Nantucket historic commission adopts updated fee schedule, effective June 1

The Nantucket Historic District Commission on March 3 adopted an updated fee schedule for HDC applications, saying the townwide review was intended to align charges with staff time and similar Massachusetts communities. Staff member Megan, who led the review with the finance director, told the board “it’s been about a decade since this was last updated” and that fees were benchmarked on comparable jurisdictions.

Commissioners raised concerns about penalties for work done without permits and whether higher multipliers were appropriate. Val pressed staff to make a clearer line item for work done without approval, noting that “$50 for a fence becoming $500 is chump change.” Megan said the schedules are limited to processing cost recovery and that punitive citations and higher penalties are governed by town code and state citation processes; she offered to consult with town council and return with options.

Angus moved to adopt the proposed HDC fee schedule as advertised, with an effective date of June 1. The motion carried with the members present voting in favor. The adopted schedule increases base application fees and will be applied to HDC permit processing; the commission asked staff to return with a separate proposal on escalating penalties for unpermitted work if the board wishes to pursue higher fines.

Next steps: the fee schedule takes effect June 1; staff will consult with town counsel and the finance director about whether and how to present a separate penalty structure tied to enforcement and court citation processes.