HDC names Anne White Gray as Section 106 representative

The Nantucket Historic District Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Anne White Gray as the commission’s Section 106 representative, the member who will serve as a consulting party on federal reviews that could affect the island’s National Historic Landmark district.

The commission discussed the role ahead of the vote, noting Section 106 reviews apply when projects receive federal funding and may affect historic properties. Preservation planner Holly said the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and other agencies typically contact the town when such reviews start and that she would notify the Section 106 representative when applications arrive. “If there are applications that come to Nantucket, typically the historical commission reviews the Section 106 applications,” Holly said.

Commissioners described the position as a mix of attending federal meetings, reporting back to the HDC and, in some circumstances, advocating the commission’s agreed policy positions. The chair said the representative could report observations or, if a topic was likely to be controversial, the commission could agree a policy stance in advance for the representative to present.

Ray volunteered for the role at the discussion’s opening, but the formal nomination and vote named Anne White Gray as the representative. The chair called for a motion to nominate Anne White Gray; the motion was made and seconded, and the chair recorded the outcome as unanimous. The commission asked staff to ensure the nominee is added to email chains with federal agencies and BOEM contacts, as Holly said she has done for past representatives.

The appointment does not itself create an official policy position on any project; it simply designates who will represent the HDC in Section 106 consulting-party processes. The HDC said it would return to the commission for direction if a project raised policy issues that required a formal HDC position.