Town Recalculates Bay Creek Beach Club Charges
Beach Club under construction at Bay Creek will be 19,000 square feet and ultimately include an indoor pool and two outdoor pools. The Town of Cape Charles estimated water use by comparing the Beach Club to a “high school with showers.”
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
July 23, 2013
Connection charges for Town water and sewer lines to Bay Creek’s new Beach Club originally were calculated at $153,000 but were dropped to $44,000.
The Town of Cape Charles released the information in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Wave.
The issue arose after a prominent local contractor posted a comment in the Wave noting that “. . . (according to rumor) a reduced water/sewer hookup fee was given to the Bay Creek South company.”
In reaction, the Town issued a special edition of the Cape Charles Gazette with a “Message from the Mayor.”
Mayor Dora Sullivan wrote: “The Town did not reduce the connection charges for the new Beach Club at Bay Creek Resort & Club. The charge was calculated after obtaining a good understanding of the projected water and wastewater use at this new facility.”
Whether or not the Town reduced the connection charges may depend on what the definition of “calculation” is.
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Town Manager Heather Arcos signed a May 3, 2012, Memorandum of Agreement with Oral Lambert, Bay Creek CEO. The agreement states: “The original calculation [emphasis added] of the water and sewer connection charge was $153,006.”
According to the agreement, the calculation was based on a building code maximum occupancy of 879 persons. But building code occupancy calculations “are not a good fit for determining water and wastewater capacity demand for this type of facility,” the agreement states.
Bay Creek projects that in the first year, the average daily occupancy of the Beach Club will be fewer than 50 people, but special events could draw up to 200 people.
An estimate of water use at the Beach Club was derived by comparing the club to a “high school with showers” using 16 gallons per day per person.
Under the “high school with showers” formula, the Town recalculated the connection charge at $44,166. This compares with a single-family house connection charge of $12,350. The Beach Club connection charge thus is roughly equivalent to 3.5 single-family houses.
In a meeting with Town Manager Arcos and Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek, a Wave reporter asked if any adjustment was calculated for a swimming pool. Panek said no, because swimming pools don’t use very much water.
According to a Bay Creek press release, the new Beach Club will be 19,000 square feet and include an indoor pool and two outdoor pools with a splash zone and aquatic play area for kids. Other features include a 2,800 square-foot members’ lounge, a game room, and a snack bar.
The Beach Club will be a members-only facility. Current golf members will automatically receive Beach Club privileges. A family golf membership requires a $20,000 deposit and a $330 monthly fee. Families wishing only to use the Beach Club may join upon payment of a $5,000 deposit and a $90 monthly charge. Membership is by invitation only, but members are not required to own property in Bay Creek.
No thank you.
Bay Creek sales representatives never mentioned the ridiculous costs of using the beach club but promoted it as an AMENITY of living at Bay Creek.
Liars all; and you know who you are! Fortunately, the peons living here already have use of the pool paid for with our monthly fees. However, maintenance there is another Bay Creek JOKE!
Bay Creek representative Susan Linfert has complained that our story states that membership in the Beach Club is by invitation only. She emphasized that membership is not restricted, and anyone can join. We have referred her to the Bay Creek website which states: “Each initial purchaser of a residence or homesite in the Community who is invited and has been approved may at any time within 60 days from the date of his or her real estate contract or condominium reservation apply for a membership in the Club.” The statement appears on page 5 of Bay Creek’s FAQS. Click here to read the FAQs
Stay tuned to find out whose hands have been caught in the cookie jar. Still waiting for feedback on the foundations. Hello? May-day, may-day! Miss Mayor, you want us to support an economic development partner who turned the ball field into a bean field and who didn’t fulfill his obligation to the American Legion…to the men and women who defend our country? Where’s the support for the citizens of this town? This is a reverse Robin Hood story.
Avg. swimming pool, 18,000-20,000 gals., not very much.