Nantucket, a picturesque island famed for its celebrity residents and multimillion-dollar homes, is witnessing a new wave of tension—this time over how to protect the coastline from disappearing into the sea.
What started as a measure to safeguard luxury properties has turned into a heated dispute after reports surfaced that protective structures may have been deliberately damaged.
The island has been grappling with relentless coastal erosion, and nowhere is it more pronounced than at Siaconset Bluff, a steep cliff overlooking the ocean.
This stretch of land is eroding at an alarming pace, losing up to four feet of sand each year since 2000, threatening both the environment and the high-end homes perched atop it.
Geotubes Installed to Combat Erosion
In 2014, the Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) stepped in to tackle the problem by installing 900 feet of geotubes along the base of the bluff.
Geotubes—durable, sand-filled fabric structures—are designed to slow erosion and protect the shoreline from storm damage.
While these measures were intended to safeguard the coast, they have not been universally welcomed.
The Nantucket Coastal Conservancy has repeatedly criticized the geotubes, arguing that they can harm the natural beach environment and may even accelerate erosion in the long term.
Vandalism Claims Spark Fresh Dispute
The latest conflict erupted after the Conservancy posted a video on Facebook showing a portion of the geotubes collapsed on the beach.
While some interpreted this as evidence of the structures failing, SBPF director Meridith Moldenhauer insisted the damage was no accident.
“I have contacted the Nantucket Police Department to file a report because these geotubes were deliberately cut and vandalized,” Moldenhauer told The Nantucket Current.
“Our team documented multiple intentional slits with both video and photographs. We are shocked and deeply concerned—this was a criminal act and cannot be tolerated.”
Another video shared with the newspaper reportedly shows a man demonstrating a cut in the geotube fabric, confirming suspicions that the damage was intentional.
Photographs reviewed by the outlet also depict similar slashes along other sections of the reinforcements.
Timing and Responsibility Still Unknown
So far, the perpetrators remain unidentified.
Evidence suggests the vandalism occurred after December 1, when photographs showed the geotube array intact.
The incident marks the first known act of destruction targeting these structures, adding tension to an already divided community.
Before the vandalism claims, Coastal Conservancy director D Anne Atherton had warned local officials that engineers viewed repairs to the aging geotubes as “challenging.”
She interpreted the warning as a sign that the original structures were nearing the end of their lifespan after 12 years.
Once informed about the alleged sabotage, she condemned the actions unequivocally.
“While the Conservancy has opposed seawalls on Nantucket’s open beaches, we strongly denounce this apparent act of vandalism,” Atherton said.
“There is no place in our community for such destructive behavior.”
Controversial Expansion Approved
Despite ongoing debate, the Nantucket Conservation Commission approved a 3,000-foot expansion of geotubes in March 2025—a sharp reversal from a 2021 decision ordering the removal of the original 900-foot installation.
This move highlights the complexity of balancing property protection, environmental concerns, and community sentiment on the island.
With vandalism claims now in play and the debate over coastal management more intense than ever, Nantucket’s residents face difficult questions about how far they should go to protect their homes—and whether such conflicts will escalate further.
