Parking Garage

I&M Question 2:

Do you support the concept of a parking garage on the former Nantucket Electric Company property in downtown Nantucket?

To clarify, this is not a parking garage issue; it is not a proposal for the Town to buy this land. It is a planning issue, where the various land owners in the Wilkes Square (Candle Street) area will be able to redevelop their properties in a coordinated effort with the Town, to best suit the needs of the community.

I wrote the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in support for the Downtown Revitalization Committee to hire a designer to prepare plans for the Wilkes Square redevelopment site. The site includes: the National Grid, former Nantucket Electric Company property; Greenhound, former Island Liquors Site; Winthrop property, including fuel tanks, Grand Union and most of the parking lot; and Nantucket Island Resorts property including part of parking lot.
I interviewed all the above land owners and Harbor Fuel. The fuel tanks need to be replaced due to their age. They are used by Harbor Fuel, who is willing to move their operations to the airport. The owners of the properties were unanimous in their desire to work with the Town. The RFQ seeks to balance economics and community preservation. The designer is to prepare several plans so that the Town can choose whether to include: a grocery store; year-round housing; open civic space; cultural center; stores, restaurants; hotels; a parking garage; or no parking garage. The RFQ will require a consensus between the Town, the owners of the property, and a developer. The BOS unanimously approved the RFQ on February 4th.