COMMENTARY:
Promote Economic Development — Not Rezoning

Reprinted by permission from ShoreLine, the newsletter of Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore. 

By DAVID KABLER

April 7, 2014

The reasoning behind the proposed revision of our zoning ordinance, we are told, is to pave the way to economic development. In that light, prompt disclosure of Northampton County’s actual efforts towards promoting economic development will be appreciated by her concerned citizens. We have recently hired a $100,000 per year Economic Development Director to direct us towards prosperity, and it behooves us to know what he has been doing these last 12 months to sell our place to the business world.

The Northampton County Board of Supervisors charged him with the task of revising and simplifying our zoning ordinance. That ordinance he has drafted with the aid of considerable staff, albeit lacking certain studies that could validate the work. The point of “simplifying” the ordinance for the benefit of economic development begs many questions: What are our goals? What is our business plan for marketing and selling the Shore to industry and business? What is our marketing budget, our inventory of real estate assets, our infrastructure assets — i.e. labor, training, materials, transportation, etc? What marketing aids such as brochures and pamphlets have been developed? What trade organizations are targeted? What presentations will we host at places where decision makers gather to meet? What advertising and publicity will we generate?

A good business plan includes a vision statement and the Three P’s: Product, Pricing, and Promotion. There is plenty of “product” zoned for business for sale, yet there appears to be no “promotion.” Our Development Director should build a partnership with the Shore’s real estate agents — our best sales people — who are on the front lines of economic development. Put the product up prominently on a shelf, advertise its availability to your customers, and go out and drum up business.

We hope that Mr. McSwain has not been sidetracked for zoning work. How many contacts has he generated, how many visits has he hosted and how many prospects have turned us down because of our so-called “preservationist” zoning? The County needs to entertain some “paying” customers and find out what their needs are before we attempt to fix something that we are not even sure needs fixing. The Supervisors need to supervise our star salesman to make some sales!

Let’s get down to brass tacks and let Mr. McSwain do what he does best. As well, our Planning Commission, and the public, ought to be privy to what our business plan is and how it is being fulfilled. I, for one, would like to see it in black and white or, better yet, in full color.

David Kabler is a Realtor, a local businessman, and a former Northampton County Planning Commissioner.

Submissions to COMMENTARY are welcome on any subject relevant to Cape Charles. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of this publication.

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15 Responses to “COMMENTARY:
Promote Economic Development — Not Rezoning”

  1. Donna Bozza on April 7th, 2014 2:00 pm

    Mr. Kabler is spot on and his decades of real estate experience cannot be ignored. The “Build It and They Will Come” Myth has taken Northampton County and the Shore on many a ride, always ending in costly dead-ends. The proposed zoning pushes intensive residential development. How does that help us? Studies have shown that what is now farmland does NOT cost the county money in services like those needed for residential — it pays for itself and then some. Right now the county can’t keep up financially with the minimum services it provides current residents — without constantly raising taxes. The new zoning will be paid for on the backs of us homeowners — IN TOWN and out. It will line the pockets of a few and make it harder for the rest of us to stay on the Shore. Instead, as Mr. Kabler stated, Mr. McSwain’s hefty salary could certainly be beneficial to the community — if indeed he was doing what is sorely needed: recruiting businesses. The county doesn’t even have a website set up with this focus — this is Business 101. (The county’s current overall website is far from compelling.)

    Mr. Kabler, you are correct that the county leadership’s priorities are way out of whack. The speed of which they want to push this radical rezoning through is suspect at best. They are ignoring their own Planning Commission requests for reasonable time to consider the impacts. They are misleading us by saying there is no means to slow this down. YES THERE IS: WITHDRAW IT. They are taking any public input out of the hands of the towns and taxpayers — this proposed zoning will basically be “BY RIGHT.” Say goodbye to our property rights.

    Cape Charles friends: this zoning is taking out the Town Edge District. That means instead of the town and the county having shared input, the county will have ALL the power to decide what is built right smack next to the town. (If it hurts town businesses, too bad.) But — YAY — we will all get to share in the increased taxes!

    The time to speak out is NOW. Send the Planning Commission your comments: [email protected] and PC Chairman: [email protected]

  2. Bobby Roberts on April 7th, 2014 4:09 pm

    Are you saying the county spent 100 thousand $$ on an economic Development guy and all he did the whole of last year was wreck the zoning Code?? There’s empty stores and business lots for sale all over the highway—it was there a year ago and there all still for sale here now. Where’s all the economic development?

    That 100$$ Grand a year guy is gone now, right?

  3. Donna Bozza on April 7th, 2014 5:07 pm

    Mr. Roberts: That about sums it up. But he is still with us..

  4. Sarah Morgan on April 9th, 2014 9:04 am

    All this brouhaha over the zoning ordinance revisions begs the question: why would an Economic Development director ALSO be in charge of Planning and Zoning in the first place? Aren’t we a nation whose representational government is predicated on a system of checks and balances? To place someone in the position of both promoting new business AND maintaining the balance between development and the environment (including water quality, safety, and area characteristics that make agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism such important economic entities here) constitutes a breach of the public trust by the BOS. And speaking of public, why has the Board left out their constituency in designing the new amendments? We residents and stakeholders would like to know. Supervisors, you still have time to give your constituents a voice in this.

  5. Donna Bozza on April 9th, 2014 1:14 pm

    Well said Sarah. I attended last night’s supervisors meeting and several folks spoke up again asking the BOS to open up the proposed zoning for true public input. It’s unfathomable that the residents have to even ask to be part of the democratic process!
    The only supervisor who is listening is Granville Hogg. The rest are firm on locking the public out and shoving this through in 100 days regardless of public outcry or their own Planning Commission’s plea for time to do the job right.
    They could withdraw this proposed zoning NOW if they wanted to. What’s the rush? If this is such a beneficial plan why don’t they want the public involved?
    The movement for recall of supervisors brought up by one speaker will certainly have broad support in the community. It is a real shame people have been pushed to this extreme because of the arrogance of our local government.

  6. Tom Morris on April 9th, 2014 4:50 pm

    Take a trip to Southern Delaware to see how robust their development is, but be careful what you wish for. It is based, in large part, on relocating retirees and tourism, fueled by low taxes (without sales tax) and halfway rational regulatory burdens! Until Virginia’s regressive taxes such as the personal property tax are eliminated, retirees will choose Delaware over VA, by a wide margin. In spite of climate and topographical similarities and disregarding the much heavier population density of DE, Virginia is going to lose out in the race to attract well-healed retirees.

    As with most prosperous areas, good paying jobs are a big part of a winning formula. Until we embrace this notion and factor it into a comprehensive economic development plan, we will suffer continued population declines and stagnant income growth.

  7. RH Meyers on April 9th, 2014 9:51 pm

    So far there has been no evidence of any work on an economic development plan by the person who was hired to do this for over $134,000 a year of our taxes. Probably the reason such paid for plan has not been forthcoming is that the person filling the job of Director of Economic Development has a background of commercial real estate development! That should provide a clue as to the focus on the proposed zoning.

  8. Colin Cowling on April 11th, 2014 9:31 am

    We already have a “business plan.” Its the most sucessful one ever devised by man. It’s called the Free Enterprize System. Doing a better job of practicing it is what the proposed zoning changes are all about.

  9. Donna Bozza on April 11th, 2014 1:09 pm

    Can’t agree with you on this one Colin. Increasing density by 400 – 4000% will not help us but instead will increase services needed which means higher taxes to meet the needs.
    Just like residents in towns where the density is high those folks need to have services. All our towns struggle to generate the revenue to provide those services and 9 times out of 10 need to raise taxes as service costs continue to climb. What is different about putting all this intense residential on farmland– its not a town but all us county residents who will pay for this.

    I respect your right to your opinion as I know you do for me. However, the county doesn’t afford us that same right. In 26 years on the Shore I have never seen a zoning process that has so totally shut down public input. Its a disgrace.

  10. David Gay on April 13th, 2014 12:38 pm

    Northampton County and the Town of Cape Charles have NO plan to lower taxes. In fact they will only increase with the current folks in power. If you have had enough of never-ending tax increases you can vote them out of office. I am running for Cape Charles Town Council and my goal is to lower taxes and fees, make government more efficient. Vote Gay in May.

  11. Kearn Schemm on April 13th, 2014 4:36 pm

    I agree with and support Gay, Bender, Mitchell and Wendell. Vote the old crew out: save taxes and water bills!

  12. Kathy Bonadeo on April 14th, 2014 8:40 am

    How does the OSCC group propose to lower taxes and water bills?

  13. Wayne Creed on April 14th, 2014 2:09 pm

    OSCC has no control over lower taxes or water bills. We are an organization dedicated to strengthening the economic and cultural vitality of its diverse community through the renewal of the Historic School and campus. We view the old school as the heart of our diverse community, with hopes that it will someday be a gathering place for education, recreation, cultural, and community activities that would enhance the quality of life for Cape Charles residents, residents of the Eastern Shore, and visitors. As far as taxes and water bills go, the only thing we can do is pay them.

  14. Colin Cowling on April 16th, 2014 2:26 pm

    Donna, when you have the time and you are headed toward Annapolis take MD 213 north from US 50 to Chestertown and take a look at cluster developement done right. Our big lot subdivisions have been taking hundreds of acres of farm land out of production to get very few homes. We can and need to do better.

  15. Donna Bozza on April 16th, 2014 4:10 pm

    Colin, I appreciate your point. I’m not saying the current zoning is perfect. Tweaking it rather than gutting was the way to go. But the current zoning does enable smart growth around our towns where there already is infrastructure — it doesn’t push suburban sprawl and the costs associated with it. This proposed zoning puts heavy density 60-ft. lots(?) on top of the water in a fragile environment — an environment by the way which currently provides us economic benefits with a 50 million dollar clamming industry and a growing tourism industry.

    What is most distressing is it allows for NO public input on rezoning. No special use permits means property owners have no say on what could adversely affect their property values. Most of us have one investment in our lives and that is our homes. We have the right to protect that investment. Also know that Special Permits allow us to “barter” with developers to take potential adverse effects out of the equation or at least mitigate them. Just giving Big Brother Government all the power to decide what our homeland looks like now and in 20 years is not something I can advocate. Hope to see you soon. Take care.