A $10,000 reward for a potential vandal accused of millions in damages. An intense battle between year-round locals and ultra-rich seasonal residents.
This is more than the makings of a compelling beach read — it's actually happening in the island community of Nantucket, as the Wall Street Journal has reported.
The story centers on Sconset Bluff, an oceanfront area of Massachusetts known for its beautiful homes and breathtaking views. But erosion is an existential threat.
Property owners there spent $18 million for a nearly 1,000-foot-long structure of sand-filled tubes meant to slow the erosion. But in January, someone — or something — damaged the structure, necessitating about $2 million in repairs.
"It's shocking," Josh Posner, president of the Sconset Beach Preservation Fund, told WSJ.
It comes as the island considers adding 3,000 more feet of erosion protection, with that decision set to be made during a town meeting in May.
Nantucket police are allowing for the possibility that nature may be the culprit in this case. But the group of property owners hired former Boston police commissioner Ed Davis, who believes, after an investigation, that there was foul play.
If it were a human, it's unlikely this was simply some careless vandalism. And, as it turns out, not all locals are supportive of affluent property owners seeking to safeguard their investments.
Some locals argue that the geotubes are having detrimental effects on the beaches and properties outside of the designated protective area. The group of owners also apparently reneged on prior commitments to cover the geotubes in sand.
That angered locals. There have meanwhile been some accusations that the owners' group might have orchestrated the vandalism themselves to garner sympathy.
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The battle over whether to allow for more geotubes is now dividing friends and longtime neighbors. It highlights growing tensions as Nantucket attracts more millionaires and billionaires with motivations that sometimes differ from those of longtime residents.
"I see this as a small number of very wealthy, really influential people who will not take no for an answer," opined D. Anne Atherton, a year-round local who is also associated with the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy.
While it's unclear what will happen at the May meeting, the fight is unlikely to end any time soon.
"There may be a bit of class warfare going on," property owner Helmut Weymar, of hedge fund acclaim, told WSJ. "Those are fat cats in some people's view, and they should not be helped."
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