voices: the community speaks of Nantucket and GHYC

CONCERNED CITIZENS AND FRIENDS OF THE UNION STREET/WASHINGTON STREET EXTENSION NEIGHBORHOOD

c/o Jim Nettles, 64 Union Street, Nantucket MA. 02554

TO: The Nantucket Conservation Commission

FROM: Concerned Citizens and Friends of the Union Street/ Washington Street Extension Neighborhood

SUBJECT: Great Harbor Yacht Club Notice of Intent and Chapter 91

DATE: February 4, 2004

Currently scheduled for February 11, 2004 is your further consideration of the proposals submitted by those planning the development and construction of a project known as Great Harbor Yacht Club (GHYC). We want to share a few of our observations concerning the 'role' of Chapter 91. As you may recall from previous correspondence, we are opposed to the planned GHYC.

As all of you are well aware, this project will be deemed Non-Water Dependent in its entirety even though the proposed site may include Water Dependent elements such as a dock. As such, an Environmental Notification Form will have to be filed with MEPA. We are not aware of whether or not this has occurred. In addition, again as you know, this particular proposed project will, following the filing of an Environmental Impact Report, undergo a pre-application meeting and a presentation by the developers to DEP's WWP. We don't know if this has occurred. Thereafter, we assume, the developers with make a formal Chapter 91 License application with DEP's WWP which application is required to include a copy of the Notice of Intent which was filed with you.

All of the foregoing will be followed by public notification, notification to abutters and a Public Hearing held by the WWP on Nantucket. Therefore, the possibility of approval of the Chapter 91 License (which we believe to be extremely unlikely) may be as much as two years from now. Recently, aspects of impacts of the proposed project on the environment have been the subject of scientific reports which, as we are sure you have seen, come to very different conclusions from those submitted by the developer.

We look forward to discussing with you the status of these various 'steps' in the process, all designed to protect and promote public access to and use of our precious waterfront. Obviously, MEPA and DEP's WWP will be very interested in the findings and recommendations of The Nantucket Conservation Commission.

Also, as some indication of public reaction to environmental and related issues, we have circulated a Petition opposed to the development and construction of GHYC. Today, approximately 1,500 Nantucket citizens have signed it.

Respectfully submitted,

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On behalf of CCFUSWSEN