An application has been submitted to the Historic District Review Board ahead of its December meeting, proposing the relocation of a house from 645 Mason Avenue to 602 Washington Avenue. The implications of this move extend beyond mere logistics, as it could pave the way for a significant development.
The Planning Commission has been notified of this application due to the potential ripple effect it might have on the area. If approved, the relocation of the house could prompt a subsequent submission for a development site plan. This plan aims to establish a drive-thru bank not only at the present 645 Mason Avenue location but also on the adjacent lot to the west.
Both of these lots fall under the Commercial-Residential (CR) zoning designation. While a drive-thru bank isn’t explicitly sanctioned within the CR District, the argument in favor of this commercial use emphasizes its compatibility and complementary nature to the district. Specifically, proponents highlight its alignment with the surroundings, notably the proximity to the Kellogg Building, currently undergoing conversion into a restaurant, and its adjacency to Rayfield’s Pharmacy across the street.
The determination of this commercial use within the CR District is subject to adherence to the Town Code of Zoning Ordinances which mandates that concurrence must be secured from the Planning Commission regarding the assessment of this use within the district.
This move and potential subsequent development underscore the intersection between historic preservation considerations and evolving commercial interests within designated districts.
About the Author
Support this! Taylor Bank is the only bank headquartered and focused on the three and now hopefully four Delmarva coastal counties. Cape Charles will be well served by a local bank that invests and loans in our peninsula unlike those gobbled up by larger banks across the CBBT and Bay Bridge. Sadly there is no financial institution that will accept commercial deposits in Cape Charles after the PenFed takeover. (A great crew on Mason but unfortunately no longer a business deposit institution) I’m not a shill for Taylor Bank (“Calvin B” ((Taylor Banking Co.)) as we called it as first job teens 45 years ago) … I’m just now a grey haired but still stoked 15 year old busboy from Ocean City that opened a pen and ink passbook savings account in 1982 and has grown and seen Taylor Bank support our business ventures from Sussex to Worcester to Accomack and Northampton Delmarva counties. It’s been a blessing to our businesses and it will be a blessing to Cape Charles to invest and grow jobs and opportunities now and in the next 45 years.
JUST SAY NO
The right side photo shows 602 Madison Avenue, not the targeted Washington Avenue location. The Washington Avenue address is a corner lot.