EXTRA! Mayor Denies Council Knowledge of ‘Hand-Gate’

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

April 26, 2014

In an emotional statement April 24 to Town Council, Mayor Dora Sullivan refuted claims that three Council members had known for more than six months that developer Patrick Hand intended to buy property on Mason Avenue resulting in the loss of 160 parking places that for years have been used by the public with the permission of the owner.

The mayor’s statement came in response to an April 24 Wave commentary by Councilman Frank Wendell, who is running for mayor in the May 6 town elections. “At the April 7 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, Mr. Hand explained that he had been working with the mayor, three members of Town Council, and some members of the Art Walk committee for six or seven months on his downtown project,” Wendell wrote.

Mayor Sullivan said that after reading Wendell’s commentary she called Hand, who told her, “I did not have a plan six months ago. Therefore I could not have spoken to Council.” She emphasized that Hand had said, “I never met with you or a single Council person, singularly or in a group, six months ago.”

The mayor also said that she had the minutes of the Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, but not the recording. “There’s nothing on there,” she said. When Wendell told her she should listen to the tape, she replied, “I don’t need to — I talked to him.”

Sullivan also said that “what bothers me the most is that the citizens of this town are not capable or care enough to come and say, ‘Is that true, did you really say that?’  We are full-grown adults. Instead, we read what we read, and we believe it.”

Regarding the Wave, Sullivan said, “What if I never read the Wave? I’m dead in the water, because I’m being eaten alive, and I have no idea I’m being eaten alive.”

A transcript of Mayor Sullivan’s April 24 statement appears below, along with an audio file. Following that is a transcript of relevant remarks at the April 7 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting and an audio file, enabling readers to both see and hear the words of Patrick Hand, who states: “This project started with me going to a couple, three different members of Town Council.” When asked how long ago he started his project, he states “seven months, eight months.”

STATEMENT BY MAYOR SULLIVAN

(CLICK to play 1st audio file)

I would like to, for the record, make a statement. I do read the Wave, and I did read Mr. Wendell’s editorial on parking and giving up 160 lots, and that didn’t bother me, and I didn’t think it was terribly written, but I read all the comments and all the people that bothered to sign their names. And the first thing that came to my mind was an argument I had one year with Mr. [Bruce] Evans. And he came to me, and the two of us debated it and discussed it, and then we went about our business. And I think what bothers me the most is that the citizens of this town are not capable or care enough to come and say, ‘Is that true, did you really say that?’  We are full-grown adults. Instead, we read what we read, and we believe it. So, having said that – Dorie [Southern] are you writing? Pay attention. For the record: late this afternoon, Mr. Patrick Hand said to me, for the record, ‘I did not have a plan six months ago. Therefore I could not have spoken to Council.’ That’s a fact. He also said, for the record: ‘I never met with the mayor and three Council people – back door anything.’ [To Dorie Southern] Do you have that? No – that was my question: Do you have that? That’s all – no ma’am. That’s it. So I have the minutes from the Board of Zoning Appeals. It’s not the recording – there’s nothing on there – but it didn’t matter, I went a step further and I called Mr. Hand. And I am tired of people’s characters – what if I never read the Wave? I’m dead in the water, because I’m being eaten alive, and I have no idea I’m being eaten alive. So I would much rather get bashed by Mr. Evans to my face like a man, and I’ll dish back whatever I can dish back like a man, or a woman – whatever I choose to be, and that’s all I have to say. Thank you very much.

FRANK WENDELL: Well perhaps if you had attended the meeting, Mayor, you’d have heard his comments.

DORIE SOUTHERN: Yes.

MAYOR SULLIVAN: Dorie, you’re disrupting this meeting.

. . .

FRANK WENDELL: At that meeting I was astounded to hear his comments. And perhaps if you’re not going to attend those meetings you should listen to the tape so that you would know what you’re talking about.

. . .

I’m curious who were the three people that were in the room.

STEVE BENNETT: I’m very curious.

MAYOR SULLIVAN: He said there weren’t any! I called him – I spoke to him!

. . .

He told me: ‘I never met with you or a single Council person, singularly or in a group, six months ago. That’s it.

FRANK WENDELL:  I think the phrase was “working with.”

MAYOR SULLIVAN: No – he did not.

FRANK WENDELL: You should listen to the tape.

MAYOR SULLIVAN: I don’t need to. I talked to him.

EXCERPTS FROM APRIL 7, 2014 BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS MEETING

(CLICK to play 2nd audio file)

PATRICK HAND: This project started with me going to a couple, three different members of Town Council and suggesting there was an opportunity (because of this estate looking to sell) to acquire some property at the right price and have parking and venue space and everything else for a long, long time. That’s how this started.

DORIE SOUTHERN: How long ago did it start?

PATRICK HAND: Umm, seven months, eight months.

DEBORAH BENDER: So for seven or eight months you’ve been talking to members of Town Council about this.

PATRICK HAND: I suggested it would be great because I owned a business on Mason Avenue where parking was an issue. Blue, the little hotel.

DEBORAH BENDER: How long ago did you do that?

PATRICK HAND: Three and a half – well I started four and a half years ago. It was open for three and a half years. And I’ve seen over that three and a half years a greater and greater demand for parking. I wouldn’t call it an emergency unless there’s maybe a parade going on. But I think over time parking will be more and more of an issue in Cape Charles.

(CLICK to play 3rd audio file)

FRANK WENDELL: You’ve been dealing with Town Council for seven, eight months – three of them – do you mind saying who they are? I know one who isn’t. But it doesn’t make me think any less of your plans. But who were the three that you –

PATRICK HAND: It wasn’t you.

FRANK WENDELL: OK, deductive reasoning. So it’s three of the other five.