Comments on: Hotel, Park Bathroom Appeals Challenge Historic Board

By: Beth Ann Sabo

Beth Ann Sabo — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:11:10 +0000

The Hotel Cape Charles is gorgeous, understated and brings people and dollars right downtown where our local businesses need them.

Why don’t we just make the old library building into public restrooms? It already exists, is close to the park, matches the local structures and just needs decent plumbing to serve the community.

By: Dan Breeze

Dan Breeze — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 14:28:06 +0000

Looking at the placement of the bathroom, it will match with the style of the two closest buildings. One is a brick pump house; the other is a brick residence. Why all the fuss? Maybe we should make it look like the building just south of the brick residence or possibly a few houses north of the same building. Those have a nice appeal. Or maybe the large brick building just north of the bathroom.
By the way, the hotel looks nice. If there was a problem during construction then it should have been addressed then, not afterwards. Sounds like someone is exerting their influence in Cape Charles and nobody wants to stand up to them. Sounds like all of this is coming from one person. Wow, all these people being influenced by one person, sound familiar? Hmmmmm.

By: Pete Baumann

Pete Baumann — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:45:52 +0000

Towns need public bathrooms. Unfortunatley, the one planned for the park is not at all in a high traffic area (but for 2-3 times a year), and it will take up area in the park that isn’t all that big to start. As far as the design, the park is a unique location; as long as the design conforms to the rest of the park, it works for me. There are plenty of bricks in the park and brick houses in town, so another small brick building is no big deviation. Bottom line, I’m not excited one way or the other, but I’d prefer the bathrooms to be more accessible to Mason Avenue.
As for the hotel, as long as safety concerns are met, beggars can’t be choosers. Sorry, but if you want businesses to arrive and survive, then welcome people to CC, and a successful hotel is a good addition. I thank people like the Gamminos (whom I’ve never met) who not only spend their money here, but who take the time to deal with obstacles like this.

By: Bruce Lindeman

Bruce Lindeman — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:24:03 +0000

I wish the Gamminos luck. Their letter is eloquently written and considering the points they raise, I wholeheartedly agree with their argument. I hope the Board/Town does the right thing here.

By: Mollie Pickron

Mollie Pickron — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:07:48 +0000

I find it fascinating that one issue is the hotel which turned out beautifully — the town is against the design based on appropriate historical likeness to the buildings in the vicinity, and the other –the exact opposite — citizens fighting back because a very inappropriate design — a 1980’s ugly sewage pump station — has been approved in the midst of lovely old houses and a beautiful new park. There doesn’t seem to be much consistency in what is considered appropriate design. I am also wondering if the hotel is not approved for occupancy what will happen? Will it be too expensive for the owners to do anything with it? Will it just sit there vacant and deteriorate?

I am also wondering why, since the town is planning to rope off Strawberry St. for gala Our Town happenings (like the pirates and wenches weekend for example) why would you put the public bathroom way over on Plum rather than closer to the park board sponsored event(s) on Strawberry?