Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is looking for 2 Line Cooks for full and part-time positions. Hourly compensation based on your work experience. The bulk of the hours will be evening shifts but flexibility with your availability is a plus. Please come into the Pub at 133 Mason Ave. and fill out an application.
Archives for March 2018
Renovating Cape Charles: 535 Plum Street
The conventional narrative is that the Cape Charles’ renaissance and revival are due to the rebirth of Mason Avenue, the business district and the harbor. The rest of the story is that none of that would have been possible without the hard work and vision of the folks that took on the renovation and rehabilitation of homes in the Historic District. The latest and one of the best examples is the renovation completed at 535 Plum Street by Jim and Rebecca Wood.
Many of us remember this home, which, by all accounts was a disaster. But somewhere deep inside 535 Plum Street beat the heart of a house that still had the potential to be a home.
For Historic Cape Charles, saving 535 Plum from ultimate destruction was about more than just keeping four walls from falling in on themselves. It was about holding on to an important piece of architectural and cultural heritage, as well as preserving the authenticity of this town.
The 535 renovation is a story of redemption for a place that was very close tasting the blade of a bulldozer.
The Mirror talked with the Woods via email, and this is their story in their own words:
We live in Virginia Beach (“across the bay” as we have learned) and have enjoyed visiting Cape Charles for 16 or 17 years starting when our kids were campers at YMCA Camp Silver Beach. We are building a house in Virginia Beach and wanted to look at the open houses in Bay Creek in the fall of 2016 to get some design ideas. After the tour, we went downtown and Rebecca saw a Zillow listing for a house at a great price so we decided to take a look.
We couldn’t see much and the realtor (David Kabler) cautioned us about the condition but we went inside anyway. The house had no functioning electrical, plumbing or heating/cooling systems. There was no floor and the second floor was sagging down. There was no insulation and the second-floor height was only 6’-8” high and the roof had a large hole and was bowed in on two sides.
We made an offer contingent upon allowing our engineer (Mike Schooley with Small Potatoes Engineering) to evaluate it for us and we did some research. The house was built around 1917 and appears to have been a kit home. According to our engineer, whoever built the house a hundred years ago had no idea what he was doing! The engineer came up with some ideas and we closed on the property.
We studied the historic guidelines and came up with a comprehensive presentation for the Historic District Review Board. We agreed to the board’s request that we use a cement-based siding that mimicked the exposure of the original cedar siding, which was a costly special order item. Because it was unfinished, we took a piece of the original siding and matched the color to our paint so that the house color is now the same color as it was a hundred years ago.
Using local Cape Charles contractors we removed all remaining walls and replaced the flooring. We installed structural steel to hold up the main support beam which was failing due to a faulty 1917 installation. We replaced the entire second-floor structure and using heavy lumber and metal connections raised the second-floor ceiling to 8 feet and reinforced the sagging roof. We installed all new plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems and brought the house to the current code. We replaced all the damaged windows with new energy-efficient windows that meet emergency egress requirements and our engineer designed a shear wall system that stabilized the roof and structure against high winds. We had simple craftsman-type trim installed throughout the house and put in a modern kitchen with granite tops and stainless steel appliances.
Town incurs cost overruns from sewer and water connections to Cape Charles Brewery
Town incurs cost overruns as it sets up sewer and water connections to Cape Charles Brewery
A year ago, the Cape Charles Brewery appeared before Town Council to negotiate a deal to bring the operation to the Eastern Shore. With over $2 million in investments, the last stumbling block was the $65k+ water and sewer hookup charges. The brewery wanted to have the charges completely waived, given what they feel they are bringing to the table such as jobs, additional tax revenue, and being able to put Cape Charles on the bottle caps. The feeling on council was mixed.
The solution leveraged the town Tourism Zone, which would allow the applicant to reduce hookup fees by 50% (to around $33k), and town code which allows for council to set up a payment plan up to ten years. In essence, they would get the hookup at half the price, and pay around $3k a year for ten years. The total cost of the connection charges is $65,977.50. Section 58.1-3851 of the Code of Virginia, allows for the locality to grant tax incentives such as reduced permit or user fees and reduction of gross tax receipts for up to twenty years and provide certain regulatory flexibility such as special zoning for the district or permit process.
To get water and sewer lines to Cape Charles Brewery, Public Works estimated $18k–$8k for water and $10k for sewer. When the work was finally completed last month, the total cost was near $50k.
When questioned about the cost overrun, Public Works Director David Fauber said that part of the miscalculation had to do with the length of line that needed to be run. There was an existing fire hydrant close to the building which Fauber assumed was operational and could be tied into, however, it had never been hooked up, and was basically just a lawn ornament. This required laying much more line. Fauber also said that while digging the trenches, they ran into several roadblocks such as large stones and other objects, which added time and increased the level of difficulty.
Additional costs were occurred by laying gravel on the golf cart path that leads from town to the brewery.
Local Artists Scott and Melinda Enter NPR’s Tiny Desk Music Contest
The Tiny Desk Contest began in 2014, and according to NPR, they did it for one simple reason: discovering new music. And since then, this contest has done just that.
Three previous winners, Fantastic Negrito, Gaelynn Lea and Tank and the Bangas have gone on find success. Fantastic Negrito won a Grammy; Gaelynn Lea went on to play at renowned venues like the Kennedy Center; and Tank and the Bangas toured internationally and even headlined NPR Music’s 10-year anniversary party.
Our own local stars Scott and Melinda have taken up the challenge and entered the 2018 contest with a brilliant new song entitled “Bittersweet”.
Here’s the video:
Public Hearing set for Cape Charles New B&B
A public hearing has been set for April 16th to review an application for a Bed and Breakfast at 727 Tazewell Avenue. The location for the proposed bed and breakfast\tourist house backs to an alley and can accommodate off-street parking.
The property fronts lots in the Commercial– 2 District, which allows for bed and breakfast accommodations as a permitted use.
The lots immediately in front of this property are the site of the old Meatland building, and are used for long-term parking and a variety of smallscale commercial purposes. To the immediate east is Fulcher Street and the Marina Village East subdivision of the Bay Creek planned unit development.
The applicants propose to open two bedrooms to guests, and retain three for family use. The applicants will continue to occupy the building. No changes to the exterior appearance of the building are proposed.
Cape Charles Mulls text amendments to the Industrial M-2 District
At the February 6, 2018 regular meeting, the Cape Charles Planning Commission received a staff report on permitted and conditional uses in the Industrial District M-2 for consideration. The Bayshore closing places the town in a position where it must be creative and logistically intelligent regarding the future of the Industrial District M-2 district.
Town Planner Larry DiRe has reviewed the current set of uses approved for M-2, and “found some counterintuitive uses that may not best serve the goals stated in the Comprehensive Plan.”
According to the Town’s 2016 Comprehensive Plan, the Industrial (GB, M-1, and M-2 Districts) land should “not detract from residential desirability” and “contribute to the existing maritime and industrial nature of Cape Charles.” The Industrial M-2 District designation was created to accommodate those land uses.
“Since both Town planning and zoning documents speak directly to the desired goals of revitalizing industry, and the historic Port of Cape Charles, and advancing the traditional settlement patterns of the Eastern Shore’s towns and employment centers the opportunity to advance those goals on a parcel appropriately geographically situated should be pursued as a ‘good planning practice.’”–Staff Report
Staff proposes the following text amendments: B.1 (library or other municipal building); 4 (adult or child day care center); and 11 (art gallery) should be removed from the district. B.4 is more suited to the Commercial – 2 and 3 districts by right, since child day care centers are permitted in those districts through the incorporation of all the permitted planned unit development Specialty Commercial district uses. Art galleries are a permitted use in every commercial zoning district in town and within the planned unit development.
From the current Section C conditional uses staff recommends C.4 (research, experimental testing and development activities); C.7 (Concrete plant; manufacturing, sales, and distribution of concrete and related products); C. 8 (Railroad tracks, sidings, yards, or roundhouses); C.9 (Marinas, docks, and wharves, if contiguous to the Cape Charles Harbor); C.10 (Port facilities; marine, rail, trucking, and/or intermodal terminals, including transfer, storage, handling, inspection, processing, and/or transport of containerized, bulk, and/or other cargo); and C.17 (warehousing facility) be reclassified as permitted by right since all these uses either reflect current uses, or are logical adjunct activities to the current permitted uses.
Town Council has been briefed on the changes.
Quiet Month for CCPD
Time to enjoy the late winter doldrums–tourists are soon on their way. February 2018 was mercifully slow for the Cape Charles Police, and for the town in general – The following information is the monthly statistics regarding law enforcement activities provided by the Cape Charles Police Department:
Calls for service in Cape Charles: 22
Calls for service outside of Cape Charles: 13
Felony arrests: 0
Misdemeanor Arrests: 0
Traffic Summons: 1 (see page 2.)
Traffic Warnings: 8 (written& verbal):
Parking tickets: 3
Building Checks: 20
Assisted Northampton County Sheriff’s Office: 13
Assisted Virginia State Police: 0
Assisted Federal Agencies:
Assisted Fire& Rescue: 1
Foot Patrol Hours: 23.5
Bay creek patrol hours: 24.5
The following took place in February:
Officers completed annual firearms qualification.
Arrests: None
Cape Charles Farmers Market is looking for enthusiastic volunteers
Cape Charles Farmers Market is looking for enthusiastic volunteers.
Come join the volunteer team for the season! It takes a lot of volunteer hours, behind the scenes and each week to run the market. If you are willing to work 2-4 hours on Tuesdays, twice a month, from May through September, we’d like you to join us. Tasks include helping to set-up and take-down tents, tables and chairs, staffing the market tent to answer customer questions, directing parking, and getting to know the routine to keep things running smoothly.
This year we will need parking monitors to direct traffic, as our parking options have changed. To volunteer of for more information, contact Barb O’Hare at barboh5@gmail.com or 410-707-1610.
Tropi-Cool Ice Returning to Beach for 2018 Season
At the March 15th 2018 Town Council regular monthly meeting Council approved a vendor’s request to conduct an ice cart business in the Open Space District.
As requested, this vendor, Donald Middagh of Tropi-Cool Ice would be open for operation, weather permitting, for sixteen hours per weekend over a period of fifteen consecutive weekends, or two hundred forty (240) total weekend hours. Weather permitting, the vendor would be operating forty hours per week for a period of thirteen weeks, or five hundred twenty (520) total hours, during the week. The vendor cites specific public safety concerns as the basis for this request.
The operation, since it is water-based, Italian Ice does not involve grills, smokers, or other devices that generate cooking odors.
Staff recommended: Town Council grant the vendor’s request, under the time, place, and operational limitations cited in his letter as a follow up to last year’s controlled trial. That trial went well and did not result in unanticipated problems. Specific location may require flexibility but be limited to the area adjacent to the bathrooms and LOVE sculpture, or proximate to the Boardwalk and the information kiosk. No activity should be allowed on or near the dunes, nor seaward of the dunes.
“The sole purpose of this request continues to be safety. Being a vending cart selling Italian Ice, targets a demographic of children and parents. Because of the size of the vending cart and many children that may be around the cart at any given time, it would be safer to operate the cart off of the area where cars travel past and park. Given the size of the cart and setup, it could easily be overlooked by oncoming traffic or those looking for a parking space. Also, due to the hours of operation, it will become very difficult to find an area to set up the cart due to the vehicles anticipated to be already parked in front of the public beach” — Donald Middagh
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Expose UVA as Overrated Chumps
No retriever has ever won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club, a competition that began in 1877. Despite this overt snub of gun dogs, the 16th-seeded University of Maryland-Baltimore County Chesapeake Bay Retrievers exacted some revenge by defeating the top-ranked University of Virginia in the NCAA basketball tournament. The Chessie is also the state dog of Maryland.
According to the American Kennel Club, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers were ranked the most popular dog in America for 25 years.
Known for their webbed feet, and an oily, wavy coat that helps make them extremely agile in the water, Chessies are strong, powerfully built gundogs standing anywhere from 21 to 26 inches at the shoulder. A male can weigh up to 80 pounds.Chessies are solid-colored, either chocolatey brown, sedge or dead grass, with keen yellow-amber eyes.
Chessies are more emotionally complex than the usual gundog. They take to training, but they have a mind of their own and can tenaciously pursue their own path. They are protective of their humans and polite, but not overly friendly to strangers. Chessies make excellent watchdogs and are versatile athletes. A well-socialized Chessie is a confident companion and world-class hunting buddy.
Overall, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers have recently ranked among the 45 most popular purebred breeds in the country.
UMBC’s first class in 1966 picked the Chesapeake Bay retriever as the school mascot. A 500-pound bronze statue of a Chessie named True Grit is on campus, and students like to rub his nose for good luck during finals week.
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