Select Board backs Nantucket Land Trust's tax-exempt application and approves open-space transfer for Wiggles Way

At the June 25 meeting, the Select Board unanimously approved a town letter supporting the Nantucket Land Trust's application for recognition as a tax-exempt organization and approved documents enabling the transfer of the open-space portion of Wiggles Way to the Nantucket Land Bank.

Dylan Metchampel, the town deputy housing director, described the proposed land trust as a model that separates land ownership from homeownership to preserve year-round affordability. "The land trust will own the land while the residents will own their homes," Metchampel said, explaining the mechanism and noting the model's use elsewhere in Massachusetts and on Martha's Vineyard.

The Select Board also reviewed documents for the transfer of Lot 9 at 31 Fairgrounds Road — the open-space front lawn of Wiggles Way — to the Nantucket Land Bank. Christie Ferrantello, municipal housing director, said the land bank will take long-term responsibility for maintenance, including mowing and monitoring, and the Affordable Housing Trust had unanimously approved the transaction at its June 17 meeting. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) has also reviewed and will sign after Select Board and Affordable Housing Trust approvals.

The transfer relieves Housing Nantucket of ongoing maintenance obligations for the open-space area and places stewardship with an agency whose mission aligns with preservation of open space. The board approved all documents unanimously.