Public Hearing Thursday on 23% Lodging Tax Increase
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
April 24, 2014
Cape Charles Town Council will hold a public hearing tonight on increasing the town lodging tax by 23 percent. Council then intends to pass the tax increase at its regular meeting immediately following the public hearing.
The public hearing is 6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at St. Charles Parish Hall, followed by the regular Town Council meeting.
Town staff has rewritten Town Code to remove references to the annexation agreement between the Town and Northampton County and all related State statutes. Under the annexation agreement the town allowed the county to charge a 2 percent lodging tax.
Council members Steve Bennett and Frank Wendell oppose the tax increase, while all other members are in favor.
CLICK to read the proposed lodging tax ordinance.
COMMENTARY
Why Is Downtown Losing 160 Parking Spaces?
By FRANK WENDELL
April 24, 2014
At the conclusion of the March Town Council meeting, the Council held an executive session to discuss possible land acquisitions. It was explained that a developer, Patrick Hand, intended to buy the old Be-Lo grocery store property and the two adjacent parking lots. If he were to buy the property he would be willing to sell the town two 40’ x 105’ lots for public parking at the east end of the property and also property for a pedestrian mall in line with Strawberry Street in between two proposed buildings. But the town and Mr. Hand were unable to agree on a price. And even if the town did buy the two lots for parking, that would only supply 40 parking spaces, with a resulting loss of approximately 120 parking spaces. This would be a tremendous setback to all the merchants who have experienced a downtown resurgence of the past two years.
Mr. Hand is to be commended for his willingness to further invest in Cape Charles and for his shrewd business skills. The Town of Cape Charles, on the other hand, once again has a lot of unexplained missteps as to how we suddenly will be without the use of over 160 off-street parking spaces in the middle of our downtown/commercial district. And what do we do going forward to compensate for the lost use and at what cost?
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. So while the mayor and three Council members had been privy to the developer’s plans for six or seven months, three other members of Council had not.
I asked Mr. Hand who the three Council members were that he had been working with. He replied that he would rather not say.
Mr. Hand was seeking variances from the town on setbacks for construction, balconies, open space requirements, and most notably reduction of off-street parking requirements. The following Monday the Board of Zoning Appeals granted all four requests.
I have a few questions to ask at tonight’s (April 24) Town Council meeting: [Read more…]
FRIDAY 4/25: Blessing of the Fleet Schedule of Events
The 7th Annual Blessing of the Fleet begins 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, at Cape Charles Town Harbor. That morning a Navy yard patrol craft is scheduled to arrive at 9 a.m. and will offer public tours from noon until 4 p.m.
The 5:30 p.m. ceremony begins with the National Anthem sung by Emily Guemple.
Master of Ceremonies is U.S. Representative Scott Rigell.
Coast Guard Station Cape Charles will provide the Color Guard.
U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen will conduct the Throwing of the Wreath.
Live Music by HM Johnson will follow from 6-9 p.m.
Seafood dinners will be sold by the Cape Charles Volunteer Fire Department.
County Supervisor Granville Hogg to Hold
Town Meeting Wednesday at Cape Charles Museum
County Supervisor Hogg (Wave photo)
April 21, 2014
Northampton County Supervisor Granville Hogg will hold a Town Hall Meeting for constituents 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the Cape Charles Museum and Welcome Center, 814 Randolph Avenue.
Topics will include:
- Northampton County’s proposed zoning code changes,
- Emergency medical services,
- County budget, and
- Public Service Authority (PSA).
“I am inviting you to a Town Hall Meeting to listen to your concerns,” said Hogg. “Please identify your concerns and let me know what you are in favor of, or in opposition to.”
The event will be in the traditional town hall meeting style — an informal public gathering that provides citizens a chance to voice their opinions and ask questions of elected officials.
Hogg will also hold a town meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at Kiptopeke Elementary School.
Zoning Variance Granted for Mason Ave. Development
Developer Patrick Hand displays plans to Board of Zoning Appeals (Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
April 21, 2014
Cape Charles Board of Zoning Appeals approved variances April 14 for half of the proposed development of the shuttered grocery store property on Mason Avenue. Local developer Patrick Hand had requested variances for setbacks, open space, and parking. The requests had been tabled at an earlier meeting, and the Board had asked Hand to come back with other alternatives for his parking variance request
Hand’s response was to request that the parking requirement be reduced to one car per 200 square feet of commercial property. The Board instead agreed to one car for every 300 square feet. Under town code, parking requirements are dependent on the uses in the building, but Hand, who does not yet own the property, does not know what businesses might locate in the 3,750 square feet of commercial space that he plans to build.
In addition to the commercial space, Hand envisions his building housing one- and two-bedroom apartments for retirees and weekenders in the Soho style of New York. The proposed building would be 120 feet wide and 104 deep on a lot that is 105 feet deep, thus allowing a one foot setback from the drainage ditch on the adjacent railroad property. Although the Harbor District has no setback requirement for the rear of a building, lots are supposed to be 140 feet deep. [Read more…]
Sunset for the Old Fun Pier
April 21, 2014
The Cape Charles Fun Pier is no longer, but a resurrection is in the works. Just before Easter, an excavator ripped out the portion of the pier resting on railroad-style ties, which was damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The far portion of the pier is built on deep pilings that withstood both Sandy and Irene with no damage at all. Town staff repaired the pier following Sandy, but now a FEMA grant is paying for a replacement. However, the replacement portion will again be built on less expensive ties instead of the pilings proven to withstand hurricanes. The pier is scheduled to reopen before Memorial Day. (Wave photo)
Zoning Opponents Sound Off at State of the Shore
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
April 21, 2014
Blustery conditions cancelled Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s charter flight to attend the State of the Shore event April 15, so he had to come by car. But the real turbulence at the meeting came from opposition to Northampton County’s rezoning plan.
Northampton Board of Supervisors Chairman Larry LeMond defended the zoning rewrite, saying the county needs to streamline the development process. Those who questioned the county’s plans are advocates of “no growth,” he said.
Ken Dufty, representing the newly formed group Citizens for Open Government, responded that the proposed zoning ordinance was not in accord with the County’s Comprehensive Plan and that the Planning Commission had not even discussed the zoning changes until two weeks before the public hearing. Dufty disputed LeMond’s claim that the Planning Commission had had two and a half years to look at proposed zoning changes. He also noted that the Planning Commission had asked the county to hire a consultant to help review the proposed changes, but that the county refused to fund it.
LeMond responded that Supervisor Larry Trala felt that the citizens should be able to take care of the review of the ordinance without hiring a consultant. The Planning Commission has 100 days to offer suggestions about the changes, and no further public hearings are scheduled for what LeMond referred to as a “hot-button issue.” [Read more…]
COMMENTARY: Should Have Torn Down Old School
By JOE COCCARO
April 21, 2014
As a new resident, I’ve been impressed by the town’s dedication to preserving its past. I love that Cape Charles has a “historic” designation, and I admire residents and leaders steadfast about preserving its quaintness and personality.
In the town’s zeal to protect its legacy, however, I fear some have lost perspective about what’s worth preserving. The lines between “historic’’ and “nostalgic’’ have become fuzzy.
I live near Central Park and enjoy my strolls there and hearing the kids playing, the fountain flowing, seeing residents walking pets, pushing baby strollers, playing soccer. Like its beautiful old buildings, the park defines Cape Charles. It’s where we gather, recreate and bond. The beach and park unifies us, as much as our local pubs and churches and shops.
With that in mind, I have been head-scratching about the old school. Frankly, I was stunned by the rancor swirling in such an otherwise civil and thoughtful community. The accusations, lawsuits and bitterness seem shockingly out of character. There’s nothing quaint about bitterness.
I keep asking myself, “all of this fighting over what?’’ A dilapidated building that, in my view, is ugly. Yes, the old school building is an eyesore to no less an extent than the old supermarket by the harbor that, hopefully, will soon be razed and replaced with at least some open space.
The school obviously has nostalgic appeal to some. But it’s not “historic’’ and seems devoid of architectural splendor. Not everything old deserves to be protected. The school building was a tool; its purpose served.
One solution to the school quandary could have been just tearing the old girl down. The town could have preserved the site and enhanced wonderful Central Park with some basketball courts for the kids, or maybe a few more tennis courts or benches, or swing sets. Wouldn’t that have been a fitting legacy for the school site? Kids enjoying the old playground? Perhaps that was an option discussed and discarded. [Read more…]
