Personally, I don’t know of any, Mid-Atlantic town-limit beach, which offers free parking. Many have paid lots or parking kiosks. Cape Charles should implement the automated cash/credit card kiosk concept for daily beach visitors, with three units installed (at each end and one mid-way). Residents would have a local sticker which exempts them from paying and perhaps a visitor pass for guests who come to see them. Renters, hotel or B&B guests could have a windshield permit issued when they check-in and retrieved when they checkout. The parking proceeds could help to pay the costs of maintaining the beach and the town in general. Local law enforcement could ticket those parked along the beach or in town without a sticker, windshield permit or kiosk parking stub, also earning revenue for the town from those who fail to participate.

Oh! I’ve heard the protests which declare, “that would keep visitors away and the businesses would suffer.” As a former small business owner, I can attest to the fact that the majority of beach visitors are not visiting your businesses. They are sunbathing, swimming, playing in the sand or fishing.

Wake up Cape Charles and run this place like a real town and benefit from the experiences of other beach communities who have, and continue to prosper.

Second, the article stated that the commission rate for managing short term or vacation rentals is 10%. Actually, the commission rates range from about 17% to 23%.

Third, related to the insinuation that there was something underhanded in the fact that two B&B’s are grandfathered with regard to the parking requirements, both of those B&B’s were permitted before the parking requirement was enacted. It is common practice that when a new or revised code would render a property non-compliant, the property would be grandfathered with conditions.

Additionally, if the Town began to enforce the business license, it would amount to no more than $50 or $60 a year for a vacation rental. The County calculates the personal property tax assessment on vacation rentals at the rate of $500 per room not counting bathrooms. On a 7 room house, the tax would amount to about $135 per year. All rental properties are required to have periodic Occupancy Permit inspections, both long term and short term.

Property managers for vacation rentals typically collect both Town and County occupancy taxes and State sales taxes and remit them to the proper agencies relieving the owners of those tasks and bookkeeping chores.

GEORGE SOUTHERN RESPONDS — Mr. Little’s expert commentary is always appreciated. The figure of 402 vacation rental houses indeed seems too high, but that was the figure stated at the August 19, 2013, meeting of the Cape Charles Planning Commission, the minutes of which may be read here (see page 3): http://www.capecharles.org/documents/20130910-PCMtgAgendaPkt.pdf

Mr. Little writes, “IF the Town began to enforce the business license. . . .“ In fact, that was the point of the whole story, which in retrospect should have been better emphasized. The Town IS now trying to enforce the business license requirement on homeowners. The Town has mailed letters to property owners believed to be renting their houses, stating: “If your property is a short-term rental (i.e. weekly rental) you are required to obtain a Cape Charles Business License through the Treasurer’s Office.” And the minutes of the August 15, 2013, Town Council meeting report “an ongoing collection effort to obtain unpaid business license taxes.”

Actually the purpose was to bring to the attention of the public that the Town HAS started to crack down on vacation rentals. –EDITOR

Another important article from the Wave!