Ten benefits that STRs bring to Nantucket.

Ever wonder why the debate around short-term rentals has been so fierce on Nantucket? Because short-term rentals represent a lot of money changing hands. For some, the benefits of short-term rentals greatly outweigh the problems they cause. In fact, short-term rentals represent the economic engine that keeps many island businesses and individuals afloat. If they …

Ten problems that STRs cause.

I’ve been an avid observer of the short-term rental work group’s progress (or lack thereof) for the past six months. The town was tasked with creating a work group and took several months to make it happen. As a result of this drawn-out process, the workgroup has very little chance of developing something of substance …

Can peer pressure save Nantucket?

I ran a little survey this past week. 60 people responded. The goal was not to find out what people’s opinions are on housing, but instead to understand how people feel about those who sell their homes and the choices they make. Here’s the rather purposefully round-a-bout hypothetical question: Let’s say you have an older …

An Analogy for Nantucket

There comes a time in your life when it hits you. Usually, it’s when your pants are getting tight and you think, the easiest thing is to buy bigger pants. Perhaps you go to Target and they don’t have any pants in your size, or they do, but in the “Big&Tall” section. Embarrassing, right? And …

Editorial: Traffic on Nantucket? Solved.

How I got through one of the busiest summers on record without ever getting stuck or wasting time in traffic.   [Originally published on the SAND.agency blog in September of 2019.] Most people who live on Nantucket like to complain. If there was a “Complaining Olympics,” Nantucket would take bronze, silver, and gold every four years. …

Editorial: What would a carrying capacity study on Nantucket look like?

For years, people on Nantucket have been talking about studying the island’s carrying capacity. It’s an easy thing to say. “We need a carrying capacity study!” But it’s a little bit like the question of “Life, the Universe, and Everything.” in the book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Since the question …