Proposed New Outdoor Lighting Bylaw

Please support Article #76 in the 2023 ATM Warrant!

Our night skies are 25% brighter today than they were just ten years ago, making it harder to see the stars at night in many places on the island; complaints about light trespass and glare from neighboring properties are increasing; the evidence of harm from artificial light at night to human health, pollinating insects, birds, and other wildlife is mounting; and the energy used to power excessive and unnecessary outdoor lighting increases the likelihood that a costly, third cable from the mainland will be needed.

It’s time to take preserving our night skies as seriously as other conservation and preservation efforts, to do more to protect an important part of our heritage – the dark skies that made Maria Mitchell’s discovery of a comet possible, that residents and visitors to the island have cherished for hundreds of years, and that make Nantucket one of the rare remaining places in the United States where the Milky Way can still be seen.

We need a stronger outdoor lighting bylaw that’s consistent with current standards and best practices and that has stronger provisions for enforcement to ensure that it's enforced better than the one we have now. The new bylaw proposed by Nantucket Lights founder and president Gail Walker as a 2023 ATM Citizen Warrant ("Bylaw Amendment - Outdoor Lighting") -- the product of extensive discussions with outdoor lighting experts and the culmination of years of research -- fits the bill.

We hope you'll support it!

ENDORSEMENTS:

Read the letter of support from the Nantucket Civic League here.

Read the letter of support from the Nantucket Historical Commission here.

UPDATES:

1/26 FinCom Meeting

The committee discussed the proposal but didn't take a vote on whether or not to recommend passage of it; discussion to be continued at their meeting on Thursday, February 16. Recording (starting at 1:16:49): : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr8lNoLGy1w

2/16 FinCom Meeting

Agenda with Zoom link will be posted when available.

How you can help get this passed

If you are favor of the proposed new bylaw after reading it and the answers to the FinCom questionnaire, here's how you can help get it passed.

★ If you own property on Nantucket or are a regular visitor, please write to members of the Finance Committee with a cc to Select Board members stating why preserving our dark skies is important to you and why you are in favor of the warrant article.

Form letters are disfavored so instead of offering one, here are some suggested things to cover: (1) your connection to Nantucket; (2) what concerns you have about light pollution on the island, including how it has affected you personally; (3) your unsuccessful attempts (if any) to get the Lighting Enforcement Officer to investigate a suspected violation of the current bylaw; and (4) why you think Fin Com should support the proposed new bylaw even with the anticipated costs to the Town if it were passed (those are explained in the answers to the FinCom questionnaire, available here).

Your letter should be sent to all FinCom members with a cc to all Select Board members. Their email addresses are provided on the right to make it easy for you to copy and paste them into an email. Please also cc Nantucket Lights (nantucketlights@gmail.com) so we know you've written and can reference your comments.

★ Help us grow our list of supporters by joining our mailing list and encouraging others to do the same. The more supporters Gail can point to when she appears before FinCom and the Select Board to discuss her proposal, the more likely they will vote in favor of it, which will help it pass at ATM. To join the mailing list, click here.

★ Make a donation so that we can afford to run ads and do other things to promote the proposed new bylaw. The link to our GoFundMe campaign is here.

★ Put a "Save the Night" bumper sticker on your car or truck and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. The link for requesting one is here.

★ Show your support on social media, in particular the FaceBook page for the Nantucket Year-Round Community group, if you're part of that. It has over 8,000 members, many of whom will be voting at 2023 ATM.

★ Finally, if you're a registered voter on Nantucket, please plan to attend the 2023 ATM on May 6, speak up in support of the proposal, and vote in favor of it!

Email Addresses for FinCom and Select Board members

Proposed New Outdoor Lighting Bylaw

Please support Article #76 in the 2023 ATM Warrant!

How you can help get this passed

Email Addresses for FinCom and Select Board members

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