PLANNING COMMISSION
Residential Density Limits Considered for Harbor District

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 9, 2012

Cape Charles Town Planner Tom Bonadeo has recommended adding density limits to the Harbor District zoning ordinance.

At the August 7 Town Planning Commission meeting, Bonadeo said a density limit could pre-empt proposals for overcrowded residential development in the Harbor District.

Bonadeo added, however, that he was unaware of any plans for residential development in the Harbor District at this time.

The Town Council adopted Harbor Area Design Standards in September 2010 as an addendum to the Comprehensive Plan.

In 2006, the Town paid for the “Harbor Area Conceptual Plan and Design Guidelines” study.

REZONING REQUEST ON RANDOLPH AVENUE

In other Planning Commission business, a proposed change to the Commercial District (C-1) zoning ordinance was raised by IES Holdings, LLC, owner of commercial property at 718 Randolph Avenue. The firm is requesting permission to build two residential apartments behind the existing property. The commissioners agreed to inspect the property before making any recommendation to Town Council. [Read more…]

Should Town Encourage Rt. 13 Commercial Development?

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

August 8, 2012

Should Cape Charles, with its new wastewater treatment plant, make it easier to commercially develop nearby Route 13? That’s a question that will be on the table Thursday night at the Town Council meeting.

The Public Service Authority (PSA), which once hoped to provide sewer service around Exmore and Cheriton, has scaled back its goals. Now, the PSA is focusing on the strip along Route 13 between SunTrust Bank running south to the Corner Mart, with a branch to the Fairview mobile home park. The wastewater generated there would be pumped to the new Cape Charles plant.

“When taking the temperature of the community, we found significant interest by the commercial property owners,” said Bob Panek, who is both the assistant town manager of Cape Charles and the chairman of the PSA. “So we decided to concentrate on service for the commercial properties. Then we could build on that, should the grant funding climate improve in the future.”

A preliminary cost estimate for the small system is $1.5 million to $2 million. There are about 53 acres of commercially zoned property near the Cape Charles traffic light, and 32 acres zoned industrial. The PSA contacted 65 parcel owners to see if they were interested in a wastewater system. [Read more…]

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Judge Sets Town Council Election for November 6

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 7, 2012

Cape Charles will hold a special election November 6 to select a replacement for the late Town Councilman-elect Donald L. Clarke.

The winner of the election will serve a term of approximately three years and eight months, until July 1, 2016.

Clarke was elected to Town Council May 1, but passed away on June 13. He was due to take office July 1.

The special election was ordered by  Northampton County Circuit Court Judge W. Revell Lewis, III, and was in response to a petition filed by the Town Council.

Persons wishing to run in the special election must file their candidacy at least 81 days prior to the November election, making the filing deadline August 17 at 5 p.m.

The November 6 Special Election will be held concurrent with the Presidential election, so the Town will not incur any extra election expense. [Read more…]

Super Successful Clam Slam Festival Ends with a Bang

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 6, 2012

Cape Charles Harbor Master Smitty Dize was tired but happy Sunday evening as he counted up ticket proceeds for the just-completed Boat Docking Contest — the grand finale of a very successful weekend comprising the Town’s first Clam Slam Festival.

Some 800 tickets were sold for Sunday’s boat docking competition which drew watermen and their friends and families from up and down the Shore. Nine boats competed this year — a 50 percent increase over last year. Proceeds go to pay the cash prizes, plus $300 to each boat to help cover fuel costs.

It was the success of the first boat docking contest last year that inspired Dize to expand Harbor events to fill a full weekend, including a Shriners Parade, marching band, and car show on Saturday.

Boat dock competitions are wildly popular on the Shore, with Crisfield, Maryland, having one of the largest. But Dize was happy with the Cape Charles crowd and nine boats — big enough to give a good show, but not so large as to drag on interminably on a hot afternoon.

Three local boats competed: Jay B, Three Brothers, and The Pound Netter.

Master of Ceremonies was the popular Erik “Flea” Emily.

Watch the 5-minute Wave video above, and then read more to see the list of winners.

[Read more…]

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Hotel Cape Charles Makes the Washington Post

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 4, 2012

Washington Post travel writer Becky Krystal stayed at Hotel Cape Charles recently, and gave a very favorable review in Friday’s online edition of the paper.

The article is one of a Washington Post series on East Coast and regional lodging.

Unlike some local residents, Krystal didn’t seem to mind the modern look of the just rebuilt Hotel Cape Charles, which she termed “very zen” and “eco-beach chic.” And “not a single cliched pastel shore print hung on the walls” — a definite plus in her book.

This is the second (and more prominent) mention the Washington Post has given Cape Charles in a matter of weeks. On July 13, Krystal wrote more generally about her trip to First Landing State Park near Virginia Beach, Kiptopeke, Cape Charles, and Assateague Island. She mentioned Cape Charles (specifically, Brown Dog Ice Cream shop) only in passing.

Now we know why — she was saving Hotel Cape Charles for a full-length article. [Read more…]

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Google Certifies Cape Charles Wave as Local News Source

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By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

August 4, 2012

The Cape Charles Wave has been accepted by Google News as an authentic source of local information. Google News listings began including the Wave on Friday, as illustrated in the screen shot above.

The above screen shot is not “clickable,” but the actual Google News screen is, meaning that readers can access any of the above news media directly from the Google News screen.

Google News readers who search “Cape Charles” get a listing of online news from local sources such as the Eastern Shore News (also listed as Delmarva Now), the Virginian-Pilot, TV stations with online news such as WAVY-TV (shown above), and many more.

The Google web crawler is automated, and searches for the words “Cape Charles” on the Internet. But the only sources allowed under the “News” category are those that have been reviewed and accepted by a Google official.

To be accepted, the Cape Charles Wave had to demonstrate that it publishes information that would normally be found in a newspaper, such as news reports, feature stories, opinion columns, obituaries, classifieds, and letters to the editor. The Wave was also required to have a public “face” — meaning that its editors and reporters are clearly identified by name. [Read more…]

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COMMENTARY
Buying Bank Building Out of Sync with Comprehensive Plan

By TIMOTHY J. KRAWCZEL

August 3, 2012

Local governments in Virginia can do only those things that the state code specifically enables them to do, and must do them according to the procedures outlined in the Code.

Virginia envisions that local governments will have robust land use planning programs as a linchpin, engaged citizens, and active civic discourse.

One way the law of Virginia prescribes to fulfill this purpose is to require each municipality to have a Comprehensive Plan for the future physical development of the jurisdiction, founded on careful study and public input.

“Good public policy is made after a careful review of facts and consideration of public opinion.”

The Code of Virginia also obligates public officials, such as Town Councils, to carefully consider the adopted Comprehensive Plan before making a land use decision.

The Code is specific:  Section 15.2-2232, Legal status of plan, stipulates that once a Town’s comprehensive plan has been approved and adopted, it shall control the general or approximate location, character and extent of each public facility . . . . Thereafter, unless a feature is already shown on the adopted master plan or part thereof , no park . . . or other public area, public building or public structure . . . whether publicly or privately owned, shall be constructed, established or authorized, unless and until the general location or approximate location, character, and extent thereof has been submitted to and approved by the commission as being substantially in accord with the adopted comprehensive plan or part thereof. . . .  [Read more…]

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Public Hearings on Rezoning School Property August 23

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

August 1, 2012

At a special meeting Tuesday night, the Cape Charles Town Council set a date for two public hearings regarding zoning for the old Cape Charles high school. The Town has signed a purchase contract with Echelon Resources, Inc., to sell the building and land for $10, but a condition of the contract is that the zoning be changed to allow for a 17-unit apartment building.

The public hearings are scheduled for Thursday, August 23, at 6 p.m. at a location to be announced.

Residents crowded the council chamber for Tuesday’s meeting, spilling out into the hallway. But because it was a special meeting, no public comment was allowed.

Frank Wendell was the only member of council to vote against holding the public hearings. He questioned the need to rezone the school property from Open Space to R-1 Residential, and the subsequent conditional use permit that would allow Echelon to locate an apartment building in an R-1 zone.

“Is replacement of the basketball court the only condition for the conditional use?” Wendell asked. “No repurchase agreement, like the [Town] attorney recommended?” [Read more…]

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Some of Town’s Biggest Landowners Owe Back Taxes

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

July 31, 2012

Delinquent taxpayers owe the Town of Cape Charles over a quarter million dollars. And the companies that owe the most are among the largest landowners in town — Baymark Construction Corp., Bay Creek LLC, and Bay Creek Marina and Resort LLC.

“We should be caught up within 60 days,” said Oral Lambert, speaking for the Bay Creek companies. “There are many entities in our corporate group and this is just a small percentage of the total. The vast majority of the Bay Creek taxes have already been paid.”

Town Manager Heather Arcos informed the Wave that the Town collects an average of about 96 percent of taxes due each year. Delinquent real estate taxes, including penalties and interest, equal $250,856 as of July 26.

Arcos said Cape Charles uses a string of methods to collect back taxes. The Town mails bills, sends out reminder letters, and sometimes even calls the delinquent owner.  Payment plans can be arranged. And under the Town Code, officials can withhold permits until taxes are paid.  [Read more…]

Clam Slam to Show Harbor No Longer ‘Across the Tracks’

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

July 30, 2012

Spin a workboat from one dock to another, attach four lines to four posts bow and aft, and do it in about 30 seconds — that’s the essence of a boat docking contest. Next weekend in the Cape Charles harbor, watermen from Virginia and Maryland will compete to see who is the fastest.

“They risk tearing their boats up,” said Harbormaster Smitty Dize, who organized the event. “Most of them get dinged up. Last year, one guy knocked a part of his guard off, but that’s to be expected. It can be a very expensive thing if you tear up the hydraulic line.”

The boat docking contest is one of many events planned for the Inaugural Cape Charles Clam Slam, a town-wide festival August 3-5. Participants will enjoy three live bands, trash to treasures and yard sales, vendors, a Shriners Parade and car show, skiff and cork races, and clams, clams, clams.

“We’re not doing these events to make a profit,” said Dize. “We’re hoping to offset the costs of other town events, like the 4th of July fireworks.”

Last year, the town hosted its first docking race. Six boats competed before a crowd of about 1,200. Dize expects 9 or 10 boats in three divisions this year, and double the attendance. The Clam Slam Facebook page is getting lots of traffic, he said. And a yacht club that had one member attend last year is bringing 30 boats next weekend.

“A lot of vacationers are here this year because we exposed the town last year,” said Dize.

Cape Charles got a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to market the harbor. The grant paid for ads in boating magazines like Proptalk and Spinsheet, plus rack cards and other marketing tools. Massive harbor improvements have prompted some to consider it the new center of town.

“No, we’re not the center of town,” said Dize. “But we’re actually attached to the town now. The harbor used to be on the other side of the railroad tracks.” [Read more…]

Planning Commission Recommends Allowing Old School to Become Apartment Building

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 27, 2012

The Cape Charles Planning Commission yesterday voted unanimously to recommend approval of the rezoning of the Old Cape Charles High School, adjoining parking lot, and basketball court from Open Space to R-1 residential.

The Planning Commission also voted 3-1 to recommend approval of a Conditional Use Permit to allow Echelon Resources, a private developer, to convert the school into a 17-unit apartment building located in an area of mostly single-family homes.

The votes were preceded by a public hearing, at which all the members of the public who spoke opposed the rezoning and conditional use.

Lenora Mitchell said the rezoning and the conditional use would “destroy the character of the neighborhood.” She noted that the basketball court next to the school is a community asset used across racial, age, ethnic and social lines. Under the terms of the contract signed by the Town, the basketball court will become a private parking lot for the apartment house.

John Peterman, an adjacent property owner and part-time resident, said, “We had no idea this would happen when we bought our property. We would not have bought it had we known.”

Wayne Creed, president of Old School Cape Charles, LLC, asked, “What happened that we are converting a public asset to a private asset? Why? Because we are in the Historic District we are eligible for government grants and loans and tax credits to improve the building, but those will be going to a private developer instead of the people of Cape Charles.”

Creed reminded the Planning Commission that the Historic District Review Board had rejected the proposal to convert the school into an apartment house as inappropriate.

Creed said the park has always been open space and the school has always been part of the park. “History shows that they were always together,” he said.

[Read more…]

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