SHORE THING
Scandinavian Scandal in the Historic District
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
July 16, 2012
This town is a little bit business-unfriendly. That’s my observation, anyway, as someone who’s lived here all of two years.
And not just business-unfriendly – it’s also more than a little bit improvement-unfriendly.
You just have to jump through so many hoops to get permission to do anything.
Latest case in point: The Cape Charles Hotel. Two years ago, the hotel had shut down and was a blight on Mason Avenue. Obviously, there’s no town rule against empty storefronts – we’ve got plenty of them.
The old hotel was particularly ugly, in my humble opinion, with its orange-salmon paint job. But there’s no law against ugly, apparently.
So – along comes an investor, buys the hotel at bank auction, pumps who knows how many million $$ into it, and opens up an elegant, tony boutique facility that is, or should be, the pride of the Town.
And now come the complaints. Folks don’t like the plate glass dividers on the balconies. Looks too Scandinavian for the Historic District.
At last week’s Town Council meeting, Town Planner Tom Bonadeo reported that the hotel is not in compliance with the architectural guidelines approved for it. There were supposed to be wrought iron partitions, and instead we got plate glass.
And it sounds like the Town’s planning to do something about it.
Meanwhile, as a property owner who does vacation rentals, I think about tourists’ first impression of Cape Charles – which is not Mason Avenue, but Randolph Avenue. As they drive into town, that’s what they see first.
And folks, there are some pretty scruffy properties on Randolph. Until this year, the Post Office was one of them. I couldn’t believe how long the paint had been allowed to peel on all the exterior woodwork. Finally, after who knows how many years, the trim was recently repainted.
But other properties still scream out SHANTY TOWN.
What can be done? Nothing, apparently. But once somebody tries to actually make improvements on a dwelling, the full force of the Town’s bureaucracy comes into play.
Remember when the frozen yoghurt shop was planning to open? The Town slapped them with a STOP WORK order, and stop they did. In fact, from what I could see, they were never heard from again.
I just wish there was some way the Town could provide more encouragement, and less discouragement, to property owners.
SHORE THING is the opinion of the writer, and only the writer. It is an occasional feature of the Cape Charles Wave.
Hotel Cape Charles is drop-dead chic – please, please let’s not mess with it. Traditional coexists seamlessly with contemporary in the most traditional and historic (truly historic… as in sixteenth century) old towns. No need for kitschy, New-Orleans-wannabe features, i.e., wrought iron.
I fully respect the Town Council and their desire to minimize change and the impact of the outside world on this beautiful, picturesque town. After all, that’s what attracted most of us here. I have owned a home in Cape Charles for 9 years. I have watched as businesses come and go, each time trying to support them, hoping that the next one will be the one that turns the tide. Still, the chains that hold this town to yesterday are very taut. At some point this town must learn to bend or it will break. Does the Town Council truly desire to have things return to the way it was? My first visit was in 1997. I remember the dilapidated shacks. Really? Is progress all that bad?
I agree with Dana… Minimalist architecture could blend with any style. The new Cape Charles Hotel is elegant and trendy. The Town Council should be more encouraging to new business and less rigid in enforcing impractical rules and regulations.
I’m considered a ‘come-here’ even though we built our house in 1994 and have paid our taxes to Northampton County all these years. Mr. Southern is absolutely right! They are worried about a Scandanavian look instead of taking care of the Shanty Town look? Where are the Town Council’s priorities? What a waste of time! Typical politicians that should all be ashamed of themselves. Every time we go into Cape Charles some business has gone under and another is TRYING to start up. It doesn’t seem like one can stay in business in this town for too long. It doesn’t really get too much help. I really cannot believe that y’all are wasting your energy on clean, clear glass that will allow visitors to see beautiful Cape Charles. Really, what are you people thinking?!
The new hotel is a delight to look at and walk through. It is a far easier thing to tear down something with criticism and over-regulation than it is to create something innovative and beautiful. That’s true all over, but is particularly the case in this town.
The hotel is classy and elegant. The house behind mine is literally falling down. A window fell right out of the second floor. It could have killed someone. The town managers would rather bully people who are trying to do the right thing rather than do the hard work with a dilapidated house.
Absolutely right, typical politicians with their priorities mixed up. My family bought a vacation home 10 years ago in town and have seen businesses come and go. Part-timers and vacationers alike are the ones that keep the small mom and pop shops open along with places like the Cape Charles Hotel. These folks want to see a nice modern “main street” strip that they can shop and eat at. Improvements should definitely be welcomed and supported, along with friendly attitudes from the business owners to these vacationers that spend money in their shops and restaurants to keep them alive and stimulate the local economy.
I am not a full time resident of Cape Charles, but have a home here since 2004. I am looking forward to the day when I call Cape Charles home. I am always excited to see new businesses open in our community. I have to say I was very surprised at the finished look of the hotel. Although it’s a nice modern minimalistic look, I have to say I think it looks out of place on Mason Ave. I thought this was declared a historic district and the hotel was a historic building, in keeping with that I think they could have done a better job in keeping with the historic flavor at least on the outside of the building. Maybe they should have to change out the terraces to be more in line to the proper period. I have to admit I am really not involved in local politics yet but I thought there was a historical committee that had to approve these plans. I don’t know how many people are familiar with the town of Cape May NJ, but I always tell my husband that this is Cape May in the rough. I do believe that town thrives all year even though they are a beach community. There are many similarities one being they both are declared historical towns.
Cape Charles is a historic town. We have a Historic Review board. The plans that were given to the Historic review board for the hotel did NOT include the glass fronts on the balconies. It was suppossed to be wrought iron. I personally don’t think the glass is in keeping with a Historic look.
Yes, the big ol’ empty brick building on the train trax side of the street is so much more historic lookin’……..
I love the Cape Charles Hotel’s new look. As different as it is, it blends. I hope the owners won’t be asked to put in wrought iron, or to do anything to change the hotel’s look. It works, just as it is, as far as I am concerned.