T
o the editor:

    Dave Iverson and fellow community members, notably Carl Jelleme, deserve commendation for months of dialogue that culminated in an article embodying compromise on the long‑standing short‑term rental debate. With a Special Town Meeting looming, Article 2 presents the most promising avenue to resolve a six‑year controversy.

    From a real‑estate perspective, after another record‑setting season, our calendars have already shifted to 2026, and homes are being booked while an appeal of a Land Court decision—declaring short‑term rentals non‑permissible under current zoning bylaws—continues. Nantucket’s vacation‑rental sector has matured into a full‑blown industry. Our firm’s rental activity has risen 50 % over the past eight years, a pace comparable to the other 37 island agencies, though modest relative to Airbnb’s projected 10 % annual growth. Financial incentives will keep supply rising, and demand will stay robust as long as the economy holds and landlords meet modern vacationer expectations. This expansion underscores the need for sensible safeguards, especially given the decline of year‑round housing and added pressure on infrastructure and natural resources.

    Zoning, first adopted in 1972 and repeatedly revised, has long guided the island’s development. It is now time to view short‑term rentals through a similar long‑term lens. Article 2 would classify them as an allowable use with measured limits: owners could rent up to 70 nights per year, capped at 49 nights during peak summer weeks, while leases of 32 days or more would not count toward the 70‑night threshold. Many communities have tackled growth with bans or intricate rules; this compromise is fair, straightforward, and enforceable.

    Island voters have debated this issue for six years. It is time to settle it in November with a Yes vote on Article 2.

    Sincerely,

    Bill Liddle

    *Note: I have spent my career in the island’s real‑estate profession and am a co‑owner and broker in an island firm. These views are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my company or associates.*