A 78 ft. tall structure is coming to the Harbor. In July, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance for a building exceeding the 55 feet height limit for the M-2 industrial district. This lot, which is bordered by Bayshore Concrete to the west and the harbor to the north, was rezoned last year from Harbor district to M-2 Industrial.
The building is proposed as the main repair facility for large yachts and ships using port facilities approved under the conditional use process for the M-2 Industrial District.
Several conditional uses for the lot have already been approved including “marinas, docks, and wharves, if contiguous to the Cape Charles Harbor” (per Article III, Section 3.13.C.9); and “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” (per Article III, Section 3.13.C.10).
The staff report noted that the proposed building will not be a “substantial detriment to adjacent property” or that the character of the district will change.
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This new building will add to the nautical character of the town and help establish Cape Charles as a true Seaport. Just look to the north and there are several examples of this kind of structure in Annapolis, St Michaels, and Solomons, MD. Also, the expansion of the Yacht Center will bring other related industries to town. Shipwrights, sailmakers, etc.