Cape Charles Seeks Volunteers to Fill Key Community Boards

CAPE CHARLES, Va. — In a small coastal town like Cape Charles, where the population is small, and the community fabric is tightly woven, the people who show up matter — and right now, the town needs more of them.

The Town of Cape Charles is currently seeking residents to fill vacant positions on four important advisory boards: the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Building Code Board of Appeals, the Historic District Review Board, and the Wetlands & Coastal Dune Board. Each of these bodies plays a quiet but critical role in shaping the character, safety, and future of this beloved Eastern Shore community.

Why It Matters

In rural, coastal towns like Cape Charles, municipal government runs leaner than it does in larger cities. There are no sprawling bureaucracies, no deep benches of paid staff specialists. Instead, local boards filled by everyday citizens carry enormous weight. A zoning decision can determine whether a neighborhood retains its charm or changes forever. A wetlands board ruling can protect the very shoreline that defines Cape Charles’s identity and draws visitors from across the region. A historic district board helps ensure that the town’s remarkable architecture — one of the most intact collections on the East Coast — is preserved for generations to come.

Without engaged, knowledgeable volunteers willing to step into these roles, the work simply doesn’t get done — or worse, it gets delayed in ways that can stall development, leave residents without recourse, and slow the town’s ability to respond to the coastal and environmental challenges that are increasingly pressing for low-lying Chesapeake Bay communities.

How to Apply

Any citizen of the Town of Cape Charles who is interested in serving is encouraged to complete an Application for Boards and Commission and submit it to Town Clerk Libby Hume through one of the following methods:

• In person: 412 Tazewell Avenue, Cape Charles
• By mail: P.O. Box 191, Cape Charles, VA 23310
• By email: clerk@capecharles.org

Once a number of applications have been received, interviews will be scheduled with the Town Council, who will make the final appointments.

Town officials also took the opportunity to recognize those who are already giving their time. “Thank you to all the members of the Town’s Boards and Planning Commission for volunteering their time to serve the community,” the town stated. “We value the knowledge that you bring to the group and your continued dedication to the Town.”

It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply in places like Cape Charles, where a volunteer board member isn’t just a name on a roster — they’re a neighbor, a business owner, a lifelong resident who has chosen to invest their expertise and their evenings into the place they call home.

Residents with questions about the open positions or the application process are encouraged to contact Town Clerk Libby Hume at clerk@capecharles.org.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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