Planning board continues hearing on proposed medical office at 99 Goldfinch Drive after residents cite traffic, parking and easement concerns

The Nantucket Planning Board continued its public hearing on a proposal to locate a medical office for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rocco Monto at 99 Goldfinch Drive, moving the matter to Sept. 8 for additional information and neighborhood discussion.

Attorney Arthur Reed introduced the application on behalf of El Cam Realty and Oceanus Health LLC, saying the applicant seeks a special permit for a medical clinic in a CN district. Reed said the proposed office would occupy roughly 1,460 square feet across two floors, with patient‑facing space of about 960 square feet on the first floor; he described the tenant as a single practitioner’s office that would continue hospital privileges and not perform procedures at the site.

Dr. Rocco Monto told the board the practice would be “a small, low volume office” with no surgeries or invasive procedures at the site. He said the office would operate Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with Saturday mornings, would employ up to three staff, and would schedule about 15–20 patient appointments per day over an eight‑hour day.

Neighbors objected strongly. Sarah Alger said the homeowners association and neighbors had met with the applicant but “couldn’t come up with any sort of conditions that would mitigate the impacts” and urged denial. Scott Wilson, the homeowners association president, told the board the proposal would change the character of a residential neighborhood with narrow, one‑way streets, speed bumps and numerous pedestrians and cyclists. Multiple abutters said the shared driveway and recorded easement between 97 and 99 Goldfinch complicate the parking plan; James Crow, who owns a garage unit at 97 Goldfinch, said the plan’s parking layout appears to intrude into his recorded easement and that the submitted plan does not reflect the documented easement lines.

Staff and board members asked for additional specifics about the proposed operations and site layout. Board members requested a clearer, stamped parking plan showing how the six parking spaces required by the zoning calculation (one space per 250 square feet of clinic area) would be accommodated without encroaching on the easement, and asked for details about hours, patient flow, and a routing plan showing how visitors would use neighborhood streets. Arthur Reed offered that the applicant would accept a permit conditioned to the current operator and that any future occupant would require a new special permit.

Motion and outcome: John Kitchener moved, Nat Lowell seconded, and the board voted unanimously to continue the public hearing to Sept. 8 to permit additional information and neighborhood outreach. The public hearing remains open.

The record shows a high level of neighborhood opposition centered on safety, parking and easement interference; the board said it expects a revised parking exhibit and clearer operational conditions before any decision.