Nantucket Coastal Panel Sets Harbor Forum Strategy, Approves Trimmed Summer Schedule

NANTUCKET -- June 23, 2026, Nantucket's Coastal Resilience Advisory Committee agreed on a narrowed, three-question framework for its July 14 State of the Harbor Forum, where it plans to seek public feedback on potential floodplain regulations for the first time. Consultant Shannon Holst and Land and Water Council representative RJ Turcotte are set to present on whether the town should expand the FEMA floodplain boundary to account for sea-level rise, whether to limit development in the highest-risk flood zones, and how to handle reconstruction after structures sustain substantial damage, the provision most directly tied to coastal retreat. Committee members urged the presenters to use out-of-Nantucket illustrative examples and to lead with the town's existing Coastal Resilience Plan rather than regulatory specifics, with member Sarah Boyce warning that naming real Nantucket locations would trigger defensive reactions before anyone heard the policy argument. Holst reported that Chatham was set to adopt analogous Conservation Commission regulations the following day. The committee voted 7-0-1 to meet on July 28, August 11, and once in September, with Doug Rose, who departs the committee, casting the lone abstention.