LETTER: Tree Removal Belies ‘You’ll Love Our Nature’

September 12, 2012

DEAR EDITOR,

“You’ll love our nature.”

That’s the mantra for both the Eastern Shore and the Town of Cape Charles.

Recently on my daily walk I observed the transformation of the old sewage plant on Bayshore Road. In the past, the perimeter was planted with a canopy of pine trees, and the understory was dotted with 15- to 20-foot weeping yaupon hollies that were loaded with berries.

The berries fed wildlife and numerous species of migratory birds using the area to rest and re-energize before moving on.

The Shore has always been a magnet for bird watchers young and old — in fact we have a festival coming  up in October, which is very important to the economy. Hotels and restaurants benefit from our love for nature.

That love for nature was altered two weeks ago when yaupon hollies were pulled out of the ground and destroyed for no apparent reason. [Read more…]

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Town Estimates $67,000 for Bank Building Repairs, Upgrades

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

September 11, 2012

Cape Charles building code official Jeb Brady estimates that near-term repairs to the former Bank of America building could cost roughly $56,500. A further $10,500 is required for modifications.

The Town has signed a contract with Bank of America to buy the building for $200,000 plus $8,000-$12,000 in closing and due diligence costs.

The intent is to use the building for a new library on the first floor, a computer lab on the second floor mezzanine, and future overflow municipal offices on the third floor. The bank vault would hold Town records.

The bank property includes two lots on Randolph Avenue which the Town plans to use for parking. Land directly behind the building would become an alleyway.

Town Council only learned about the bank offer on July 12, when Bank of America gave the Town one week to match what it said was an existing offer of $200,000. As part of the deal, the Town had to pay a $20,000 non-refundable deposit. The Town then was allowed 30 days to inspect the property and make a final decision about buying it. The decision deadline is Friday, September 14. [Read more…]

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SUBSCRIBE — It’s the Smart Way to Read the Wave

September 10, 2012

Much as we’d like to feature a new story every day in the Cape Charles Wave, until more folks volunteer to write, it’s just not possible.

In the meantime, there’s a smart way to avoid any disappointment of calling up the webpage only to say, “I already read that.”

Just subscribe. It’s free of course, and you’ll receive an email every morning when a new story appears in the Wave. If there’s no new story, there’s no email.

Here’s what a typical email looks like:

Each new story is shown by headline and the first couple of sentences. If something looks interesting, just click on the headline and go straight to the story.

Subscribing is a two-part process:

FIRST, enter your email address in the subscription box found in the Wave’s advertising column to the right. You’ll be asked to decipher some script to prove that you’re a human and not some spam-generating device.

SECOND, check your Inbox for an email from Feedburner. Reply to the email, and your subscription is activated! (This is for your protection, to be sure you want to receive the service.)

Feedburner is provided by Google, and don’t worry — your email address will never be sold or shared.

The Wave now has several hundred subscribers, but almost 50 would-be subscribers never replied to the Feedburner email. Some have told us they never received an email from Feedburner. Perhaps it landed in their spam filter. If you don’t get a response from Feedburner, please just enter a new subscription request.

You can also “like” us on Facebook. Look for the Facebook box in the righthand column. Clicking on the “Like” button results in links to Wave stories appearing on your Facebook page. Here’s an example: [Read more…]

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SHORE THING: Just Another Walk on the Beach

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

September 7, 2012

We walk on the beach most every day — after all, that’s why we came here. Rarely, however, do I carry my camera. I don’t even wear shoes — why would I want to be bogged down with a camera?

But the other evening at low tide seemed a great opportunity to snap a picture of the WADS.

What? You know — WADS — Wave Attenuating Devices.

Whoever came up with that acronym had to have served in the military.

On the way to  the WADS, we passed a human interest story playing out — a dog riding a boogie board.

Human interest? Or dog interest?

The doggie’s expression says worlds: “I hope you realize I’m not doing this for myself — it’s all just to please you. I will do anything for you, because you feed me.” [Read more…]

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Planning Commission Endorses Bank Building Purchase

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

September 6, 2012

The Cape Charles Planning Commission voted September 4 to advise Town Council that the proposed relocation of the Town library to the former Bank of America building would be in compliance with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

The Planning Commission action is in response to charges that moving the library to the commercial district violates the Comprehensive Plan. Former town manager Timothy Krawczel wrote in an August 3 op-ed column in the Wave that the Town Council violated Virginia State Code when it voted to buy the bank building without consulting the Planning Commission. He further noted that the Comprehensive Plan ”recognizes Mason Avenue as the center of retail activity,” and that “turning the most prominent commercial building on the street into public space . . . not only removes the property from the tax rolls, it eliminates the building as a possible site for a future bank or commercial center.”

Town Planner Tom Bonadeo in his staff report pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan includes relocating the library to a larger space, as well as acquiring “strategic undeveloped properties.”  The bank building purchase would be in accord with these goals, as well as providing increased parking for the commercial district and overflow offices for Town officials on the third floor of the building, he said.

Bonadeo conceded that the Town’s purchase of the bank building would cause a loss of real estate and business tax revenue – especially since banks pay a higher tax than regular businesses.  But he said that conversion of the old school into apartments would somewhat offset the loss of the bank building tax.

Planning Commission member Joan Natali, who also sits on Town Council, said she found nothing about the bank purchase contrary to the Comprehensive Plan, and made a motion to that effect. The motion passed unanimously.

OTHER PLANNING COMMISSION NEWS [Read more…]

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Cape Charles Scenes: Plein Air Artists Compete Outdoors

BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

September 5, 2012

Twenty painters scattered around Cape Charles over Labor Day weekend to create quick — and beautiful — works of art. Then they gathered at the Stage Door Gallery for their paintings to be judged and awarded prizes.

“On a day that’s not brutally hot, it’s just pleasant to be outside,” said Susan Check. She and Jenny Windsor, both from Virginia Beach, had set up their easels in the small gazebo on the town harbor. They wanted to paint in the shade, and were fascinated by the view that combined boats and a concrete plant.

“We do quite a few plein air events,” said Windsor. “It makes you make decisions fast. It pushes you.”

This weekend’s painting flurry was the fifth plein air happening organized by Arts Enter. The artists scattered all over town, and produced multiple canvases.

Sunday evening, the artists gathered with their paintings to display their work at the Stage Door Gallery and be judged by Irene Ritter, a stone sculptor, former deputy mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, and former editor of Nashville Magazine. Ritter has been friends with gallery manager Ellen Moore for 40 years, and stayed with her during the event.

Artists, art lovers and potential buyers milled around the gallery as Ritter scrutinized each piece. Then someone rang the big iron bell and the crowd hushed. [Read more…]

OLD SCHOOL DEVELOPER
South Virginia Town in Water Feud with Echelon Partner

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

September 4, 2012

Blackstone VA Town Council is threatening to turn off water to the tenants of newly developed Blackstone Lofts luxury apartments if the developer does not pay $38,000 in hookup fees by September 27.

The developer is J. David McCormack, who also is a partner with Edwin Gaskin at Echelon Resources, Inc. Echelon has a contract with the Town of Cape Charles to convert the old school at Central Park into an apartment building.

According to Blackstone Town Council minutes, the council voted March 26 to give McCormack 30 days to pay the tap fee.

McCormack told the Wave Monday night that “We were told there were no tap fees — then they initiated the tap fees. We’re negotiating it.”

McCormack noted that unlike in Cape Charles, where the Town owns the old school property, the old tobacco warehouse he converted in Blackstone was “a private deal.”

“We got taken by surprise — we’re still going to pay. That’s the way I am,” McCormack said.
[Read more…]

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For a Successful Party, Just Add Water

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

September 2, 2012

Last night’s final Northampton Chamber of Commerce summer party got it right. After experimenting with locales, the Chamber seems to have found a venue intimately suited to their size events.

That site is the grassy area adjoining Cape Charles pier — with high enough elevation to enjoy a wonderful view of the Bay.

Although Chamber advertising described the location as “at the Boardwalk Gazebo,” fortunately it was at neither the boardwalk nor the Gazebo. Because as was painfully evident at the last street party by the Gazebo, from the street you can’t see the water.

Last night, everyone got a water view. A full moon turned out for the party as well, although it struggled to break through the haze.

But no rain was in sight — only fair, after the Chamber’s last party had to be postponed twice due to weather.

This writer earlier urged the Chamber to return to Cape Charles Harbor. Subsequently, a Chamber member confided that they left the Harbor because of competition with the new Shanty Restaurant, which also features a band.

So now, Cape Charles is “Party Central” — choose your locale.

And don’t forget Sunday’s Picnic in the Park. What a great way to close out a great summer!

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DON’T MAKE WAVES
First WADs in Virginia Installed Off Cape Charles

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

August 31, 2012

Rain pelted Scott Bartkowski as he waited on the breakwater. It had been a long day. First, the sun and tide were both out, and the barges sat grounded. By high tide, waves of black clouds dumped downpours on the crew, but they worked anyway.

That’s how it played on the first day of the first wave attenuating devices (WADs) in Virginia.

“I’m the inventor, so I know it’s the first,” said Bartkowski as the thunderstorm raced toward shore. He is president of Living Shoreline Solutions, Inc. Until now, most WADs have been used as artificial reefs. “These particular WADs were designed specifically for here, in Cape Charles.”

WADS are massive concrete pyramids that sit on the aqueous bottom in rows, breaking the wave action and helping a new beach form at the water’s edge. In Cape Charles, three private landowners have joined to pay for the WAD breakwater to prevent further erosion to their land.

It was Sheldon Williams’ job to move the monster WADs into place. Williams, of Cheriton,  inched his barge toward the drop site.  People waiting in the water watched for lightning, inundated by the sweeping storms. Slowly, slowly, the barge was nudged into position. They tested the crane, then in one swoop — PLOP — the WAD was set in its permanent position.

Bartkowski expects it to take 10 days to complete all three breakwaters, which will extend around Seabreeze Apartments to the pilings of the old ferry landing. [Read more…]

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Bay Creek Pays Part of Back Taxes Owed to Town

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

August 29, 2012

Bay Creek LLC and Baymark Construction have paid $43,616 in back taxes to Cape Charles, according to Town Treasurer Kim Coates. Before the payment, the two companies owed $60,762.

Bay Creek LLC paid $18,350 for 19 lots, and owes the balance for 94 more lots, said Coates.

Baymark Construction paid $25,266 for 39 lots, with balances due on 15 more.

“There was never any intent to avoid them,” said Bay Creek spokesman Oral Lambert.

The Wave’s July 31 story on delinquent Town taxpayers may be read here: http://capecharleswave.com/2012/07/some-of-towns-biggest-landowners-owe-back-taxes/

A related August 16 story on delinquent County taxpayers may be read here: http://capecharleswave.com/2012/08/northampton-county-to-tax-delinquents-pay-up-or-else/

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Can New-Design Breakwaters Save Seabreeze Apartments?

BY KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

August 28, 2012

Massive concrete pyramids line the south dock of Cape Charles harbor, waiting to be deployed along the town’s northern waterfront. They’re called WADs—wave attenuating devices. And these WADs are probably the first to be used in Virginia.

“They never would have let us build it if erosion wasn’t a problem,” said George Mirmelstein, agent for the owners of Seabreeze Apartments.

He said there was only 20 feet of land beyond the apartments’ foundation when he was first shown the problem, and Hurricane Irene gobbled up another 8 feet this past September.

“We’re hoping that this system—WADs—will cause the beach to recreate itself,” said Mirmelstein. Seabreeze joins two other properties in the Bay Vistas development to fund the breakwaters.

He said Seabreeze will contribute more than $150,000 to the project, which costs over $250,000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) holds the mortgage on Seabreeze until 2033. It approved an emergency reserve loan from the Rural Development branch of USDA to help pay for the WADs. [Read more…]

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