The Nantucket Historical Commission received updates Nov. 21 on multiple survey and funding efforts and on outreach to local professionals and property owners.
Staff reported the town received positive responses from consultants (PaleoWest and Chronicle Heritage) funded through an offshore-wind-related award to complete MACRIS-form surveys for town-owned historic resources. Holly Backhus said consultants will prepare a working plan and expected to deliver it within two weeks for review ahead of the commission’s December meeting. She said the consultants were provided a compiled OneDrive folder with prior surveys and photographs to inform their work.
The commission also confirmed it submitted a Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) preapproval application requesting $30,000 in grant funds with a $20,000 town match to create a comprehensive preservation plan (a $50,000 total project). Staff said MHC will conduct an internal review and that the commission should expect notice next month.
Separately, the Community Preservation Committee advanced four applications tied to the commission to the town warrant, including the proposed MACRIS forms for West Monomoy (roughly 250 forms), a survey of historic farms, additional funding to update 'Building with Nantucket in Mind,' and digitization of historical aerials and large-format boards to make them publicly accessible.
Staff also described a recent continuing-education workshop (NARAB/NARAB) adapted to Nantucket that emphasized MACRIS and GIS layers, historic tax credits and the difference between National Register and local designation processes. Commissioners recommended that real-estate listings avoid overstating redevelopment prospects and urged earlier documentation for tax-credit applications. Roughly 30 people attended the workshop, staff said.