THURSDAY 1/10: Public Hearing on South Port, Christian School, and Town Council Meeting on Bathroom Appeal and Echelon Request for More Time

Town Council will hold a public hearing 6 p.m. Thursday, January 10, at St. Charles Parish Hall on a conditional use permit request from South Port Investors’ proposed yacht center. [Read more…]

SHORE THING: Town Tries New Angle in Park Toilet Appeal

Tops of wooden stakes show bathroom floor level required to avoid flooding. (Wave photo)

Tops of wooden stakes indicate bathroom floor level required to avoid flooding. (Wave photo)

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 10, 2013

Act 3 of the little morality play taking place in the historic district will be performed this evening (Thursday) during the Town Council meeting.

The scene for Act 1 was the Hotel Cape Charles, where the Historic District Review Board correctly noticed that the hotel renovations don’t look like the plans the Board had approved.

Owner David Gammino ‘fessed up that after submitting the original plans he got a new, better idea, which would look so much finer than much of the surrounding architecture on Mason Avenue that he didn’t ever imagine anyone would complain.

But as regular readers of the Wave know, Hotel Cape Charles was denied a permanent occupancy certificate, and remains in limbo.

But wait: didn’t anyone read the fine print? That would be Section 8.31 of the Town’s zoning ordinance:

Inspection by Administrator After Approval: When a Certificate of Appropriateness has been issued, the Administrator or Town Building Official shall from time to time inspect the alteration or construction approved by such certificate and shall give prompt notice to the applicant of any work not in accordance with such certificate or violating any ordinance of the Town. The Administrator or Town Building Official may revoke the certificate or the building permit if violations are not corrected by the applicant in a timely manner.

The “certificate of appropriateness” is what the Historic District Review Board issued based on the original drawings for the hotel.

According to the zoning ordinance, it is the responsibility of the Administrator to inspect construction “from time to time” and to give “prompt notice” of work not in accordance with the certificate of appropriateness.

And so the curtain fell on Act 1.

In Act 2 (a humorous diversion) the scene shifted to Central Park. [Read more…]

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Old and New Favorites in ESO Winter Classes

Carole Peirson, oil painting instructor at ESO Arts Center

By DONNA BOZZA
Special to the Cape Charles Wave

January 10, 2013

ESO Arts Center offers a “Shore” cure for the winter doldrums with nearly 40 classes and workshops for youth and adults taught by experts, many of whom have been with ESO for decades.

New offerings include “Photography Workshop 101: Making the Most of your Camera and Images,” and “Beginning Russian Language and Culture,” which explores this fascinating country famous for its endless landscapes, vodka, caviar and Dr. Zhivago.

And for children the new ESO Youth Chorale begins January 22.

Back by popular demand is “Tai Chi for Health,” low impact movements geared for adults of all ages, that began January 7. It joins six different varieties of fitness classes, providing something for anyone wanting to keep their New Year’s resolution.

All ages can learn effective self-defense techniques while improving overall physical conditioning and mental focus through karate with Robert Buckner, a Third Degree Black Belt who has been teaching his popular class for over 20 years. [Read more…]