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: Editor, The Inquirer and Mirror

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

SUBJECT: Modifications to the Yacht Club Proposed Plan

DATE: November 25, 2003

On behalf of Concerned Citizens and Friends of the Union Street/Washington Street Extension Neighborhood, we wish to acknowledge that, apparently in response to several concerns raised by one or two 'abutters' to the proposed Great Harbor Yacht Club, the proposed plan before the Planning Board has been modified by the Yacht Club developers as follows: 1) nine boat racks will no longer be located within several feet of the Paterson property, 2) the working sheds will be insulated to cut down noise and the fork lift will have more limited hours of operation 3) some screening will be accomplished by the construction of a "five to six foot" high cedar fence and 4) concerns about lighting from the Club and its parking areas are being addressed by limiting the height of the poles holding the lights to less than three feet.

Our group simply wants to clarify our firm resolve that while these few 'concessions' may help diminish some concerns, we respectfully consider them to be a 'band aid' being applied to otherwise very serious problems, all of which were set forth in our letter of November 18 and most of which remain unresolved.

Concerning the relocation of nine boat racks, the Patersons and other abutters will still have to look at dozens of other boat racks which, according to testimony before the Planning Board on Monday evening, will be between 20 and 22 feet high - causing neighbors to be looking at the equivalent of a series of two story buildings just beyond their respective back yards.

Monday evening's Planning Board meeting was limited to a discussion of proposed parking for the club although a few comments about other related issues such as traffic were entertained. It appears that issues such as quot;Traffic" and "Waste water" may require individual hearings. Concerning parking, there emerged a strong view in the audience which is certainly shared and endorsed by our association that the estimates of required parking are woefully understated and that if the project proceeds, parking in a neighborhood where available parking is already preciously scarce will occur. This result is simply unacceptable to the Union Street/Washington Street Extension neighborhood.