Planning Commissioners Want Hotels on the Highway
Entrance to Rittenhouse Motor Inn, the closest highway motel to Cape Charles. Planning commissioners believe that a chain motel would attract more customers.
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 4, 2013
Cape Charles Planning Commissioners cast their eyes outside Town limits at their October 1 meeting, as Town Planner Robert Testerman asked for ideas about kinds of highway businesses that could benefit the Town, as well as those that could hurt it.
“Good” businesses suggested by the planning commissioners for Route 13 included chain motels, an antique center, outlet stores, fast food restaurants, adult daycare, a tutoring center, family practice, an emergency care facility, retail seafood, a veterinarian, dog grooming, and eco-tour businesses.
Businesses judged as hurting the Town included a chain drugstore and chain restaurants.
Commissioner Andy Buchholz noted, “In town there are taxes and licenses. Out of town there aren’t.”
Development outside of town was on the agenda as the result of a recent joint work session by the Town and County planning commissions. Routes into Cape Charles make up the Historic Town Entrance Corridor Overlay District, as designated in the 1991 Annexation Agreements.
Town planning commissioners agreed that Route 13 needs more motels. The existing ones (Rittenhouse Motor Inn, Peacock Inn, Shore Stay Suites, Sunset Beach Inn) are not chains, which they saw as a negative. Speaking about the nearest motel, the Rittenhouse, for example, Buchholz said, “People won’t stop there. They’ll stay at a Red Roof Inn. They will not stop unless it is a known chain.” [Read more…]
