Last column I wrote about how passionate Nantucketers are about issues that affect Nantucket. One hot topic has been a developer’s proposal to redevelop a piece of property on North Liberty Street. This is where the Good, the Bad and the Ugly come into play. The Ugly – I relied solely on the Inky for my facts. I should never rely on second hand info., especially if I am writing about a controversial topic. The Bad – I upset some people who I really respect because of my erroneous reporting. The Good – I found out that people other than my wife read my column.
The developer’s application was to simply move a gambrel box from North Liberty Street to another lot. Since that column, the application was denied by the Historic District Commission, HDC, 2-3. What should have been a slam dunk application, considering the building was built in the ’70’s (that is 1970’s) and has been mainly used as a storage warehouse for years, turned out to be a battle. It would be understandable if we were talking about the Oldest House, but I don’t think this building is going to be on the Historic Landmark list anytime soon. Also, the applicant would have moved a building, which has a crumbling foundation and is literally falling into the abutting wetland, out of a protected wetland buffer and turned zoning non-conformities into conformity. Overall, a net positive.
For the time being, those opposed to the developer’s plan got what they wanted. But, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for…
