COMMENTARY: Expert Warns Eastern Shore –
Special Trade Status Slipping Away
Foreign Trade Zone status is crucial to attracting wind energy development. Cape Charles — and the entire Eastern Shore — is in danger of losing FTZ status.
By MICHAEL W. O’BEIRNE
October 23, 2012
Earlier this month I attended the American Wind Energy Association Offshore Windpower conference in Virginia Beach. Coastal Virginia wind-related project sites are in various stages of development. Investors have amassed, and logistics are being refined in hopes that offshore leases will head towards steel in the water.
Yet, as corporate forces are gearing up, the Virginia Port Authority is changing the Eastern Shore’s most vital investment and trade incentive — how they allocate Foreign Trade Zone designations and to whom.
Politics and competing economic interests from Hampton Roads may leave the Eastern Shore high, dry, and out of the game.
A little background: In July 2009 I toured sites along the Delmarva coast in a project development visit for wind energy companies and manufacturers.
Since then, several domestic and foreign interests have proposed, built, and still have site agreements for future wind developments — both onshore and offshore on the Eastern Shore and in the Atlantic Ocean.
But much more work needs to be done.
My business centers on U.S. incentives to attract foreign investment. That’s why I came to Northampton and Accomack counties — to see U.S. Foreign Trade Zone sites firsthand at Wallops Island, Accomack Airport Industrial Park, and the Cape Charles Sustainable Technologies Industrial Park (part of the Southport development).
There is also a tiny sliver of land in Cape Charles used to dump dredged materials designated as a Foreign Trade Zone.
Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan raised FTZs in a 2011 letter to Governor McDonnell urging focus upon her town in the offshore wind energy game. [Read more…]
Battle of the Yard Signs: Democrats on Top in Historic District
Almost 300 yard signs are posted in the Historic District, including national and local political races,
For Sale signs, and support for local initiatives. (Wave photo)
By CAPE CHARLES WAVE STAFF
October 22, 2012
Yard signs tell a story — whether or not it’s an accurate one.
In observance of the political silly season, Wave staff drove 15 miles up and down each street in the Cape Charles Historic District yesterday, recording every single yard sign they saw — almost 300 in all.
That includes political signs, For Sale signs, and various community advocacy signs. Permanent signs such as for vacation rentals were not counted.
The biggest surprise was that the Blue candidates (Obama, Kaine, Herschbiel) trounced the Red ones.
That doesn’t mean Cape Charles has more Democrats than Republicans — it just means more Democrats put up yard signs.
At the local Town Council level, Steve Bennett racked up 43 signs to Dan Burke’s 31. Town Council candidates do not register by political party, so no correlation can be established between the local and national races.
One interesting phenomenon: all five Cape Charles bed & breakfasts are displaying Steve Bennett signs. Bennett thus wins the “George Washington slept here” award.
Community Center/Old School Cape Charles, with many variations, recorded 31 signs.
Worthy of mention: “Prayer: America’s Only Hope” was seen 8 times. [Read more…]
THURSDAY 10/25: Town Council Candidate Forum at Palace Theater
Cape Charles Town Council candidates Steve Bennett and Dan Burke will debate and answer questions at a candidate forum 6 p.m. Thursday, October 25, at the Palace Theatre. [Read more…]
Old School Group Protests Tax Credits to Remove Parkland
The Town of Cape Charles official website above states: “the Cape Charles school building still occupies the park.” Old School Cape Charles, LLC, has sent the above printout to Richmond, asking why the National Park Service would enable a portion of Central Park, including the school, basketball court, and parking area, to be converted to an apartment building.
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 19, 2012
Old School Cape Charles, LLC, the group fighting to save the school in Central Park from becoming an apartment building, has launched a new frontal attack: tax credits.
The would-be apartment developers, Echelon Resources, Inc., have always maintained they will not take ownership of the school until the Virginia Department of Historic Resources approves their application for tax credits.
Echelon hopes to receive a 45 percent rebate of its expenses to remodel the school into apartments — 20 percent from the federal government and 25 percent from the state of Virginia.
That rebate would come from tax credits “syndicated” with investors operating other profitable enterprises. Investors in the Echelon project could use the credits to pay taxes on their other businesses.
Both the federal and state tax credit approval process is managed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in Richmond.
Historic Resources Department Director Kathleen Kilpatrick informed the Old School group October 5 that
“. . . neither the Department nor the National Park Service have authority to deny credits if a legal applicant fully meets the requirements of the program as set forth in law and regulations.”
So Old School has set out to document why Echelon Resources fails to meet the “requirements of the program.” [Read more…]
LETTER: Let Voters Choose Northampton School Board
October 18, 2012
DEAR EDITOR,
Many years ago our founding fathers were faced with the choice of acceding to the demands of those persons who insisted that they knew better who should govern them and therefore be appointed to positions of power as opposed to making those decisions themselves through elections.
I’m certain they were somewhat fearful themselves of their decision to make a revolution against those powers and create the first nation on Earth in which the people would be given the opportunity to choose for themselves their representatives.
This year the people of Northampton County will be faced with a similar decision as to whether we will have some control of those persons who will represent us, the citizens, as well as our children on the Northampton County School Board.
Will we leave the appointment of those persons to our Board of Supervisors or will we decide for ourselves through elections, who will represent us?
People have asked why this change should be made, which is indeed a legitimate question. For a myriad of reasons I believe this change will create a better situation for our county, but two in particular stand out.
First — although mistakes by voters can indeed elect someone to the school board who simply should not be entrusted to this important position, there is a remedy: Four years later, that person can be defeated in the next election.
In other words, unlike the present situation, a bad choice can be removed through the election of a better candidate.
In today’s world, members of the school board have little reason or inclination to maintain a close connection to the people, as they simply are not our representatives, but rather the representatives of those people who appointed them.
Second — people who are appointed in today’s world may or may not have an agenda in which the children are their primary concern and focus as opposed to the desires of those to whom they owe the debt of their appointment.
Does anyone truly believe that today’s members will push a policy which is better for our children and community but is not in line with the desires of the members of the Board of Supervisors? [Read more…]
SATURDAY 10/20: Rent or Buy a Halloween Costume at Arts Enter
Halloween costumes for sale or rent at Arts Enter.
Let your imagination be your inspiration.
Costume Mistress Vera Miller will be in the lobby of the Palace Theatre 10 a.m. until noon Saturday, October 20, with all sorts of creative ideas!
WrestleMania Reading Challenge Runs through 11/15
The Cape Charles Memorial Library invites you to join the WrestleMania Reading Challenge! [Read more…]
NO ROOM IN THE INN
Fig Street Bed & Breakfast Gets Permission to Expand
Fig Street Inn opened in May 2011 with 4 guest rooms. Owners Donna and Greg Kohler have received permission to add a 5th room out back. (Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 17, 2012
Cape Charles Historic District Review Board yesterday approved a request from the Fig Street Inn to convert an accessory building behind the main house into a guest room.
Owners Donna and Greg Kohler said their bed and breakfast business is booming since they relocated from Rhode Island and opened the Fig Street Inn in May 2011.
The inn has four guest rooms inside the house but is licensed for six rooms.
Behind the house is an out building once used as a pool house for an above-ground swimming pool since removed.
The pool house will become guest room #5.
The pool house is connected to the main house by a breezeway but is not visible from the street. The house and accessory buildings sit on seven lots. [Read more…]
