Finance committee gives narrow recommendation for $7 million Waite Drive municipal employee housing article

The Nantucket Finance Committee recommended, by a 5–4 vote, that voters consider a $7 million debt‑exclusion article to fund a first‑phase municipal employee housing project at the town’s Waite Drive parcels. The recommendation instructs staff to bid the modular duplex and single‑family components and to include bid alternates that could expand unit counts if pricing allows.

Committee staff presented the plan as a phased proof‑of‑concept: the town would develop one lot initially — a duplex and a single family home that together would total up to seven bedrooms under current schematics — and return to town meeting for later lots after proving cost and delivery. Staff said the $7 million figure is a placeholder that includes design, construction oversight (OPM), procurement and contingencies; final construction bids were expected April 10. "We're really a fiscal advisory arm of town meeting," the chair said while framing the committee’s role in vetting financial detail for voters.

Supporters argued the project replaces unstable lease arrangements the town now holds and provides housing for critical staff who must be on‑island for emergency response and school schedules. Staff reported the town currently manages about 43 employee housing units and has roughly 40 employees on a waiting list; many are school administrators, DPW and other essential positions. Committee members and staff noted the town’s prior municipal dormitory project, built in recent years for about $12.4 million, provided 18 dorm rooms and two year‑round apartments and offered a precedent for municipal delivery.

Opponents urged caution because the $7 million placeholder produces a headline metric of roughly $1 million per bedroom if only seven bedrooms are ultimately built, and they argued the committee should avoid recommending an amount without firm bids. "I am against making a decision before we have a number. Period," one committee member said during debate, pressing for the committee to wait for procurement results. Staff responded that bid windows are short (bids are generally valid about 45 days) and that the town can include bid alternates so the same appropriation could fund more units if prices permit.

The Finance Committee’s positive recommendation will be printed in the warrant for the May town meeting. Town staff plan to return with final bid results and may request technical amendments to the committee’s recommendation if pricing and unit counts change before the warrant is finalized. The committee emphasized that the article seeks to stabilize town employee housing and reduce dependence on short‑term private leases, while members urged clear communications to voters about what the $7 million covers and how rent and maintenance will be handled.