|
The general statement that the "too many people who want mansions" on the water front have made beach access reduce does NOT hold true on Nantucket.
Nantucket has ALWAYS been a hardworking man's home. For all of the opinions who generally think it is a place just for the rich, all one needs to do is look at the Beach Access issue.
Mass law says properrty line extends to mean (average) low water mark. That means, by law, that you really can't even "walk" in front of a beach front home at any other time other than absolute low water without a snorkle or you could be considered trespassing. Nantucket many years ago decided that the town needed to be proactive and allow the common public to have better beach access through easements and procurement of land. The other island (because it is 4 towns and not one) was unable to have the foresight and thus has issues with the wealthy prohibitting beach access on or in front of their property. The wealthy person isn't wrong. It is their property by law. What sucks is the common man being left out in the cold.
The island respect for the common, working person is strong here. It is the fabric of our community. When a summer a$$hole tells us "they could never live here in the offseason" we say "good, we don't need your prejudice opinions then anyway.
I see the biggest problem for fisherman on the mqainland being that the beach front is many times rock (prime frickin Bass habitat) and Skippy from Harvard won't let us fish the rocks in front of his house. Guess what ? That is why the rule is there in the first place. Do you think Skippy has to wake up to my ugly, riff-raff a$$ fishing in his front yard ?
Seek first to understand, then to be understood
|