Cape Charles, VA – The Town of Cape Charles is grappling with a growing divide between full-time residents and property owners who have embraced the short-term rental trend. As platforms like Airbnb and VRBO gain popularity, an increasing number of homes in Cape Charles are being converted into vacation rentals, leading to concerns among long-term residents.
Some residents have since taken to displaying political signs in their yards, a move that codifies and makes concrete the political, cultural, and economic rift in Cape Charles.
At the heart of the conflict lies the impact of short-term rentals on the town’s housing market and sense of community. Many full-time residents argue that the influx of vacation rentals has driven up property prices and made it challenging for locals to find affordable housing. One longtime local told the Mirror, “I’ve lived in Cape Charles my entire life, but now I’m being priced out of my own hometown.”
Furthermore, some residents claim that the constant turnover of short-term renters has eroded the close-knit fabric of the community.
On the other hand, property owners who rent out their homes argue that short-term rentals have been a boon to the local economy, bringing in tourist dollars and supporting small businesses. A resident who owns a second home in Cape Charles told the Mirror, “The revenue generated from vacation rentals has allowed me to maintain my property and contribute to the town’s economy. I love Cape Charles and plan to eventually retire here, but it just isn’t feasible for me at this time.”
As tensions mount, the Cape Charles Town Council is grappling with how to strike a balance between the interests of full-time residents and property owners. Proposed solutions range from capping the number of short-term rentals to implementing stricter regulations on noise and parking.
Town Manager John Hozey has acknowledged the complexity of the issue, and it’s clear that he and the Town Council understand the concerns of our full-time residents, but they also recognize the economic benefits that short-term rentals bring to our town.
“This has become a significant issue in town, with passionate views on either side.The town hall meeting was good opportunity for both sides to be in the same room and hear each other as neighbors. Speakers were respectful, and the Town Council mostly just listened. As I stated at the beginning of the meeting, the goal for the evening wasn’t to solve the issues, but rather to understand the issues better. The Council will now meet in a work session in the coming weeks to discuss what they heard, and to provide me and my committee more specific guidance for moving forward” — Town Manager Hozey.
Speaking as someone looking on this on-going STR drama from up in the cheap seats, I have to say that this is really quite the show, and certainly better than anything on TV these days.
I’m curious as to the “community character” of Cape Charles.
Does anyone know what it is?
Can anyone actually describe it in words and phrases and complete sentences that make some kind of sense?
The people who produced the sign “Cape Charles loves its visitors” ran out of space.
To accurately complete this sign the word MONEY needs to follow visitors .
Also I suggest a bit of editing . The phrase on the sign would be seen in a magazine like southern living. In Cape Charles it should read “Cape Charles loves OUR visitors .
I agree Grumpy, there should be $$$$ on these signs. Leave it to this self centered group to think the ‘visitors’ are dumb, and don’t see what’s going on here….
How bout this?? How about the Town of Cape Charles does their job?? Provide a registry of ALL STR’s and let the voting residents decide to cap or not to cap??
Seems the TM and the TC prefer to watch the drama…disgraceful.
Last week, someone from the town offices was pulling up the Limit STRs signs that were in the VDOT right-of-way, without letting the homeowners, who had put the signs out in front of their homes, know. That VDOT right-of-way seems subjective as to who is responsible for maintaining it. The homeowner is expected to keep the grass cut in that right-of-way, but heaven forbid you unknowingly put a sign there, especially if someone in town offices doesn’t like it.
Editor’s Note: This is just what happened during the Old School debate, when members of Town Council went about removing signs. You should report this to the Northampton Sheriff’s office–this could rate as a Class I misdemeanor and result in a $2,500 fine. At least the motivations of the Town are becoming clearer.