Nantucket’s Core District is the first thing that visitors see when they arrive by boat and it’s the heartbeat of the community for everyone who lives here. It’s arguably one of the most cherished historic districts in the country and its preservation has a direct link to our economic well being. That’s why such efforts have been made by our Historic District Commission to safeguard its look. And that’s why we have been wise to have so many historic structures in the Downtown listed on the National Register.
But protecting the LOOK of our Main Street and core commercial district and keeping the facades reasonably intact is not the only thing about our downtown character that needs vigilance. At Sustainable Nantucket we believe that Nantucket’s downtown character has everything to do with who does business there, who shops, eats and strolls there and how many community gathering places are available there to be enjoyed or to serve the community year-round.
That’s why we support the retention of key public places and services in the core district: police, town offices, the court house, visitor services, our library, movie theatres, pharmacies and news stands to name a few. We also supported the new bylaw that helps us hold back the arrival of national chain stores because we believe that the mix of unique retail offerings is what sets the character of our downtown apart and preserves its distinction. And that’s good for our economy.
Sustainable Nantucket is focused on any work that will achieve this kind of protection of our downtown’s character and we invite our fellow residents to help us in any of these focus areas
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