Public Hearings on Rezoning School Property August 23
By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave
August 1, 2012
At a special meeting Tuesday night, the Cape Charles Town Council set a date for two public hearings regarding zoning for the old Cape Charles high school. The Town has signed a purchase contract with Echelon Resources, Inc., to sell the building and land for $10, but a condition of the contract is that the zoning be changed to allow for a 17-unit apartment building.
The public hearings are scheduled for Thursday, August 23, at 6 p.m. at a location to be announced.
Residents crowded the council chamber for Tuesday’s meeting, spilling out into the hallway. But because it was a special meeting, no public comment was allowed.
Frank Wendell was the only member of council to vote against holding the public hearings. He questioned the need to rezone the school property from Open Space to R-1 Residential, and the subsequent conditional use permit that would allow Echelon to locate an apartment building in an R-1 zone.
“Is replacement of the basketball court the only condition for the conditional use?” Wendell asked. “No repurchase agreement, like the [Town] attorney recommended?”
Councilman Tom Godwin asked that the council set a timeframe for construction of a new basketball court. The existing basketball court would be conveyed to Echelon Resources to be used for apartment parking.
“We haven’t talked about where it would be,” said Town Manager Heather Arcos.
“That will open Pandora’s Box,” said Councilman Chris Bannon.
“I think it’s already open,” replied Wendell.
What about the fact the the towns own attorney said that Echelon should give the town a performance bond and our “not so esteemed” Mayor and town council let Echelon have that taken out of the contract ??? Also who is going to pay for the new basketball court? My guess is it won’t be Echelon ! Yes people…let’s just hand our 100 year old historic school to Echelon on a silver platter. I for one would like to know why the town council and mayor refuse to look out for the citizens of the town and are practically working hand in hand with Echelon???
Sure give me the shivers
Would the Cape Charles Town Council and Administration please share with the citizens the great insight and financial wisdom they have in the merits of giving away one piece of town property for $10 plus insurance proceeds and purchasing a taxable private property, removing it from the revenue side and placing it on the expense side of the ledger?
How will the purchase cost of $208,000, plus renovation cost, which are unknown,
lost tax revenue from purchasing private property be recouped to pay for the wells when they are needed? Is there another source of revenue the citizens are not aware of as they are not privy to the “secret or closed door meetings” where these issues seem to be decided?
It’s not too difficult now to understand why the library board did not support saving the Historic Cape Charles school !
Just wondering.