of land and water grants, as well as relief and exceptions to various portions of the zoning code. For example, the project includes a 333 seat restaurant, bar and grill, (plus additional) banquet facilities, boat maintenance facilities, a sports club, a swimming pool complex, a worker dormitory, a 79 slip marina and an additional 37 boat valet slips. If we were to apply guidelines used for the first town pier, the developers' parking needs arising from the boat slips alone would exceed 100 spaces. However, the developers are supplying 104 spaces for the entire project. It appears to our organization that there may be a shortfall of at least 100 - 150 spaces which would regrettably pour over into the Neighborhood.

The developers appear to be asking for exceptions involving storm water processing. Instead of providing for storm water containment on the project's own land, it appears that the developers will be using the town's wetlands. (Also, let's be clear, we believe the developers are offering a boat ramp which will be constructed on environmentally sensitive town owned wetland, once again not the land of which they control.)

The 79 boat slip floating dock is located on (over an acre of harbor) water which does not appear to be part of the developers' water rights. This public water now comprises a channel used by all, as well as public moorings. Noted in recent real estate transfers was a single slip on Old North Wharf having been conveyed for $2 Million. Even assuming that these proposed slips at GHYC are only worth $100,000 each, then there is a specific value being enjoyed by the developers of nearly $8 Million. (So we question the claim of "at no cost to the taxpayers.")

Finally, there is the location of the proposed "travel lift way" on property now owned by the Town.

Again, it is simply a matter of counter-balance and scale. On the one hand there is a promise of the payment of $250,000 in taxes and the existence of a project at no cost to the Nantucket taxpayer and in the opposing balance, there are zoning concessions, use of town wetlands, (a grant, for all practical purposes, in perpetuity, for exclusive private) use of public waterways, and perhaps use of town land - and that balance does not tip in favor of the taxpayer.

Very truly yours,

Read K. McCaffrey