Special Town Council Meeting Wednesday on South Port Request for Water Charge Waiver

NOTE: TIME HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 4:30 p.m. DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS.

Cape Charles Town Council is holding a special meeting 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 22, at Town Hall to act on a request from South Port Investors that the Town waive the normal utility hookup fees for three parcels leased from the Town for use by Cape Charles Yacht Center. The fees would be at least $40,000. South Port requests that it be treated the same as the Shanty Restaurant, which also leases property from the Town and which had its utility hookup fee waived.

There are other precedents by the Town for reducing utility connection fees. The original connection fee for the new Bay Creek Beach Club was $153,000, but the Town dropped it to $44,000.

Connection fees for the 17 apartments planned to be built in the Old School at Central Park would have been over $200,000, but through a series of actions by Town Council, the final cost to the developer will be almost zero.

The Town is also not billing the developer for water while the building sits empty.

Section 72-9 of the Town Code states:

Liability for minimum charges.

(a) The owner of any house, building or property which is used for commercial, industrial and/or residential purposes and is connected to the system shall be liable for the minimum water and sewer charges.

(b) The owner of a vacant lot is not required to pay the minimum charges. Connection charges shall apply when a house or building is constructed on a qualifying vacant lot, per sections 70-35 and 70-42.

(c) If a connection existed as of June 30, 2007, and the house or building has since been demolished, the owner shall continue to be liable for the minimum charges. Connection charges shall not apply when the vacant lot is rebuilt.