Board Approves 1-Room Hotel Behind Kelly’s Pub

#1 Pine Street has been approved for conversion into a 1-room hotel.

Renovations to #1 Pine Street have been approved for conversion into a 1-room hotel.

CORRECTION: This story was updated at 4 p.m. to correct information on the property owner. The owner is Beach Town LLC, and the managing member and principal is Bill Parr of Parr Properties.

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 20, 2013

Cape Charles Historic District Review Board approved plans yesterday to remodel the building at 1 Pine Street into a one-room hotel.

The south wall of the building is also the back wall of Kelly’s Gingernut Pub. Bill Parr of Parr Properties told the Board that the one-story building will become a one-room hotel along with an office that might later be converted to a second hotel room. The application for renovations was filed in the name of Beach Town LLC, with Parr being the managing member and principal.

The historic old storefront has been in disrepair for decades. Local architect Leon Parham has completed the design, and Parr said he wants to start construction as soon as possible. The first step is to remove a Town dumpster beside the building in order to repair the wall. [Read more…]

THURSDAY 11/21: Seminar on Marshes and Sea Level Rise

Seminar on Thursday, November 21, at 7 p.m. at Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center in Oyster. Refreshments. [Read more…]

FRIDAY 11/22: Is Gun Control About Guns, Or Control?

Science and Philosophy Seminar of the Eastern Shore of Virginia presents “GUN CONTROL: Is It about Guns, or Control?” 12:30 p.m. Friday, November 22, in the Lecture Hall of the Eastern Shore Community College, 29300 Lankford Hwy., Melfa. [Read more…]

FRIDAY 11/22: ‘Off the Hook’ Band Performs at ESO LIVE!

ESO LIVE! Features the band Off the Hook 8 p.m. Friday, November 22, at the ESO Arts Center in Belle Haven. [Read more…]

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MONDAY 11/25: Deadline to Order Poinsettias from Christian School

Cape Charles Christian School is selling unique and bountiful varieties of poinsettias from Appleseed Nurseries, with proceeds benefitting the school. [Read more…]

$1,600 Raised for Trailer Park Kitties and Their Kin

ESSO volunteer Sandy Mayer holds a trailer park kitten during last Sunday’s fundraiser at Chesapeake Bay View B&B. (Wave photo)

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 19, 2013

Three local cat lovers have formed a new spay/neuter organization after a previous service lost its non-profit status. ESSO, short for Eastern Shore Spay Organization, aims to humanely control the Cape Charles cat population.

Sharyl Cline, Pete Bauman, and Sandy Mayer are well known to residents of the Historic District for their cat rescue efforts. Now they are formalizing their work with a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. And fortunately for the group (and the Town), Mayer’s husband, “Dr. Hank,” has the financial expertise to file the required paperwork.

An ESSO benefit at the Mayers’ Bed & Breakfast, Chesapeake Bay View, raised $1,600 last Sunday to help folks with cats in need of fixing. The first project is the area around the old trailer park on Madison Avenue. Although most of the trailers were removed earlier this year, the trailer cats stayed behind.

Cline said the trio use a method called TNR — trap, neuter, and return. The adult trailer park cats are what Cline calls “hard strays.” “I don’t like to use the term feral cats, but rather hard strays. Hard strays are cats that will only come to someone who feeds them,” she said. [Read more…]

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Town Council OKs New Loan, May Borrow Another Million

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 18, 2013

Cape Charles Town Council voted November 14 to refinance two loans for $1.215 million at a variable interest rate and begin preparations to borrow $1 million more. Borrowing additional money requires a public hearing, scheduled for December 5.

Richmond financial advisor David Rose of Davenport & Company urged Council to take advantage of historically low interest rates with a 20-year loan from PNC Bank. The interest rate would be 2.65 percent for 10 years and then change to whatever the market rate is in 2024.

Rose claimed the PNC loan did not have a variable rate because the interest rate would only change once. But according to Wikipedia, “variable rate” refers to any type of loan “that does not have a fixed rate of interest over the life of the instrument.” (Click for definition.) Rose’s fee to the Town for arranging the new loan is $37,500.

Councilman Frank Wendell asked Treasurer Kim Coates how much debt the Town currently has. Coates was unable to say, but Rose thought it was around $8 million or $9 million. After consulting with bond counsel Kevin White, he revised that estimate to “about $10 million.” [Read more…]

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