Cape Charles Council Weighs Fee Hikes, Citizen Raises Pointed Questions

CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Town Council is set to take up a sweeping revision of Cape Charles’s Building, Planning and Zoning fee schedule after a work session Wednesday, August 5, with new charges proposed for everything from tree removal to historic preservation reviews — and at least one resident has already filed detailed objections to several of the changes in writing.

The proposed schedule, slated to take effect in 2026, would adjust dozens of fees across building permits, zoning, the Historic District Review Board (HDRB), the Harbor Area Review Board, environmental permitting, and subdivision review. Town staff say many of the increases reflect the actual time and cost required to process applications, which in some cases have gone unchanged for years.

What’s changing

Among the more notable proposed additions and increases:

• A new $200 Zoning Determination Letter fee, which staff say is needed “due to staff time.”
• New application fees for Historic District Review Board (HDRB) new construction — $1,000 for residential and $2,000 for commercial or mixed-use projects — introduced to align with recent code amendments.
• A restructured set of HDRB “Major Work” renovation categories, split into four tiers ranging from $125 to $500 depending on the scope of exterior work.
• A new $450 fee for HDRB “Major Work” projects that restore a contributing structure to its original historic appearance — which staff describe as an incentive for homeowners to pursue historically accurate restorations.
• A reduction in the fee to demolish a structure under HDRB review, which has moved between $400, $750, and is now proposed at $500 after staff review.
• A near-doubling of the preliminary plat review fee for subdivisions of four lots or more, from $500 to $1,000 plus $100 per lot, which staff attribute to “extensive time requirements.”
• A new tiered sign permit fee structure, charging $75 for signage up to 12 square feet plus $2 per square foot above that threshold, while temporary signs remain fee-exempt.
• A Short Term Rental (STR) Administrative Fee of $450, with rental certificates of occupancy waived for STR operators who pay it.

The schedule also formalizes a nonprofit fee waiver of up to $750 per project application for organizations exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Citizen pushback

Cape Charles resident Claudette Lajoie submitted written comments on the proposed fee schedule dated August 4, 2026 — one day ahead of the work session — raising both procedural and substantive concerns about several line items. Her comments touch on cost justification, regulatory accuracy, and regional comparisons.

Among her objections:

• On the HDRB demolition fee, Lajoie noted that despite being described by staff as a slight decrease, the fee has actually risen over time — from $400 to $750 and now to a proposed $500. She argued there is “no cost justification to increase the fee” and recommended it be revised back down to $400.
• On the CBPA (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act) Exception fee, which staff proposed raising from $200 to $500 citing time requirements, Lajoie countered that the amount is “higher than any Hampton Roads locality” and recommended reducing it to $300.
• On the CBPA Administrative Waiver for vegetation maintenance in the Resource Protection Area (RPA), she pointed out that CBPA regulations permit only maintenance of vegetation in the RPA — not removal — and asked the town to either clarify the fee’s scope or strike the line entirely.
• On HDRB “Major Work” definitions covering exterior renovations (categories affecting items like decks, doors, windows, chimneys, foundations, masonry, porches and siding), Lajoie proposed more specific language distinguishing routine replacement from design changes — for example, specifying that door and window fees apply only when the opening size changes, not for like-for-like replacement.
• On the fee for returning a historic contributing structure to its original appearance, Lajoie suggested the town go further than the proposed $450 charge and instead offer a fee waiver for HDRB review in these cases, arguing a true incentive for restoration would mean removing the cost altogether.
• She also flagged two unresolved questions elsewhere in the schedule: whether the reference to 2001 Town Council-set operational costs used to calculate new-construction building permit fees is still accurate, and what the proposed 2% state surcharge added to all permit fees actually funds.

Staff comments embedded in the same draft — dated May 26, 2026 — show town officials had already reviewed and, in several cases, revised proposed figures downward (including the CoA extension fee and the subdivision modification fee), suggesting the schedule has already gone through at least one round of internal revision before reaching council and the public.

The fee schedule is item 2B on Wednesday’s work session agenda, following an update from Virginia American Water. Because this is a work session rather than a formal meeting, council is expected to discuss the proposal without taking a final vote; a subsequent public hearing and formal adoption would likely follow before the fees take effect.

Residents interested in the full line-by-line schedule, including fee categories for building permits, subdivision review, environmental permits, and appeals, can review the town’s published agenda packets.

This story is based on the Town of Cape Charles’s August 5, 2026 Work Session agenda packet, including the “Building, Planning & Zoning Fee Schedule” document and written comments submitted by Claudette Lajoie.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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