PLANNING COMMISSION: ‘Drastic’ Flood Zone Reduction?

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

May 7, 2013

Cape Charles Town Planner Tom Bonadeo has informed the Planning Commission that new Flood Insurance Rate Maps “have changed drastically by reducing the AE flood zone.”

The AE flood zone is the area for which flood insurance may be required. “The change is so drastic we need to be sure that there is not a mistake,” Bonadeo wrote.

The maps will be released May 21, and a 90-day comment period will follow. The new maps do not take effect until August 2014.

The Planning Commission will meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Town Hall.

The meeting will begin with a public hearing for a conditional use permit at 712 Randolph Avenue (Mosher Rehabilitation building) to allow an apartment over existing commercial space.

The Town information packet for the meeting may be read at http://www.capecharles.org/documents/20130507PCAgendaPkt.pdf

Bonadeo has also reported that: Read more

MONDAY 5/12: New Flood Maps Explained at County Open House

With the recent release of updated flood maps, Northampton County will hold a Flood Risk Open House 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 12, at the Department of Social Services building, 5265 The Hornes. The meeting is to inform property owners about their flood risk and their proposed zone on the preliminary maps. Some flood zone areas are changing. Read more

Town Flood Insurance Rates Should See ‘Drastic’ Drop

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 11, 2013

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is proposing “a drastic change regarding flood zones in Cape Charles.”

Town Planner Rob Testerman told the Cape Charles Planning Commission July 9 that a majority of the Historic District, currently rated high-risk by FEMA, is proposed to be reclassified at a much lower risk of flooding.

That is wonderful news to any property owner paying flood insurance premiums.

Under FEMA rules, federally regulated lenders require property owners to buy flood insurance in areas labeled “A or “V” on the FEMA flood zone map.

In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year period.

In the current 2008 FEMA map, “a majority of the historic portion of Cape Charles is located in the AE Zone,” Testerman said.

But the preliminary map for 2013 “shows the AE zone ending at the beach,“ he noted.

The most flood-prone area is of course the beach itself, which retains a “VE” classification. Read more

Flood Warning, Wind Warning, and High Surf Advisory

Issued by HOLLYE CARPENTER
Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator

October 28, 2012

Due to the approach of Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sandy, the Northampton County Director of Emergency Services declared a local emergency.

Emergency Management officials are advising all residents to prepare for high winds (50-60 mph) and extended high level tidal flooding as this storm approaches the Eastern Shore.

The County’s Emergency Operations Center has opened effective 12 noon Sunday. A Mandatory Evacuation Notice has been issued for all low-lying and flood-zone areas of the County effective 12 noon today.

An Emergency Evacuation Shelter is open at the Northampton High School in Eastville. If you are planning on evacuating to the Emergency Shelter, please bring a three-day supply of sleeping linens, food, and medications. Pets will not be allowed in the Shelter. Read more

County Planning Commission Hears Discouraging Data

By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave

March 30, 2015

The Northampton County Planning Commission met March 25 to continue amending the zoning and land use map. Commissioners Mike Ward provided statistical handouts  including the following:

· Population decreased 7.39% in the years 2000-2014;

· Jobs declined 20.7% in the period 1999-2014;

· Property values declined 20.26% between 2009-14;

· Median Household income declined 7.44% between 2010-2014;

· Poverty rate increased to 24.3% in 2013, up 6.3% from 2007; and

· Economic Development plummeted in recent years.

· Northampton commercial establishments that closed in recent years include Roses, LeCato, A&N Clothing, Bank of America in Cape Charles, Sun Trust Bank in Nassawadox, KFC, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, and Burger King and Fresh Pride in Exmore. Rural Health moved from Nasswadox to Onancock, and Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital is doing the same.

Ward also noted that Shore Memorial Hospital’s impending move will create health, safety, and public welfare challenges. Similar challenges also face economic development endeavors, and poor school performance and low teacher salaries serve as a disincentive to attract “quality personnel.”

Residents may want to prepare for an increase in taxes, he said, as there will be fiscal pressures due to the need in part to “replace aging equipment and maintain existing facilities, together with salaries”.

When the Planning Commission meets April 7, on the agenda are three Special Use Permits, a single wide mobile home request, a Conference Retreat Center for Mimosa Farms, and a proposal to open a raw bar/bistro in the 1,000 square-foot Harvey building on the waterfront in Oyster. Read more

County Approves Restaurants in Oyster and Kiptopeke

By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave

April 20, 2015

The Northampton Board of Supervisors approved the FY 2016 budget April 14, which included a $320,000 increase in school funding as well as a 2% cost of living increase for county workers. To accommodate these increases, staff and operations cuts have been put in motion, including the elimination of one county building inspector, and a code enforcement official reduced to part time status.

There will be a tax rate increase, but the Board kept it to less than 1 cent ($0.6805) per $100 of the assessed value for real estate. Personal property taxes (including aircraft) will be raised to $3.90 (up from $3.85) per $100 assessed value. The vote to approve the budget was 4-1, with Supervisor Oliver Bennett voting no as show of protest against cutting county jobs (just prior to an election cycle).

Although the budget approval was the most pressing part of the agenda, real estate and special use permits for several high profile projects took front and center. At the forefront were two projects by Eyre Baldwin. The first was for a Conference Center/Retreat at the barns of the historically restored Mimosa Farm. The retreat plans to have up to 10 guest rooms. The parcel is currently zoned Agricultural/Rural Business and sits on over 17 acres of land. Cela Burge of the law firm Turner and Turner, representing Baldwin, told the Board that “using the barn meets the goals of the Comp Plan, is a low-impact special use, and is a quality rural business.” She said that “we have gone as far as we can go on this project” without approval from the Health Department, but in a “chicken and egg” scenario, the Health Department would not do anything until there was an approved use for the parcel.

During public comments, Elizabeth Dodd of the Northampton Chamber of Commerce said, “This will bring vendors and business to the county . . . bringing in people from outside the county; this is an historic venue that will be perfect for hosting distinctive events.”

“There has been a crying need for a product of this nature,” added Joan Prescott of Eastville. “This is an adequate and lovely facility . . . travel and tourism will benefit from this lovely property . . . it will bring in high quality, low-impact groups.”

Carol Evans of the Chamber said, “This property has been impeccably, historically restored . . . it will add to our tax base, and is the kind of sustainable business we need in the county . . . that will respect our historic environment.”

Applicant Baldwin stated that he and his companies have been trying to bring opportunities to Northampton County, but were always being told by the county to hold off. “Over the years, we have spent $10 million to get things done here . . . and yet, we are always told to just wait, that the county is going to change the zoning. We are in such a time, we need to get things done with a ‘Yes.’ It hurts the little guy, the guy that wants to make a hustle parking cars or shucking oysters . . . it hurts local planners and photographers and musicians. How can we learn to say yes? Help me, help you save the economy.” Read more

Planning Commission Sends Half-Finished
Zoning Recommendations to Board of Supervisors

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

June 9, 2014

Tuesday, June 10, is the big meeting of Northampton County Board of Supervisors on next steps to rezone the county. The Supervisors will consider zoning recommendations submitted by the Planning Commission, which state in a cover letter that there was not “adequate time” to properly review the draft zoning proposal. Planning Commissioner Mike Ward said the best the Planning Commission can do is submit its recommendations and offer to finish the job if the Supervisors give them more time.

County Administrator Katie Nunez has advised the Supervisors that Virginia law stipulates a 100-day time limit for Planning Commission consideration of a zoning application. But opponents of the rezoning, led by Exmore activist Ken Dufty, maintain that the 100-day limit was never meant to apply to zoning changes proposed by the county itself. Instead, it is meant to be a protection to resident applicants to assure timely consideration of their requests.

“This section of code, as well as the time limitation, was obviously written by the Virginia Legislature to give a private developer or resident seeking a zoning amendment the certainty that their request would not be hanging out in regulatory nowhere land for an extended length of time,” Dufty said. “It was seemingly never intended to give a governing body the right to impose a strict time limit on their own Planning Commission.” Dufty has requested a ruling from County Attorney Bruce Jones on the use of the code by the Supervisors.

All members of the Planning Commission agree that they only made it halfway through the review of the massive proposed changes. Commissioner Ward noted that just deliberating the proposed elimination of the Chesapeake Bay Protection Act on the seaside could take two years. Read more

Council Gives Final OK to Turn Old School into Apartments

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 24, 2012

Cape Charles Town Council voted Thursday night to rezone the Town’s old school, basketball court, and playground parking area from Open Space to R-1 Residential, and also to allow a 17-unit apartment building to be built in a single-family residential area.

The vote in each instance was 5-1, with Councilman Frank Wendell dissenting.

Some 100 people turned out for the meeting in the Fire Hall. Mayor Dora Sullivan laid out several ground rules but was unsuccessful in enforcing them. “Be respectful and stay on topic,” she said – no personal attacks or accusations. She informed Wendell that he could speak during the public hearing or during Council discussion, but not both.  However, Wendell insisted that when he was elected a member of Council, he did not lose his rights as a public citizen. Ultimately he was allowed to speak at length.

During the Public Hearing, Town Police removed two of the speakers from the podium, and a member of the Planning Commission threatened to assault a member of the press for photographing him.

Wendell urged Council to heed the advice of former town manager Tim Krawczel to put some conditions in the conditional use permit. That should include heeding the recommendation of the town’s attorney for a buyback option and performance bond to protect the Town’s interest in the property in case the developers were unable to carry out their plans. Wendell also moved that the Town retain the basketball court and playground parking lot, suggesting that Echelon build a parking lot across the street for the apartment house. The motion did not pass. Read more