Though there is widespread community support to continue the fight to save Martins Lane, the Nantucket Board of Selectmen voted before last night’s meeting not to appeal the recent Superior Court ruling, thereby making the installation of a driveway on the historic byway one step closer.
The decision by the majority of the Board of Selectmen to abandon the fight to protect Martins Lane is disappointing in several ways.
More than 790 people signed an NPT petition asking the BOS to appeal the Superior Court’s flawed and unfortunate ruling, but the board refused to allow any discussion or public comment on the matter. The board majority also prevented individual selectmen from stating how they voted, or explaining their position to the public.
Unique historic resources like Martins Lane are too important to give up on. Nantucket loses a piece of its soul every time we allow something that makes this island special to be destroyed for personal gain.
We believe the Historic District Commission’s role is to serve as the public guardian of the history and sense of place that separates Nantucket from the rest, and we believe their decision in this matter was the correct one.
We thank the HDC for its often thankless work, and we urge our selectmen to join us to help protect Nantucket’s irreplaceable history and to find a preservation-minded solution to this important matter.
Rest assured, the NPT will continue its efforts to protect Martins Lane, and we know we can count on you to help.