#3 Story
SHORE THING: Bay Creek Can Blame Cape Charles

122 Creekside Lane in Bay Creek’s Plantation Pointe. Was $1,495,000, reduced to $995,000.

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 26, 2012

Bay Creek once saved the Town of Cape Charles from financial ruin. Now the reinvigorated Town of Cape Charles is sucking the lifeblood out of Bay Creek. Is this town big enough for both of us (“both” being the Historic District, and Bay Creek)?

A little background: Twenty years ago, when the Town of Cape Charles was infamous for its crack houses, and the only growth industry was Section 8 subsidized housing, a savior appeared on the horizon – Brown & Root, Inc. Circa 1974, Brown & Root had purchased 980 acres known as Hollywood Farm — where racehorses once were trained — for use as a fabrication plant for offshore oil platforms. But then the 1973 oil embargo was supplanted by an oil glut, and nothing ever happened at Hollywood Farm.

Fast-forward 20 years to 1993: By then, Brown & Root had given up any thought of industrial use for Hollywood Farm. Instead, the property would become a planned unit development known as Accawmacke Plantation. Well-heeled residents of Accawmacke Plantation would demand two services that Northampton County could not provide: water/sewer and a local police force. But the struggling Town of Cape Charles could provide those services – if Accawmacke Plantation were incorporated into the Town.

Northampton County was loathe to lose control of the property to Cape Charles, and fought the annexation in the courts. But Brown & Root supplied the Town’s legal counsel, and the County never had a chance.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

The annexation of 2,200 acres enlarged the Town multiple times over, but hardly increased population at all. And there matters sat for almost another 10 years as Brown & Root failed to act on its plans. That’s when fabled developer Dickie Foster stepped in, bought out Brown & Root, and made Accawmacke Plantation a reality. Except that he called it Bay Creek.

Foster followed the heretofore-successful blueprint for attracting the wealthy to build their vacation homes at Bay Creek:

— Proximity to either water or mountains: Check.

— Signature golf course: Double-check (Palmer and Nicklaus).

— Gated, 24-hour access: Check.

— Clubhouse with dining facilities: The restaurants came (Aqua and Coach House), but the promise of a clubhouse remains unfulfilled.

— High-end shopping opportunities: Check.

And Foster went further, with a first-class marina with luxury accommodations and dining for overnight boaters.

Other than the unbuilt clubhouse, there’s really only one other amenity missing at Bay Creek – a premium gym with indoor and outdoor pools. And that is under construction now.

But despite the brave effort to build a gym, as anyone knows who reads the papers, things have gone very badly wrong at Bay Creek. The Virginian-Pilot’s latest story of Bay Creek woes appeared last month and may be read at http://hamptonroads.com/2012/10/e-shore-development-mired-controversy.

The Virginian-Pilot notes that Foster began divesting Bay Creek in 2008, when he sold 50 percent of the development to Sinclair Broadcast Group, which has diversified into equity holdings. Sinclair subsidiary Keyser Capital paid $35 million for the first 50 percent of the golf course side of Bay Creek, and then a year later obtained an additional 25 percent for only $5 million more. That says a lot right there. The Marina Village development remains with Foster.

What no one has yet dared to say seems self-evident to this new observer: The housing bubble affected everybody, but Bay Creek is also a victim of Cape Charles’ renaissance. Consider:

Ten years ago, the moneyed crowd built their homes in Bay Creek, while Historic District properties were left to rot. Today, historic home restorations are going on everywhere – particularly on Tazewell and Randolph avenues. Old Cape Charles has another leg up on Bay Creek – the ability to provide historic rehabilitation tax credits. Buy an old house for a song, gut it, and qualify for up to a 45 percent tax credit against the total rehab cost.

Meanwhile, only one house is under construction in Bay Creek this year, and only one was built last year. The 2011 house, next to Old Plantation Creek lighthouse, was built on spec and offered for $1.6 million. A year later it remains unsold. The house at 122 Creekside Lane tells a dramatic story (pictured at top of story): Listed for $1,495,000 last November, the asking price has fallen to $995,000.

Pick up this Marina Village bank foreclosure for $325,000 — little more than the original cost of the lot alone.

Or how about this one at 15 E. Bay in Marina Village: a bank foreclosure now offered at $325,000. When building lots at Marina Village first went on the market, they sold out in a matter of hours, at prices approaching what you can now get a developed property for.

The dichotomy between old Cape Charles and new Bay Creek is best illustrated by their dueling marinas: Bay Creek bought the sagging harbor facility on King’s Creek and developed it into a first-class marina with luxury accommodations, fine dining plus a coffee shop, fancy stores, a small swimming pool, and even a bait & tackle shop with the affected name of Complete Angler. What yachtsman sailing from New York to Florida could resist calling at such a port?

That was then. The first chink in the armor appeared after the Romeos opened Cape Charles Coffee House downtown. Suddenly the clientele at the Bay Creek coffee shop switched loyalties to a more convenient, more inviting locale, and the Bay Creek coffee shop shut down.

More recently, the Town expanded what had been its commercial harbor to become a tourist destination, with new floating docks, a new seafood restaurant, and a first-class bathhouse. The Tall Ships and Clam Slam festivals helped popularize the harbor, and suddenly yachts from as far away as Australia were calling. Bay Creek Marina, for all its glitz, began to resemble the marine equivalent of a ghost town. Not much later, the upscale marina shops shut down.

Everyone prays now that Aqua Restaurant will not follow suit. It remains the Town’s premium waterfront dining facility, and its popularity for destination weddings continues to grow. But now there’s another waterfront dining option – the Shanty – and while the two restaurants are very different, their clientele may not be.

The irony is that Bay Creek taxpayers are subsidizing Town facilities competing against their full-rate private operations. The Town owns the harbor, Town employees staff the marina, and the Shanty received a low-cost lease to build on Town-owned land.

Bay Creek property owners increasingly are worried about their properties’ future, and one member of the homeowners association has launched a public website for “Bay Creek Concerned Homeowners”: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/bay-creek-concerned-homeowners

The reality is that, in a gated community, you just keep on paying. There’s the landscaping expense, of course, but also upkeep for streets and sidewalks. Meanwhile, in the Historic District, VDOT is engaged in a $1 million sidewalk renewal, all at state expense. And earlier this year most of the roads in the Historic District received a slurry treatment, again courtesy of the state.

A 2010 Bay Creek reserve study details that $700,000 needs to be put aside annually to cover eventual replacement of facilities.  Homeowners worry that not enough money is being saved up for the day when Bay Creek is no longer new. All the while, Bay Creek residents pay town taxes at full rate, while receiving only a portion of town services.

And just when nobody needed any more bad news, Sandy came to town, wreaking havoc with Bay Creek’s golf courses, especially where the Nicklaus course hugs the bay. (According to the Bay Creek website, both courses are now back in play.) Sandy hit the Town’s fishing pier as well, but the Town hopes to get federal FEMA funds to repair it. That won’t work for a private golf course.

Adding insult to injury, some would say, was the Town’s decision to build the new sewer treatment plant on the road to Bay Creek, where property owners expect sewerage facilities to be neither seen nor smelled.

The Town of Cape Charles makes only one financial concession to Bay Creekers: they are exempt from the $31 annual golf cart fee. But when the golf cart path linking Bay Creek to the Town is complete, the Town plans to eliminate that perk.

SHORE THING is an occasional feature of the Cape Charles Wave.

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17 Responses to “#3 Story
SHORE THING: Bay Creek Can Blame Cape Charles”

  1. Anthony Sacco on November 26th, 2012 1:42 am

    Rebuild the Arlington Mansion in Arlington estates, turn it into a second Williamsburg attraction, bring Gaming into Cape Charles, build an Olympic style “Half Pipe,” ask the U.S. Government to help start up the locomotive trains to travel to Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Grand Central (New York City) for a weekend of golf. These are just a few ideas to put everyone in high-paying jobs, increase revenue, boost home values. I’m availabe for $1.00 a year.

  2. Melba Whitaker on November 26th, 2012 6:42 am

    Thank you for this informative article. It explains a lot. Through the years I’ve watched Cape Charles from afar as it has struggled to be the charming community that it should be. It has so much promise, potential, and already is a great place to visit.

  3. Stella Bolitho Savage on November 26th, 2012 9:25 am

    Surely there is some news to report in this town besides a. bashing the Town Council, b. bashing Bay Creek, and c. celebrating Old School Cape Charles.

    I’ve been reading this supposed “newspaper” for months and so far have been very disappointed in both the failure to cover news and the obvious editorial bias.

    Get out on the street and do some reporting. Get some credibility. Do the job.

    PS: Pedigree disclosure: I’m a come here. My husband isn’t.

    Stella, thank you for your comment. Please refer to the list of 10 items near the bottom of the right-hand column titled PARTICIPATE IN THE CAPE CHARLES WAVE. You can already check off items 1, 2, and 3, and we would be delighted if you participated in one or more of the seven additional items. Regarding actual reporting, click the TOWN MEETINGS tab at the top right of the page to read reports of almost every meeting of Town Council, Planning Commission, and Historic District Review Board for the past three months. If there’s news in this town that we don’t know about that needs reporting, please let us know! –EDITOR

  4. Stephen K. Fox on November 26th, 2012 10:14 am

    And….your point is? The Cape Charles “revival”, if you will antedated the BayCreek development. Ask the Bed and Breakfast Association about how it played a role in inviting visitors to the Town, many of whom returned to purchase and renovate the existing housing stock. Purchasers make choices. Those who purchased in the historic district pay taxes to enjoy public facilities. Bay Creek purchasers elected to purchase in a gated community with private streets, fully aware of the necessity to budget for capital improvements. I think the slant of your article is incorrect, at least to the extent that its premise is that it’s the old town historic district vs. BayCreek. Development of one is not at the sacrifice of the other; they are complementary uses, now caught in a bad economy. Your article did not conclude anything.

  5. Craig Zuidema on November 26th, 2012 11:19 am

    My wife and I are “part-timers” in Cape Charles. We purchased a condo in the historic district a few years ago after visiting a bed and breakfast and falling in love with the town. During our first visit to the town in 2006, we went to Aqua and what was known as the Cabanna at the time (when the upstairs was a bar and open to the public, not just special events). I was so impressed with everything, the golf courses, the marina, the historic district, etc. I thought it was the best kept secret in Virginia. We would come to Cape Charles and ride bikes through town or sit on the beach, dreaming of fixing up a house or condo. I’ve lived my entire life in Virginia Beach and I remember what Cape Charles was like in the ’80s and ’90s. The town has always had a lot of potential, but back then it was difficult to see how any of it would ever be realized. If Bay Creek had not been developed, I doubt that the town would have seen any of the revitalization that has occurred. A lot has been done in town, several houses have been been brought back to life, the beach has been taken care of, the pier is beautiful, the town park is great, and the improvements to the town harbor have been fantastic. There is still a lot that can be done. It is going to take time for this economy to finally turn around, but it will come back. The condo we purchased was part of the Jim Alberts debacle. We never would have been able to purchase it at the fraudulent values it was first assigned. We always wondered why people were paying such exorbitant prices for homes that needed a lot of fixing up. The town experienced a real estate boom that was nothing but a large bubble, but right now, things are finally affordable. Now, we have a more realistic and stable foundation to improve upon. A lot of people deserve credit for taking a risk and sticking it out.

  6. Anne Hallerman on November 26th, 2012 6:34 pm

    I agree with both Stephen and Craig in their comments. I bought in Bay Creek ten years ago, before the bubble, when much of Bay Creek was just piles of red mud. I bought in New Quarter because I was not going to be a full-time resident. I didn’t have the interest in a “fixer upper” in town and I wanted the Bay Creek amenities. New Quarter is the only finished neighborhood in Bay Creek, and it is largely due to the fact that we had to build immediately and not sit on an undeveloped lot for years without building. It is a great neighborhood with good neighbors. Yes, there have been disappointments galore in how Bay Creek has been operated, and yes we are still waiting for promised amenities. But it is a beautiful community and I do not regret my purchase.

    I feel about Bay Creek vs. historic homes in a similar way to how I feel about the Hotel Cape Charles facade vs. the more traditional restorations. There is room for many interpretations of desirability in real estate. I am heartened by Craig’s observation on the town’s economic recovery, as I feel the same way.

    I also agree with the comment above that the Cape Charles Wave, while providing a news source, has done little to encourage collaboration and cooperation. While “founded to publish local news, events, and opinions,” the positive opinion is rare indeed. Many thanks to those who take the time to say what is good about Cape Charles (and Bay Creek!).

    We appreciate readers’ heartfelt comments, but are disappointed that our “good news” seems so quickly forgotten, while the bad news lingers. In the week’s lead-up to Thanksgiving, the Wave emphasized “good news.” First came Ted Warner’s wonderful review of Piece of Eden, followed by a photo gallery of the play the next day. Even the Shore Thing column was a “feel-good” piece: “Tom Savage Was a Come-Here.” We also ran a nice letter congratulating those responsible for the play, and many commenters had positive things to say about the play as well. Then, from Thanksgiving Day until today (Monday), Bruce Lindeman’s always-positive column headlined the paper (“What I Learn from My Kids”). Also receiving prominent exposure in ON THE TELEPHONE POLL are all the civic-minded activities and productions such as the Grand Illumination, Palace Theatre performances, and The Nutcracker. That brings us to today, and the Bay Creek piece. The Wave would be remiss to try to cover up the serious financial problems in Bay Creek. The Virginian-Pilot reported them, and in the online version there were no potshots taken at the messenger. The Wave also reported concerns expressed at the school board meeting by parents of elementary children in Northampton County — should we have left that out for fear of being negative? –EDITOR

  7. Anne Hallerman on November 26th, 2012 8:40 pm

    Fair enough. You have posted some “good news” stories lately. I am not sure what the point of the “Bay Creek vs. Town” story was supposed to be, but the tone seemed to be that what goes around comes around, as far as Bay Creek goes. Just for fun, why don’t you write a story about the benefits that the Bay Creek residents have brought to the town?

    Thanks, Anne — and we’ll repeat our comment to Stella (above): “Please refer to the list of 10 items near the bottom of the right-hand column titled PARTICIPATE IN THE CAPE CHARLES WAVE. You can already check off items 1, 2, and 3, and we would be delighted if you participated in one or more of the seven additional items.”

    You are a part-time Bay Creeker — please consider writing a story for the Wave about the benefits that BC residents have brought to Cape Charles — just for fun! We’ll print it! –EDITOR

  8. David Gay on November 27th, 2012 9:10 am

    I don’t see how presenting the facts is negative. Some people in town want to be informed, while others are happy to be disengaged. No matter what you write these days somebody is going to take offense. It’s not just a Shore thing. Look at our national political situation. If we don’t talk about our problems how are we ever going to solve them. I hope the Wave continues to be a vibrant force in our community to educate and inform. We should embrace the Wave as an open forum for sharing ideas and opinions in a healthy way rather than depend on an unreliable and often inaccurate gossip mill.

  9. Regina Aleksiewicz on November 27th, 2012 1:14 pm

    Thank goodness for the Cape Charles Wave! At least it is information, whether good or bad. Some people in Cape Charles would like to sweep everything bad under the rug but you never get things done if you constantly do that. The readers are intelligent enough to make their own decision about the content. I look forward to reading the articles every day along with all the comments.

  10. Gordon Campbell on November 27th, 2012 3:43 pm

    “The reinvigorated Town of Cape Charles is sucking the lifeblood out of Bay Creek.” How so? Let’s look at some of the examples you provided.

    “Old Cape Charles has another leg up on Bay Creek – the ability to provide historic rehabilitation tax credits. Buy an old house for a song, gut it, and qualify for up to a 45 percent tax credit against the total rehab cost.” And how does that make Bay Creek a “victim”? The restorative tax credits come with costs, constraints, regulations and guidelines. Working within a “This Old House” type restoration might not be for everyone, just as living within a gated community might not be for all. Also, I believe a beautiful town benefits Bay Creek, and I’m sure any Realtor would agree.

    “The house at 122 Creekside Lane tells a dramatic story (pictured at top of story): Listed for $1,495,000 last November, the asking price has fallen to $995,000. “ I guess you forgot the Bay Ave. homes that were listed in the multi-millions and misrepresented as waterfront properties, one home was listed for $3.6 million only to sell for well below $1 million. A drop from $1.5 to $1 million is not “dramatic” in light of the national real estate market. I think Bay Creek properties have held up fairly well, a testament to the fantastic infrastructure here.

    “The first chink in the armor appeared after the Romeos opened Cape Charles Coffee House downtown. Suddenly the clientele at the Bay Creek coffee shop switched loyalties to a more convenient, more inviting locale, and the Bay Creek coffee shop shut down. “ What are you talking about? Fish Heads Cafe was not a coffee shop and was not closed due to “switched loyalties”. I was a regular at Fish Heads and am a regular at the CCCH, two different places.

    “More recently, the Town expanded what had been its commercial harbor to become a tourist destination “ Again, how does that make Bay Creek a victim? You like looking at the glass half empty, I guess I’m just more optimistic and believe that a vibrant tourist destination floats all boats.

    “The irony is that Bay Creek taxpayers are subsidizing Town facilities competing against their full-rate private operations. “ What irony? Like all Cape Charles residents, Bay Creek homeowners also are provided the same town amenities and chose to live in Bay Creek. You must get upset when a Cheriton resident uses Cape Charles facilities for free! Also, the Harbor is, or will soon be, a cash flow positive operation.

    “All the while, Bay Creek residents pay town taxes at full rate, while receiving only a portion of town services.” Again, all Bay Creek residents have full use of every service that the town provides, sewer, water, trash, beach, harbor, park, etc.

    “Bay Creek property owners increasingly are worried about their properties’ future “ Most are very content, some, like myself, are bullish on the future of Bay Creek and the town. But show me an HOA that does not have concerned homeowners.

    “And just when nobody needed any more bad news, Sandy came to town, wreaking havoc with Bay Creek’s golf courses “ The courses are privately owned and have nothing to do with the HOA. And I would not call it “wrecking havoc”, have you seen the NJ coastline? That’s where Sandy wrecked havoc. While the town might have FEMA, private entities have insurance.

    “The reality is that, in a gated community, you just keep on paying. “ The reality is, in any community you just keep on paying!

    “Adding insult to injury, some would say, was the Town’s decision to build the new sewer treatment plant on the road to Bay Creek “ Oh Please! Give it a break!

    Lastly, “Sinclair subsidiary Keyser Capital paid $35 million for the first 50 percent of the golf course side of Bay Creek, and then a year later obtained an additional 25 percent for only $5 million more. That says a lot right there. “ Exactly what does it say? Unless you are privy to the structure of SBGI’s investment your comment “says a lot right there”, does not say anything.

    By the way, there are 42 homes for sale in the Cape Charles Incorporated area and 28 homes for sale throughout all the Bay Creek Neighborhoods. That simple statistic does not seem to support your slant.

    This was a lousy attempt at journalism. Like others have commented, what was the purpose of this article? To the reader it just looks like an attempt to take a cheap shot at the Bay Creek development, creating false impressions.. I have lived in town and now live in Bay Creek, loved the town living and now love it in Bay Creek. Everybody has an opinion but next time leave out the drama and innuendos and do a little research.

    GEORGE SOUTHERN RESPONDS: Thank you (I think) for your lengthy comment. And yes, I have a rebuttal:

    1. Although the story contains my opinions (and was presented as such – not as straight reporting) – it did reflect considerable research, and two links are included that support some of the statements made.

    2. When Bay Creek built a marina for pleasure boats with adjoining restaurant, they had no idea that the Town would become a competitor. If the Town Harbor is “self-sustaining,” it only means that income meets operating expenses, and maybe or maybe not the cost of recent improvements. It does not include the value of the harbor itself, or the fact that the Town pays no tax on the property. Bay Creek, on the other hand, has to pay a mortgage on all its property plus county and town taxes. The rising tide failed to float either Marina Village Shops or Fish Heads Café (and since café means coffee, you should cut me some slack for calling it a coffee house).

    3. The “dramatic” case of 122 Creekside Lane is meaningful because it’s new news: the asking price fell by 1/3 in the last year. Your examples are of bubble vs. post-bubble prices.

    4. The story did not suggest that buying an old house to restore is “better” than buying a new house in Bay Creek. The story did note an enormous tax advantage in doing so – and wealthy investors are usually very savvy about taxes. The story further noted the impressive number of homes being restored in the Historic District vs. the one house a year being built in Bay Creek.

    5. Please ask a Realtor to disabuse you of your notion that Bay Creek property prices “have held up fairly well.” Or go to Zillow.com.

    6. While Bay Creekers of course have full use of Town facilities, the Town does not spend funds to maintain the general-access areas of Bay Creek. I pointed out streets and sidewalks as two examples. Sandy really tore up the beaches. My tax dollars will restore the public beach. Who will pay for restoration of the beaches at Marina Village and Bayside Village? Are you sure they are insured? Have you researched that? Did you read the Bay Creek Reserve Study contained in the link I provided? As a homeowner, you should. What happens when the private roads become pot-holed?

    7. What Sandy did in New Jersey is not germane. The story concerns what Sandy did here, and the fact is that Sandy took out a sizable section of beach and bluff at the Nicklaus course, including the golf cart path. Have you seen it? Did you see the photo in the Wave?

    8. Keyser Capital paid $35 million for 50 percent of Bay Creek South. A year later Keyser purchased an additional 25 percent for $5 million. That seems significant to me and it seemed significant to the Virginian-Pilot, which is where I got the information. If it means nothing to you, you are in denial.

    9. “Some would say” that building the sewer plant on the road to Bay Creek was an insult. You obviously are not among those “some.”

    10. So what was the “purpose” of my article? A) to illustrate some of the serious financial straits at Bay Creek (fact) and B) to suggest that taxpayer-supported government competition was adding to Bay Creek’s woes (opinion).

    And finally, a disclaimer: I love Bay Creek. Everything about it — from the gardening and landscaping, to the marina, to the jellybean beach houses, to the wonderful Aqua Restaurant, to the stunning golf courses – is absolutely first-class. Bay Creek is a wonderful asset to Cape Charles. But that doesn’t change its financial condition.

    Please don’t shoot the messenger!

  11. Kathleen Mullen on November 27th, 2012 4:11 pm

    I agree with Regina. Since I do not have property at either area mentioned I found the article to be a great resource to explain to a “come here” what happened before I arrived. Oddly enough I drove through Bay Creek yesterday and was shocked at all the emptiness. I had no idea that so much remained undeveloped. Had it not been for the Wave article, I would not have been able to logically understand why. I appreciate the work that goes into producing the Wave and if I felt I could write an article as well as George Southern, I’d be the first to volunteer. He is genuine when he asks for local participation so if anyone is so inclined, please contribute!

  12. Gordon Campbell on November 27th, 2012 7:11 pm

    1. Two publicly available links is not research. Research leads to new facts and discoveries.
    2.You are confusing readers when you refer to the various entities as Bay Creek. While you noted this, there is the Marina area, controlled by Mr. Foster, Bay Creek South whose majority owner is Keyser/Sinclair, and the HOA for Bay Creek. All are separate entities. So while the two marinas compete for business it has nothing to do with the HOA or Keyser. If you want to re-word your story and say the town is sucking the lifeblood out of the marina I might not argue. And a lot of what is going on there is possibly due to the legal actions. Now that might make an interesting story.
    3. Again, it is not dramatic in light of the real estate market and the unique situation for that particular property. Also, at the local level the bubble is still popping. I say it is the lack of good comps that has kept prices high. Price a home fairly and it sells quickly.
    4. I still don’t see how Bay Creek (HOA or Keyser) is a victim.
    5. You took my statement out of context. I said “in light of the national real estate market. I think Bay Creek properties have held up fairly well, a testament to the fantastic infrastructure here.”
    6. The HOA common areas are maintained through dues, no different from any HOA. Likewise the town does not maintain your yard.
    “Who will pay for restoration of the beaches at Marina Village and Bayside Village?” The respective owners.
    “Are you sure they are insured?” No and I don’t really care, but Bay Creek South has begun if not finished repairing the beach by the golf course (The beach is not HOA property). Two massive dump trucks have made hundreds of trips down the beach with fill. Lets see if FEMA or the town could ever work that fast! Three years later and I’m still waiting for a hole to get filled on Strawberry St. I’ll take an HOA over a municipal govt any day.
    “What happens when the private roads become pot-holed?” They get paved and owners get assessed if there is no money. No different than local taxes. Did you notice the 10% increase in your County taxes?
    7. Comparing NJ is germane. Sandy did not “wreck havoc” here at all, but it did in NJ. $300,000 of sand erosion is no big deal for a golf course that costs a million a hole to construct.
    8. The Virginia Pilot did not draw any conclusion when they published the price Keyser paid for Bay Creek South. With your flippant “says a lot right there” comment you are trying to infer that Keyser paid way too much for the property. You don’t know what you are talking about.
    9. My comment was for you to stop complaining. Nobody likes sewage plants, but it is not leaving anytime soon.
    10. “to illustrate some of the serious financial straits at Bay Creek (fact)” Sorry, you failed at that. Keyser/Sinclair are in great financial health and are here for the long haul, the HOA has a balanced budget and the grounds here are kept immaculate (something that cannot be said for the town proper), and hopefully Mr. Foster is dealing with his problems over at the marina area.

    P.S. You shed very little light on the $5 million beach club that is under construction. If it is anything like the infrastructure that Foster has already put in place it is going to be a stunning place. Also, there are some other minor infrastructure improvements going on in Bayside Village, an area that, mark my word, will boom soon. And you mentioned the one home that is under construction in Bay Creek — it will be the most beautiful home within Cape Charles. You said “things have gone very badly wrong at Bay Creek,” maybe you should reconsider that statement.

    GEORGE RESPONDS: All right, you have successfully exhausted me. But just one thing — you state that legal actions at the Bay Creek marina might make an interesting story. Knowledge is power, and the purpose of the Wave is as a sounding board for our little town. Word of mouth is the traditional local means of communication, and it has its usefulness. But in our electronic age, and especially with so many part-time residents, Cape Charles needs an independent online presence. Hence the Wave. Please consider sharing your knowledge and writing skills by writing for the Wave — not to benefit the Wave, but to benefit your community.

  13. Deborah Bender on November 28th, 2012 5:43 am

    Well this article sure has raised some eyebrows to say the least. I totally agree that if not for Bay Creek this town might not have progressed the way that it has. Because of all the people that came here to see Bay Creek, many of the homes in the historic district have been renovated and the entire town has improved. When I moved to this area in 1976 I lived “up the road”. I moved to the Cape Charles area almost 20 years ago and the town was in terrible shape. Empty storefronts and dilapidated homes were everywhere. The town now has many eateries, Bed & Breakfasts, and lots of cute shops. I had a business in town myself, “Scarlett’s Closet”, as many reading this article will recall, and I did very well during the town’s little “boom”. I did see the writing on the wall and sold before the “boom” flopped.

    It is sad that the people that bought property and homes are struggling to keep them. The economy is bad and it is hard times. Many people bought property with the plan on selling at a profit and that didn’t happen for them. Investments don’t always pan out.

    I do feel that the town improved the harbor to compete with Bay Creek’s marina and that was wrong. If I had a big boat and wanted a safe place to keep my boat I would choose Bay Creek’s Marina. It is a much safer place as far as the action of the water goes.

    Some of the comments here are slamming the Wave and here I will say that you people are just wrong. This online newspaper is great. It keeps the people in town aware of everything that is going on. Good or bad it is news that many would not know about if not for the Wave. If you people that are putting down the Wave don’t like the articles don’t read it. Thank you for the Wave!

  14. Regina Aleksiewicz on November 28th, 2012 12:33 pm

    Read your comment, Deborah, about the perceived ‘competition” between the old town harbor and Bay Creek harbor. I really don’t want to believe the town improved the harbor with the idea to compete with Bay Creek’s harbor. I want to think it was improved because it needed to be done and to complement each other. I hope I am not wrong. Both the old town and Bay Creek of Cape Charles have always had so much potential and it is a shame that it can’t all be done at once – but it will happen as long as people have patience and work together, amicably. I want to believe that the whole community of Cape Charles will keep improving for all of us. The two may offer different perspectives but it must coexist as one or the whole ship goes down – We must come together because we all love Cape Charles and would not be here otherwise.

  15. Geneva Smith on November 29th, 2012 12:37 pm

    I have been coming to Cape Charles for over 30 years and owned two houses
    and NEVER heard of a crack house town. Real estate overpriced and no jobs, that is the problem.

  16. Carol Habel on December 1st, 2012 7:34 pm

    WOW …. How did insulting Cheriton become a part of this debate. Did we do something over here?

    You are right — a previous comment had a gratuitous reference that should not have been published. It has been deleted. –EDITOR

  17. Bob Neighoff on January 31st, 2013 12:59 pm

    Anyone know the details about the Marina, restaurant, and shops being sold recently?

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