Park Bathroom Appeal Denied by Town Council
Wooden stakes are footprint of proposed Central Park bathroom. The tops of the stakes indicate floor level required to prevent flooding from the adjoining drainage pond. (Wave photo)
Cape Charles Wave
January 14, 2013
After preliminary construction began last month on a bathroom in Central Park designed to resemble a nearby sewer pump station, resident Don Riley appealed to Town Council, which stopped construction pending a hearing.
Riley was appealing the approval of the Historic District Review Board. He noted that new construction in the Historic District is required to “relate to the design character of the historic buildings in the area.”
“There are many examples of nearby historic buildings, but the pumping station is not one of them,” Riley wrote in his appeal. He also circulated a petition among local residents.
Riley addressed Town Council at last Thursday’s meeting. He said that the site is wrong, the building is too large, and flooding will be a problem. No engineering study exists on whether the building would work at that site, he noted.
Only two council members agreed with Riley.
Steve Bennett said, “I disagree with the Historic District Review Board approving that building in its present form, not in its present location.” He said that he was not happy with the size of the building, and felt that it was “pretty ugly.” Something that looks more like the pergola would be appropriate, he suggested. He further argued that a redesign might not drive up cost if the building were made smaller.
Frank Wendell also voted against the bathroom, based on its proximity to a deep drainage pond.
Joan Natali spoke in favor of the bathroom because it was better than the existing porta-potty. Chris Bannon, Tom Godwin, and Mike Sullivan also voted to deny the appeal.
Riley said his next step will be to appeal to the circuit court. [Read more…]
LETTER: Town Courts Should Have Multiple Uses
January 14, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
QUESTION: How many young people use the tennis courts?
ANSWER: Almost none.
QUESTION: How many young people used the basketball court?
ANSWER: About 15 each day, including Cape Charles Christian School students.
QUESTION: How often are the tennis courts used?
ANSWER: Less than once a week.
QUESTION: How often was the basketball court used?
ANSWER: Every day.
QUESTION: What was the cost of the two lighted tennis courts?
ANSWER: Over $90,000.
QUESTION: What was the cost of the one unlighted basketball court?
ANSWER: Under $5,000.
In many municipalities, recreational facilities are designed for multiple uses to save money. This is done through proper allocation of space and time based on demand and equality.
It is tremendously selfish to think that it is a big burden on one or two tennis players to wait an hours for a court, while 10-15 young people who have no place to play basketball have to wait months for the possibility of a court being built. [Read more…]
Hundreds Expected in Town for Ultra Triathlon September 7
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
January 12, 2013
Cape Charles will host an estimated 200-600 participants for a 140-mile ultra-triathlon – swim, bike, run – Saturday, September 7, with Mason Avenue the epicenter of the event.
Each participant is expected to be accompanied by 1.3 supporters, resulting in somewhere between 500 and 1500 visitors that weekend.
The course entails a 2.4-mile swim on the Chesapeake Bay, followed by a 112-mile bike stage and finishing with a 26.2-mile marathon.
The entire marathon course will be in Cape Charles, with a 13.1-mile loop through the town and Bay Creek which will be run twice, starting and finishing on Mason Avenue.
Local resident Beth Davis is the community relations manager for the event. She and race organizer Don Mann provided an overview of the event at last Thursday’s Town Council meeting.
Mann owns a home on the Eastern Shore, and decided the area was a perfect place for an ultra-sporting event because of its natural beauty and tranquil surroundings.
“We don’t need your money — just your support,” Davis said. She and Mann have met with Town Manager Heather Arcos, recreation director Jennifer Lewis, and Police Chief Sambo Brown. [Read more…]
LETTER: Convert One Tennis Court to a Basketball Court
Former basketball court sits unused. Town has granted developer Echelon Resources an extension until May 1 to begin work.
January 11, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
Was it necessary for the town to remove the basketball hoops at this time?
The developer of the old school, Echelon Resources, has requested more time before beginning construction, due to the court hearing in late January.
Couldn’t the town have waited to see the outcome, or at least discussed the matter with residents to come up with an alternative solution?
The basketball court was the center of physical activity for children and young men and women of all colors, and it was the only exercise facility available to students at Cape Charles Christian School.
One basketball court was enough to entertain and provide exercise for 10 or more youths at the same time.
No one complained about the rusted hoops, broken chains, uneven court, or lack of safety measures to protect the children from running to the middle of the Madison Street to retrieve the basketball.
The basketball court was the ONLY place where children and young people got away from TV, cell phones, text messaging, and computer games.
It was a place where young people could learn to work in a group and cooperate with each other.
There is a solution to our loss of a basketball court: Convert the two tennis courts to one tennis court and one basketball court. [Read more…]
SATURDAY 1/12: Annual ‘Epiphany Party’ at Fire Station
The annual Epiphany Party is 6 p.m. Saturday, January 12, at the Cape Charles Fire Station. Numerous items, including pink flamingoes, will be sold at auction. The public is invited.
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 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…]
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…]
