Old School Cape Charles Gets First Day in Court

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 26, 2013

The Town of Cape Charles sold the old school and park property for $10 to a developer last month, but the residents group known as Old School Cape Charles hopes to walk it back.

The group has filed two lawsuits in Northampton Circuit Court — one appealing the sale of the park property, and the other appealing the rezoning.

Judge Revell Lewis heard three hours of arguments yesterday over whether the lawsuits merit a trial.

“I have listened carefully,” Lewis said at the end of the day. “Because of the complexity, I will not render a decision today.”

A written decision will be issued in two or three weeks.

The decision could be to go to trial, to dismiss the cases, or some combination of those.

Top Cape Charles officials spent most of the day at the hearing, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. but did not get underway until 1 p.m.

Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan sat through it all, accompanied by both Town Manager Heather Arcos and Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek.

Also keeping watch was Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown.

The only current Town Council member attending was Frank Wendell, a vociferous opponent of divesting the school.

Former Council members Bruce Evans and Larry Veber were there, both of whom voted to sell the school. Former Council member John Burdiss was also present. Burdiss was not a council member at the time of the sale, but Town records show that he attended at least one closed session when Town Council was secretly negotiating to sell the school.

Representing Old School Cape Charles was its president, Wayne Creed, accompanied by a group of about 16 supporters.

The preliminary hearing was a long time coming. Old School Cape Charles filed the first lawsuit last July. [Read more…]