Town Planner Bonadeo Retiring; Replacement Appointed

Town Planner Tom Bonadeo’s last day is May 28. (Wave photo)

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

May 20, 2013

Cape Charles Town Planner Tom Bonadeo had planned to retire November 1, but recently moved up the date. His last day of work now will be Tuesday, May 28.

Town Manager Heather Arcos has announced that Robert Testerman will become the new Town Planner as of Friday, May 31.

Testerman is the Land Use Planner for Accomack County, where he has worked for six years. He is a 2006 graduate of Virginia Tech.

Arcos said that three candidates were interviewed for the Town Planner position.

One of Bonadeo’s final projects is to set limits on residential occupancy in the Harbor District. He has urged the Cape Charles Planning Commission to recommend that density be calculated according to a formula known as Floor Area Ratio (FAR). [Read more…]

COMMENTARY: Wake Up and Trim the Fat, Cape Charles!

By DEBORAH BENDER

May 18, 2013

It has come to my attention that the Town of Cape Charles is having budget problems. There is not enough money and too many expenses.

In order to help, I did a little homework. And after speaking with the Town of Onancock’s administrative assistant, I have some advice: Trim the fat, Cape Charles.

According to the 2010 census, Cape Charles has 1,009 full-time residents. The town of Onancock has 1,263 full-time residents.

The Town of Cape Charles has 10 employees in the administrative offices at a salary cost of $509,875.

The town of Onancock has 3 employees in the town office for a total of $195,000 in salaries. That is $314,875 less spent on employees in Onancock than in Cape Charles.

How does Onancock manage with such a small staff? For starters, their town manager is also their town attorney, thus avoiding the price tag for a town lawyer.

The two people who work in the office do all the billing, accounting, customer service, and take turns taking minutes at the town meetings.

They run the entire town office with just three employees! Onancock does not have a town planner, a treasurer, an accountant, a building code enforcer, a community recreation activities director, or an assistant clerk. [Read more…]

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Summer Camps at Cape Charles Christian School

Registration is open through June 3 for the Nature Camp, Sand Castle Camp, and Beach Camp at Cape Charles Christian School. [Read more…]

Developer Rejects Request to Allow Hoops on Empty Court

J. David McCormack, new owner of the Town’s only basketball court, has refused to allow the court to be used during the time it sits idle awaiting conversion to a private parking lot. (Wave photo)

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

May 16, 2013

Real estate developer J. David McCormack, new owner of the former Central Park basketball court and Cape Charles Old School, has rejected a request to allow basketball hoops to be reinstalled on the court.

The request came from two local civic leaders, Lenora Mitchell of Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles, and Wayne Creed of Old School Cape Charles, LLC.

Mitchell and Creed sent developer McCormack a letter after Cape Charles Town Council postponed the deadline for construction at the old school to August 23.

“During the four months since our Town Council gave our school property to Charon Ventures, the young people in our town have been without a place to play basketball. This is a hardship for both children and their parents, since the basketball court was one of the favorite places for our youths to expend their excess energy,” the letter states.

“We request that you allow the town to reinstall the basketball hoops so that both locals and tourists will have a place to play during the interim period before a new court is constructed,” they wrote.

Yesterday, McCormack told Lenora Mitchell no — he would not agree to allow the Town to use the basketball court.

According to Mitchell, McCormack said his reason for denying use was because Old School Cape Charles was suing him.

The Wave left both a voice mail and a text on McCormack’s cell phone last night requesting his side of the story, but did not hear back as of time of publication.

Although McCormack rejected the request from the two civic leaders, the question remains whether he would reject a request from Mayor Dora Sullivan to use the court. [Read more…]

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THURSDAY 5/16: Public Hearing on Waste Management and Town Council Meeting

Cape Charles Town Council will hold a public hearing 6 p.m. Thursday, May 16, at St. Charles Parrish Hall. The regular Town Council meeting will immediately follow. [Read more…]

Wave Announces Listings for Faith-Based Activities

May 15, 2013

The Cape Charles Wave was established to publicize local events open to the public. But until now, faith-based activities have largely slipped through the cracks.

No longer. Effective immediately, there is a specific page in the Wave for information about faith-based activities, entitled, appropriately enough, FAITHS.

It’s not called “Churches,” because a broader designation seemed more appropriate. Several local faith-based activities are not or were not connected with a church.

And although there may be no synagogues or mosques on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, the FAITHS page is intended to be all-inclusive.

The FAITHS tab appears at the top of every page, next to the CLASSIFIEDS tab. Content is wholly dependent on our readership. As with Wikipedia, if you want it to appear, you have to write it and submit it. [Read more…]

FRIDAY 5/17: ‘Agent-Based Robotics’ Seminar at ESCC

The Science and Philosophy Seminar of the Eastern Shore of Virginia presents “Agent-Based Robotics” 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, in the Eastern Shore Community College lecture hall, 29300 Lankford Hwy., Melfa. [Read more…]