May 22, 2025

8 thoughts on “Catch-22: Can the town make you put in a sidewalk?

  1. A sidewalk for the entire length of Fig Street is needed. The traffic is greater there than in other parts of the town.

  2. “While Mayor Proto stated that he wished to table the request until legal had reviewed it, Burge countered with a motion that Reynolds could not be compelled to put in the sidewalk and that the town, at its expense, could build it if it wanted, noting that 5-foot setbacks would be enforced. The motion passed unanimously.”

    We built our house in 2015 on the corner of Jefferson and Nectarine. We were required by the town to put sidewalk on two sides of our home at our expense and to meet VDOT requirements. The sidewalk goes nowhere and is just as close to our home as the Reynolds would be. At the time we offered to give the town cash to build a sidewalk elsewhere that would connect two existing sidewalks but we were turned down. If the
    Reynolds are not required to put a sidewalk on Fig but only on Washington then I will be requesting a refund from the town for our portion of the sidewalk on Nectarine at a minimum and perhaps for the portion on Jefferson as well if indeed Cela Burge is correct in her reading of the ordinance.

  3. Everyone else who builds a house is required to build a sidewalk ( including Mayor Proto). Why should there be an exception in this case? Invade their privacy? Put some curtains up. They knew about the sidewalk prior to building their house. If they couldn’t afford it, they should have built elsewhere.

    1. “Put some curtains up”? If I ran for town council and only got 20 votes I guess I would be looking for somebody to take out my frustrations on too. At least you beat the 4 write-ins. Anybody who,s thinking about living in Cape Charles keep in mind this will be one of your neighbors. Sad,sad,sad.

  4. Maybe the owner can be allowed to contribute a pro rata amount for construction of sidewalk on east side of Fig Street where there may be fewer obstructions in this area.

  5. Basically the town figured out a way to make everyone else pay for the sidewalks. I agree that if everyone else has to do it so should these people. On the corner of Tazewell and Fulcher Street that new house had to pay for sidewalks to nowhere!

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