The ideas behind the seasonal community designation (resort) came from Nantucket and Cape Cod. The posited housing policies which might work in other parts of the state do not necessarily work in summer resort communities. They proposed policy changes tailored to resorts.
For example, in resort communities, lower priced or low-income housing sells to summer residents and investors as often as to the intended purchasers. We have witnessed this firsthand. Watched as lower priced houses are purchased by summer residents, razed, and bigger and more expensive houses built. Alternatively, lower-priced houses are purchased by investors and used as short-term rentals.
It follows that Nantucket and Cape Cod needed to build affordable housing earmarked specifically for town employees. It is vital that firemen, policemen, EMTs, and teachers can afford to live in the town. State law now stipulates that public funds cannot be used to create housing available for municipal employees only and not available to the public at large. AHA policy reforms allow it.
As our population shifts from 30% summer residents or fewer to 60% and climbing, we are following Nantucket where the median priced home is $3million — no, that’s not a typo. Their problems are ours now or will be very soon. The state recognized that and designated us a seasonal community (resort).
The language of the real estate transfer fee policy in AHA calls for “a threshold of $1 million or the median home price in a county, whichever is greater.” That allows the governor to state that the fee applies to high-dollar transactions only. It also means most sales in most towns will not be affected. Our median price is just below $1million but may not be for long.
All these things require first knowing about them. Then evaluating what they mean for Stockbridge, and finally acting to preserve and protect our community.
For those who want to grow the middle class, to return the village to what it was — family-oriented, with our new designation, the state has determined that ship has sailed. Maybe, maybe not. We won’t know until we educate ourselves and consider the implications.
