Future Lighthouse Ownership
In May 2011, the Gay Head Light and Edgartown Harbor Light were presented in a Vineyard Gazette article as being available for "auction" in the near future. Both lighthouses were mentioned as being disposed as excess property by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the General Services Administration (GSA). Such "excessing" of a federal property makes the excessed properties eligible for ownership by local governments, nonprofits, and private interests. Since May 2011, the Martha's Vineyard Museum and the Town of Edgartown have entered into a dialogue with various federal agencies relative to a mutual town/Museum ownership/lease arrangement. According to an October 19, 2012 Vineyard Gazette published comment by David Nathans, Director of the Martha's Vineyard Museum, "...the Museum is not applying for ownership. The Town of Edgartown has applied for ownership, and the Museum is expecting to continue to lease the right and responsibility to steward, interpret and operate the Edgartown Lighthouse. This town and Museum relationship could be the model for the Gay Head Lighthouse as well."
According to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (LHPA), any excessed lighthouse is eligible for ownership transfer from the federal government to other federal agencies; state, regional, and local governments; nonprofits, and, as a last resort - auction to private interests. As the current license holder of record - the nonprofit Martha's Vineyard Museum may apply for ownership. As well, the Town of Gay Head and the Wampanoag Tribe may also file for individual or shared ownership/management of the Gay Head Light. In recent years, the Town of Gay Head, via application by the Martha's Vineyard Museum, has expended about $100,000 to help repair and maintain the Gay Head Light. This $100,000 was raised from local funds sourced via the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The CPA is a Massachusetts state law (M.G.L. Chapter 44B) passed in 2000 that enables adopting communities to raise funds to create a fund for open space preservation, preservation of historic resources, development of affordable housing, and the acquisition and development of outdoor recreational facilities.
The transfer of ownership of the Gay Head Light, and the Edgartown Harbor Light, will eventually be determined by the LHPA and the GSA in the near future.
Read more about this topic: Gay Head Light
Famous quotes containing the words future, lighthouse and/or ownership:
“The future author is one who discovers that language, the exploration and manipulation of the resources of language, will serve him in winning through to his way.”
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)
“This lighthouse was the cynosure of all eyes.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“They had their fortunes to make, everything to gain and nothing to lose. They were schooled in and anxious for debates; forcible in argument; reckless and brilliant. For them it was but a short and natural step from swaying juries in courtroom battles over the ownership of land to swaying constituents in contests for office. For the lawyer, oratory was the escalator that could lift a political candidate to higher ground.”
—Federal Writers’ Project Of The Wor, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)