Old School Cape Charles Gets First Day in Court
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 26, 2013
The Town of Cape Charles sold the old school and park property for $10 to a developer last month, but the residents group known as Old School Cape Charles hopes to walk it back.
The group has filed two lawsuits in Northampton Circuit Court — one appealing the sale of the park property, and the other appealing the rezoning.
Judge Revell Lewis heard three hours of arguments yesterday over whether the lawsuits merit a trial.
“I have listened carefully,” Lewis said at the end of the day. “Because of the complexity, I will not render a decision today.”
A written decision will be issued in two or three weeks.
The decision could be to go to trial, to dismiss the cases, or some combination of those.
Top Cape Charles officials spent most of the day at the hearing, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. but did not get underway until 1 p.m.
Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan sat through it all, accompanied by both Town Manager Heather Arcos and Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek.
Also keeping watch was Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown.
The only current Town Council member attending was Frank Wendell, a vociferous opponent of divesting the school.
Former Council members Bruce Evans and Larry Veber were there, both of whom voted to sell the school. Former Council member John Burdiss was also present. Burdiss was not a council member at the time of the sale, but Town records show that he attended at least one closed session when Town Council was secretly negotiating to sell the school.
Representing Old School Cape Charles was its president, Wayne Creed, accompanied by a group of about 16 supporters.
The preliminary hearing was a long time coming. Old School Cape Charles filed the first lawsuit last July. [Read more…]
Civic Leaders Allege Housing Discrimination by Town
LENORA MITCHELL
Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles
JANE CABARRUS
Northampton NAACP
ALICE COLES
Bayview Citizens for Social Justice
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 24, 2013
Three prominent civic leaders have expressed concern to elected state officials over alleged discriminatory housing practices by the Town of Cape Charles.
The civic leaders are Lenora Mitchell, president of Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles; Alice Coles, president of Bayview Citizens for Social Justice; and Jane Cabarrus, president of Northampton County NAACP.
The three leaders want elected officials to know that the sales contract for the Town’s old school stipulates that apartments to be built in the school may not be rented to persons receiving government subsidies.
The apartment developer, Echelon Resources, has applied for federal and state tax credits totaling 45 percent of construction costs.
The Town of Cape Charles awarded Echelon a no-bid contract for the school for the price of $10. The property is assessed at $921,000.
The Town also agreed to transfer $41,000 insurance proceeds to Echelon, and to reduce utility hookup fees by 75 percent.
“We question why, and how, a developer could receive government assistance to build apartments while explicitly excluding people relying on government assistance from living in those apartments,” the civic leaders wrote in a letter.
One letter went to State Senator Ralph Northam, and another to Virginia Delegate Lynwood Lewis, with copies to Senator Tim Kaine and Northampton Supervisor Willie Randall. [Read more…]
Bathroom Design Reaffirmed by Citizens for Central Park
Park bathroom is planned to match size and appearance of 1980s sewage pump station. (Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 22, 2013
The group that chose a sewage pumping station as the model for a bathroom in Central Park reaffirmed its decision last Saturday.
The action came at a meeting of Citizens for Central Park, held at the home of Cape Charles Vice Mayor Chris Bannon.
The meeting was open to the public, and was attended by the bathroom’s most vocal opponent — Don Riley.
Riley urged Citizens for Central Park to redesign the bathroom to reflect the surrounding historic architecture, and to choose a better location in the park.
The current location will require raising the foundation 2-3 feet to prevent flooding, entailing a long, curved ramp for access.
Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek is also president of Citizens for Central Park, and chaired the Saturday meeting.
Panek noted that the Historic District Review Board and the Planning Commission had approved the bathroom and that Town Council had upheld the approval. He asked for a motion to go forward with the plans.
Twelve of 13 members present voted to continue with the bathroom as planned.
Riley told the Wave that he is not satisfied with 12 members of the community making a decision for the whole Town.
“When they planned the Central Park design, they involved the community. And this should be a community decision too,” he said. [Read more…]
Petition Asks Citizens for Central Park to Rethink Bathrooms
Click above to sign the petition.
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 17, 2013
Cape Charles resident Don Riley is going to the mat over the proposed bathrooms in Central Park.
Riley has appealed to Mayor Dora Sullivan, Town Manager Heather Arcos, Citizens for Central Park President Bob Panek, and several members of the Historic District Review Board.
He also made a formal appeal to Town Council, and says he will go as far as to take his case to Northampton County Circuit Court.
Riley has multiple problems with the proposed bathroom: The building was designed to resemble the adjoining sewage pump station; the site is beside a drainage pond; it’s too close to the park pergola; and it blocks neighbors’ views of the park.
“The [first] pump station was a mistake,” Riley told Town Council last week. “Why do we want to bookend it? [Read more…]
‘Temporary Fix’ Planned to Reopen Fishing Pier in March
This portion of fishing pier built on concrete sleepers laid on the sand was effectively destroyed in the hurricane. The deeper water area secured to pilings was not damaged. (Wave photo)
Cape Charles Wave
January 15, 2013
The Cape Charles fishing pier, partly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, should be repaired in time to reopen by late March, according to Town officials.
Ultimately, the fishing pier will be rebuilt by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).
Town Planner Tom Bonadeo told Town Council last Thursday that rebuilding the pier will cost between $200,000 and $300,000, and will not happen for a “year or two.”
In the meantime the Town is working on “a temporary fix” to allow the pier to reopen as soon as possible.
Town Manager Heather Arcos said the Town is working with an engineer with the goal of reopening the pier by the end of March.
But the permanent fix will be up to FEMA. That will entail replacing the section going out to the jetty which was built on concrete sleepers rather than pilings. The portion of the pier in deeper water is already built on pilings and was not damaged.
“FEMA is going to be dumping a lot of money in it to fix it and fix it right this time,” Public Works Director Dave Fauber told Council.
In addition to damage to the pier, the Town estimates that $5,400 worth of beach sand was lost.
Town Basketball Court and Children’s Playground
In other Town Council business, Town Manager Arcos said that town staff are exploring options for replacing the basketball court in the park. One idea is to locate the court on Town-owned property beside the skateboard park. [Read more…]
Town Toilets Closed for the Season? Well, Not All!
January 15, 2013
Town’s public toilet at the fishing pier, built by volunteers, is closed for the season.
Town’s newest public toilet, constructed at the Harbor last year at a cost of $350,000, is closed for the season.
The porta-potty at Central Park remains open for business, but not for long. Town Planner Tom Bonadeo reported last week that the Town has requested the vendor to remove the porta-potty immediately. A permanent toilet is planned, but it too will be closed during the winter season. (Wave photos)
Park Bathroom Appeal Denied by Town Council
Wooden stakes are footprint of proposed Central Park bathroom. The tops of the stakes indicate floor level required to prevent flooding from the adjoining drainage pond. (Wave photo)
Cape Charles Wave
January 14, 2013
After preliminary construction began last month on a bathroom in Central Park designed to resemble a nearby sewer pump station, resident Don Riley appealed to Town Council, which stopped construction pending a hearing.
Riley was appealing the approval of the Historic District Review Board. He noted that new construction in the Historic District is required to “relate to the design character of the historic buildings in the area.”
“There are many examples of nearby historic buildings, but the pumping station is not one of them,” Riley wrote in his appeal. He also circulated a petition among local residents.
Riley addressed Town Council at last Thursday’s meeting. He said that the site is wrong, the building is too large, and flooding will be a problem. No engineering study exists on whether the building would work at that site, he noted.
Only two council members agreed with Riley.
Steve Bennett said, “I disagree with the Historic District Review Board approving that building in its present form, not in its present location.” He said that he was not happy with the size of the building, and felt that it was “pretty ugly.” Something that looks more like the pergola would be appropriate, he suggested. He further argued that a redesign might not drive up cost if the building were made smaller.
Frank Wendell also voted against the bathroom, based on its proximity to a deep drainage pond.
Joan Natali spoke in favor of the bathroom because it was better than the existing porta-potty. Chris Bannon, Tom Godwin, and Mike Sullivan also voted to deny the appeal.
Riley said his next step will be to appeal to the circuit court. [Read more…]
Hundreds Expected in Town for Ultra Triathlon September 7
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
January 12, 2013
Cape Charles will host an estimated 200-600 participants for a 140-mile ultra-triathlon – swim, bike, run – Saturday, September 7, with Mason Avenue the epicenter of the event.
Each participant is expected to be accompanied by 1.3 supporters, resulting in somewhere between 500 and 1500 visitors that weekend.
The course entails a 2.4-mile swim on the Chesapeake Bay, followed by a 112-mile bike stage and finishing with a 26.2-mile marathon.
The entire marathon course will be in Cape Charles, with a 13.1-mile loop through the town and Bay Creek which will be run twice, starting and finishing on Mason Avenue.
Local resident Beth Davis is the community relations manager for the event. She and race organizer Don Mann provided an overview of the event at last Thursday’s Town Council meeting.
Mann owns a home on the Eastern Shore, and decided the area was a perfect place for an ultra-sporting event because of its natural beauty and tranquil surroundings.
“We don’t need your money — just your support,” Davis said. She and Mann have met with Town Manager Heather Arcos, recreation director Jennifer Lewis, and Police Chief Sambo Brown. [Read more…]
