SUMMER 2020: NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL The watchword for 2020 has been “uncertainty” and we are always heartened to see how inventive people are in these unprecedented times. One of the most visible changes on Nantucket is the creativity of the restaurant industry, in conjunction with the Town, to allow more options for dining al fresco. In Town a number of sidewalks and side streets have been closed off for the summer to allow for more outside dining. It is very festive and reminds one of a small town in Europe. It has been so popular that it is challenging to get a reservation in August! Many places have also ramped up their take-out systems and there are some great options out there. The Whaling Museum has put in place a “yellow brick road” concept at the Whaling Museum with hand held digital guides in order to comply with the state regulations. Just about all of the traditional fund raising events for our non-profits have been “re-imagined” to a digital platform or else postponed until 2021. The Dreamland’s drive-in movie theater is up and running out at Nobadeer Farm Road and has proven to be a popular venue. The weather this summer has been sunny and warm and it is still possible to find an uncrowded beach if one knows where to look. The fishing, both on and offshore, has been great this year. The harbor is less crowded than usual and it has been nice to see some of the sailing programs happening , although on a scaled back basis. Priorities seem to have shifted: time with family, simpler ways to have fun and opportunities to explore some of the undiscovered open spaces that the island has to offer. Mostly everyone recognizes that we are all in this together and is being respectful of the rules for safety of all of us. On balance, people seem happy to be on Nantucket and are making the best of the reality of the summer of 2020.
Nantucket is a National Historic Landmark The Nantucket Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District that encompasses the entire island of Nantucket. The original listing in 1966 on the National Register of Historic Places included only the historic downtown core and the village of Siasconset, but was expanded in 1975 to include the entire island, as well as the islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget. At over 30,000 acres, it is the largest conventional historic National Historic Landmark District by area in the contiguous United States. Since 1955 the Historic District Commission (HDC) has been the governing authority charged with the preservation of the island’s built environment. The HDC is a five person commission whose volunteer members are elected. They meet a minimum of weekly with additional time spent on site visits. The HDC has jurisdiction over the exterior of any structure on Nantucket that can be “seen from a public way” which includes Nantucket Harbor. The HDC has written a guide to help the public understand the guidelines on Nantucket. Called, “Building With Nantucket In Mind”, the guide covers, among other things, appropriate size, siting, additive massing, fenestration, materials, paint colors and hardscaping. Here is the link: https://www.nantucketma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12329/Building-With-Nantucket-In-Mind1992-PDF. We can thank the HDC for the fact that Nantucket does not look like everyplace else.
NEA is a grassroots coalition whose members have been meeting regularly since March 2020. They had been developing a plan to begin a series of self-implemented interviews and focus groups to assess the racial climate on Nantucket and to begin the work of advocating for change. The elevated level of national and international attention to the deaths of black people at the hands of police, the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and systemic racism have served to accelerate the coalition’s time line for action. In order to respond to this moment in history, they recognized the need to bring professionals to Nantucket to help them plan and execute this work. Plan of Action: 1) A community survey to build a better understanding of the lived experience of Nantucketers around the issues of racism and inequity and to identify specific topics for deeper engagement and conversation 2) To plan and execute focus groups and community conversations on the topics identified in the survey 3) To provide a summary of this work that will determine the next steps that NEA and the community can take to achieve our stated mission. In addition, NEA, both as a group and as individuals, look forward to engaging with the Nantucket community to build the movement toward equity inclusion and to ensure that this effort itself is truly inclusive. They are committed to listen; to support the work of others; and to provide opportunities for learning and dialog that they expect will be both challenging and productive. NEA hopes to work collaboratively with the Select Board and Town Administration as they fulfill their pledge to work toward systemic change. NEA leadership can be reached by email at nantucketequityadvocates@gmail.com A designated fund at the Community Foundation for Nantucket has been established so that NEA can accept donations. https://cfnan.org/give/give-now/named-funds/nantucket-equity-advocates-fund/
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2709
Avg Home ($OOO)
2615
Median Home ($OOO)
2500
2378 2164
2124
2103
1900
1666 1550
1750
1726 1525
1425
N A N T U C K E T
1670
1600
1528
1495
1500
2133
1970
1945
1150
2440
2373 2276
2271
1525
1400
1190 1100 1013
970
1000
1050
999
S U M M E R
500
0 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
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2019
2020
Atlantic East N A N T U C K E T R E A L E S TAT E Penny Dey, GRI, ABRM and Heidi Drew, ABR, RSPS, SRS, Broker/Owners Ken Beaugrand; Linda Bellevue, GRI, CBR; Peter DuPont; Alison K. Forsgren, ePro, NAR Green, SRES Mary D. Malavase, ABR, RSPS, TRC, SFR, SRS; Jane Miller, ABR, RSPS; Erikka Perkins; Meg Ruley, ABR, RSPS; Lisa Sherburne, ABR, RSPS; Melinda Vallett; Christine Whelden, ABR; Geri Walker, Tanya Babaitsava We believe in doing one thing and in doing it well! 82 Easton Street Nantucket MA 02554 508.228.7707 NantucketRealEstate.com
Volume XVI, Issue 3, Summer 2020 Page 5
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As of Q2 2020
1672
Nantucket Equity Advocates
A
Nantucket: Home Prices
2000
The formation of a new racial equity advocacy coalition was announced at a presentation to the Nantucket Select Board on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The mission statement is: to create a sustainable movement to demand and support community action in order to break down systems of structural racism on Nantucket, so the systems of power become truly representative of all members of the community.
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A few short months ago it seemed like summer would never get here. And we certainly did not expect to be having the kind of summer we are (in so many respects). This spring we thought that we would be lucky to get through the summer without too much collateral and economic damage from COVID-19. Instead we have had a huge increase in the number of visitors who want to be on Nantucket and the real estate market is acting like it does in a more typical year. Nantucket is perceived as a safe place to be and it clearly is, especially when compared to so many other parts of our country. Throughout the past 4+ months we were lucky to have competent leadership who made fact-based decisions, and people willing to follow them, and that contributed to the relatively low number of COVID-19 cases here on island. Let’s all keep up the good work. The real estate market on Nantucket has been surprisingly strong and very fluid with a rapid rise in the number of properties going under contract in May and June. The activity is being driven by people, many from metropolitan areas, who recognize that Nantucket is a great place to be right now. The highest demand appears to be for residential properties with space, privacy and pools that can be occupied right now. The time from contract to closing is shrinking as well. Residential Prices on the Rise: The average selling price of a property on island is $2,366,000, an increase of 9% over last year. The average price of a residential property is also up 9% to $2,709,000 from $2,440,000 at the end of last year. The median price of a home is now $1,900,000, an increase of 18% from $1,670,000 in 2019. The supply of listed property is about the same as it was last year at this time Continued on Page 2... with 375 active listings.