Will Town Council Make a Boat Load of Trouble?
DIRTY DOZEN: These 12 boats were parked on streets in the Historic District the afternoon of Sunday, September 23. Although a Town ordinance bans boat parking, the ordinance is illegal and not enforced. Town Council is considering asking the State Legislature for special permission to regulate boat parking. (Wave photos)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 24, 2012
First it was political signs, now it’s boats.
One Town ordinance bans display of political signs until 45 days before an election (that’s September 22). Another ordinance prohibits boat parking on the street for more than 48 hours.
Both ordinances are illegal.
Display of political signs on private property is a First Amendment right that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1994.
Boat parking on Town streets is a little more complicated. Town streets are controlled and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation. VDOT allows towns to regulate vehicle parking, but not to differentiate between types of vehicles.
A car or a truck is a vehicle. So is a boat on a trailer. So if the Town permits parking by cars or trucks, it has to allow boats as well.
The Wave surveyed every street in the Historic District yesterday, and found a total of 12 boats parked on streets. There had been high winds that day, and presumably few small boats were out on the water. So the 12 boats would seem to be roughly all the boats parked on Town streets at this time of year. [Read more…]
Service for Martha Rolley, 95, at Cape Charles Cemetery
Martha Anderson Fisher Rolley, 95, wife of the late Francis V. “Drag” Rolley and a resident of Cheriton, died Thursday, September 20, in Nassawadox.
A graveside service will be held Sunday, September 23, at 2 p.m. at Cape Charles Cemetery with Reverend Jeff Conrow and Mr. Barry Downing officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Cheriton United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, c/o Jo Ann Heneghan, P.O. Box 297, Cheriton, VA 23316.
A native of Capeville, she was the daughter of the late Mary Toy “Muh” Fisher and the late Tully Garrison Fisher. [Read more…]
Old School Group Asks Judge to Overturn Zoning Decision
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 21, 2012
Following a contentious public hearing August 23, Cape Charles Town Council voted both to rezone the old school property adjoining Central Park and to issue a conditional use permit allowing the school to be converted to an apartment building in a single family residential area.
The contention has not gone away. Now the issue has landed in Northampton Circuit Court, where Old School Cape Charles LLC and two property owners are asking the judge to declare the Town’s zoning and conditional use ordinances illegal.
This is the second lawsuit filed by Old School Cape Charles. On July 18, the group filed suit to block the sale of the old school to a developer, Echelon Resources, Inc.
Old School Cape Charles maintains that Town Council’s decision to sell the school property without requesting bids, and refusal to consider a competing offer from Old School Cape Charles, was both arbitrary and illegal.
The latest lawsuit, filed September 20, also asks relief for two adjoining property owners, Laura Hickman McSpedden and John L. Hickman, who claim the Town failed to notify them of the public hearing as required by law.
Echelon Resources is also named in the suit as a “party in interest” that is the beneficiary of the zoning and conditional use ordinances.
The legal appeal lists six additional reasons why the Town ordinances should be overturned: [Read more…]
USA Today, on Oyster Trail, Discovers (Hotel) Cape Charles
USA Today story is all about oysters — until it comes to (Hotel) Cape Charles.
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 20, 2012
USA Today is the third major publication in almost as many months to highlight little Cape Charles.
First came Southern Living magazine, which rated Cape Charles among the five “Best Little Beach Towns” in the southeast. (Read the Wave’s report here.)
Then the Washington Post chimed in with a travelogue about the Eastern Shore. (Read the Wave’s report here.)
And now it’s USA Today’s turn. Although the story is mostly about oysters and their comeback on the Chesapeake, the writer also recommends a stay in Cape Charles.
Reading all three publications, it would appear that the USA Today writer read the Washington Post story about Cape Charles, but missed the Southern Living story.
The Southern Living story appeared in the June issue, which hit the stands in May and was probably written much earlier. Under “Where to Stay,” Southern Living wrote: “Rent a house or villa at Bay Creek Resort (from $250). Or, opt for Cape Charles House Bed and Breakfast or Fig Street Inn (both from $140). These updated, turn-of-the-century homes have easy access to downtown.”
But when the Washington Post’s Becky Krystal wrote her story in late July, the tony Hotel Cape Charles had recently opened. And Krystal’s story turned out not to be so much about Cape Charles as about Hotel Cape Charles. She loved it — especially the air conditioning and the hotel mascot, Roxie — Ned Brinkley’s beagle-cockapoo.
Now it’s USA Today’s turn to make the Eastern Shore rounds. Writer Jayne Clark gives Cape Charles only a mention in passing — but guess where she passes: Hotel Cape Charles. [Read more…]
HISTORIC DISTRICT REVIEW BOARD
Back to the Drawing Board for Hotel Cape Charles
Hotel Cape Charles developer David Gammino
(Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 19, 2012
Hotel Cape Charles developer David Gammino came to Town Hall yesterday with his hat in his hand. After spending $2.4 million on a “destination hotel,” he has been unable to receive a permanent certificate of occupancy.
That’s because the completed hotel doesn’t look exactly like the plan the Town approved in April 2011.
In a September 11 letter to Town Planner Tom Bonadeo, Gammino apologized for not sticking to the original plan. “In retrospect, I should have consulted with Town officials . . . my assumptions regarding historic guidelines are informed by many historic tax credit projects, but they are clearly inaccurate with respect to the Town standards. For this, I accept responsibility and apologize.”
Gammino blamed “a rapidly changing business plan” for not keeping the Town informed about architectural changes. At first, he intended only to do “a light remodel” of the old, defunct hotel. But, “we came to the conclusion that reopening the hotel in its existing configuration would be a disservice to the Town of Cape Charles and limit the hotel’s demographic appeal,” he wrote.
That’s when the budget soared from $500,000 for updates to over $2 million for a major overhaul.
The hotel needs to bring in $30,000 a month to remain viable, Gammino said. [Read more…]
Town Removes Entrance to Cape Kids Playground
Cape Kids entrance to Central Park playground was removed Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. by Town workers. According to the contract signed by the Town with a developer, the main entrance is be moved to the other side of the playground after the old school property is sold, and the parking lot will be closed. The property has not yet been sold, and a court injunction has been requested by a local group, Old School Cape Charles LLC, wishing to use the school as a community center rather than for an apartment house. (Continued below)
(Continued from above) Playground site following removal of Cape Kids entranceway. Town Manager Heather Arcos told the Wave that the archway was removed in order to paint it and to allow equipment access into the playground. (Wave photos)
Town Council Defers Action on Randolph & Fig Intersection
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
September 17, 2012
Cape Charles Town Council members agreed September 13 that something needs to be done about the dangerous Randolph Avenue-Fig Street intersection. But they also agreed that now is not the time to do it.
Until 2008, the intersection of Randolph and Fig was controlled by three-way stop signs: all traffic was required to stop except for vehicles on Randolph heading west into Town.
That traffic pattern was blamed for an accident and a number of near misses.
In January 2008, Cape Charles Police Department recommended four-way stop signs for the intersection.
The Virginia Department of Transportation owns Town roads and has authority over signs. At the Town’s request, VDOT performed a traffic study, but the result was not what the Town expected.
Instead of adding a stop sign, VDOT removed the eastbound stop sign on Randolph Avenue to improve traffic flow.
At last Thursday’s Town Council meeting, Council member Frank Wendell urged Council to request a four-way stop. He said the intersection was dangerous because of the number of golf carts, bikes, and children using it.
Police Chief Sambo Brown reported some near misses but no serious accidents at the intersection since 2008.
Town Planner Tom Bonadeo observed that a roundabout might be a better traffic calmer for the intersection. Four-way stops require too many decisions and can cause accidents, he said. [Read more…]
TUESDAY 9/18: Historic District Review Board Hears Hotel Cape Charles Appeal
The Cape Charles Historic District Review Board will meet at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 18, at Town Hall to consider a modified application from Hotel Cape Charles. The hotel is requesting approval of the balcony as constructed, which does not conform with the plans originally approved by the Historic District Review Board.
The meeting is open to the public.
