At the last Town Council Regular Meeting, the group Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles addressed the council about what they perceive to be the threat posed by Coastal Concrete. In a statement, the group noted that the noise and dust created by the plant would drive away tourists and visitors, as well as harm the transient boater trade at the harbor.
The following letter was sent by resident Dave Parham to several citizens:
Dear All;
As a fellow boater, I am writing requesting your support. Since starting operation approximately one year ago the Coastal Precast Concrete Plant has continuously disturbed the peace and serenity at the harbor and to residents. I am not sure how many of you experienced the unacceptable dust and debris on your boats docked in the Town Marina last season compliments of the Coastal Precast Concrete plant. It got so bad on docks A&B that my son will no longer dock his boat at the Town Marina. I have heard similar complaints from other people docked at the Town Marina and boaters who stopped in for a few days as they cruised the Chesapeake. There is a good probability that most of them will not be back.
The dust & noise was a daily problem. Now I hear that there is a possibility that the plant will go to a 6 day work week and potentially look for increased land and rezoning so they can take on larger contracts. I am uncertain what your thoughts on this are, but feel you should be aware as members of the Cape Charles Yacht Club.
I know my family and I always appreciated the convenience and ambiance of the town marina. Unfortunately, we no longer feel that way after the problems created by the Concrete plant last year. I also believe with increased operations, the noise from the concrete plant will become louder and more frequent, perhaps reaching and disturbing the residents of the Bay Creek Community. This will be especially true if the plant expands their footprint.
I hope you will join me in writing to the Town Council and Planning Commission urging them to enforce the light industrial zoning requirements for the Coastal Precast Concrete plant and assure that actions are taken to reduce the noise and air pollution emitted from the plant to acceptable levels at acceptable times. Secondly, that the Town Council does NOT endorse or approve any expanded or new Industrial zoning of any kind in the town limits or surrounding environs.
For your convenience, I list the email addresses for the Town Council and Planning Commission below.
While most of the county, especially locals see the dust and noise as a blessing of good Northampton jobs for good Northampton people, a handful of mainly wealthy white retirees from the north see the plant as a disrupter of peace, quiet, and the ability to stuff the greasy till.
The extensive, new concrete plant is a considerable source of noise and dust for the harbor. Attracting transients and keeping annual slip holders is a must. A sudden considerable rate hike when the peace and quiet have been diminished is confusing. – comment posted by concerned citizens.
The group told the council that if allowed to continue working as they do, Coastal Concrete will drive away homeowners and tourists, and the town would return to “being a dump”, like it was before they decided to move here and clean it up.
Others see concerted conspiracy the town and the Cape Charles Yacht Center, as is voiced in this comment, “Yes. It’s all about money at this point. Eyre Baldwin sold the town out right from underneath us. The principals of the CCYC are all about the dollar. They do not provide good service at a reasonable rate, nor do they have the best interest of the town in mind. It’s their best interest, and I feel like Eyre and the town have just rolled over. The biggest moneymaker in the town will now be the Yacht Center. A Maine-owned organization. The town won’t see a dollar outside of a little storage (which won’t be much as the local waterman will NOT pay the yacht center a dime to store their gear/boats after they’ve cut them off from fuel sales). The town loses. The local boaters lose. Everybody loses. Except Eyre and the new owners of the yacht center. What have we done?“
How this will end is anyone’s guess, but the war is just beginning. These rich, white retirees tend to always go on and on about how successful they were in the previous life. A dull, meaningless existence tends to grate at type A personalities—they need something to give them purpose.
Cape Charles is already a greedy, pathetic joke, so if these bored northeast liberal Bourgeoisie put in the effort, will they be able to shut down the plant and destroy local jobs? Sources tell the Mirror the plant is a big concern for members of the town council, especially the ones that are business owners.
The end game appears to be removing any reminders of Cape Charles working class heritage. In less then two years, the remaining few commercial watermen will be run off. But the real rub was the end of the railroad.
Now that the old railyard sits empty, developer and town council mouths are drooling over turning it into ‘something’. We all know what that will be, but can it ever happen if the concrete plant continues to provide jobs for Northampton County?
About the Author
Northern Liberals are like hemorrhoids.
They’re not a problem when they come down, it’s when they stay.
Can I get a woamen?
While your article may define maybe one truth (the one about the shameful abandonment of the railroad), I see the “plight” of the “from-heres” and the forever unwanted “come-heres.” But, your verbage smacks of RACISM and resentment toward people who had successful careers elsewhere.
Face the facts folks that some things won’t change until something new and needed occurs, and that you just can’t control everything around you anymore. Jealousy and rumor mongering are embarrassingly ugly, and don’t bite the hand of the one business who pays huge taxes in the town and county. What a dilemma. Geeze.
OH MY GOD!!!! A RACIST?
You repeat your talking liberal talking points well. Geeeez.
The thing is, you people have used that word all up. We don’t care what you call us. It means nothing. You are to be pitied.
I’m not the one who had to point out the all the rich come-heres are white. And that is racist.
I am about as conservative as one can get. Don’t call me names. Shame on you. Grow up.
How is is ‘racist’ to state a fact about characteristics of a group? When we all start obsessing about what descriptive terms are used for physical traits, then that’s a problem- arguments based on EMOTION are useless and usually inflammatory.
I agree, don’t let them SNOW you MAN! It’s ABOMINABLE!
There is no racism in that post. For the love of God….
Racism is implied when you have to label folks by their skin color. It gets people all whipped into frenzy.I am a proud Virginian and American.
And that’s all.
Well done Wayne Creed. Eastern Shore needs jobs not dictators.
Here we go again. When you buy a house next to a Naval Air Station you don’t then ask the Navy to quiet their jets or move them elsewhere. The Jets were there first and you didn’t know they are a tad louder than Alexa ? Oh My Gawd you got dust on your boat ! Did you get any in your hair ? I think The Yacht Club can solve the entire issue by building a removable motorized dome over the harbor. Slide a daytime dome in with a shining sun painted inside with appropriate lights. At night slide the nighttime dome in with stars and a moon that create that illusion. The dome will naturally lower the noise and yachters can direct Alexa to soothe their nerves with the appropriate music at a sound level that soothes the savage beast.
While every business has to be about the dollar, no one can expect them to make every situation perfect for everyone, and one can’t assume a business is evil because it is about a dollar.
Perhaps the members of the yacht club could all find a psychiatrist that would help them accept the noise and dust from Coastal Concrete ? Attitude is everything, correct ? Simply be persuaded to believe that emperors like themselves should enjoy the noise and dust of the peasants whistling while they work.
Dust & Noise. Two issues modern man is still unable to solve.
Come -here Citizens of Cape Charles would have lost their mental remnants had they lived here when the trains were running. The fish plant stank until they got it down to when they pumped oil but, like the,Corvair, it went by the time they fixed it. Bayshore and the railroad were signs of life nobody minded. Now instead of weekend mowing, professionals mow every day. I remember someone called it Mowtown. That’s noisier than Coastal because it’s right up your a–* left hole.
I tie my boat at the yacht center. I don’t have any problem with dust or Noise. Go back where you came from. I would rather have the plant in my back yard than you complainers. There’s been a concrete plant there Spence the fifty’s. It was here when you came here. If you need help moving call call me I will give you a hand. BY your truly Kenneth Heath
The dirty and dusty workers at the plant are making money to support their families! I assume they don’t care if you boat gets dirty. Why don’t you consider hiring someone to wash it since you can afford to . If you can’t afford to please apply for a job at the plant.
Coastal concrete formally known as Bayshore has been here and operating longer than you have been living here! And like someone else said you’re the one who docked your boat next to the plant. Dont like it. Move it. Go to Kings Creek!
What peace? What serenity? Exactly WHAT is being disturbed? Scotiagirl visits the harbour nearly every day just for the solitude, the opportunity to see boats rocking gently on the water. She sits in her shiny black vehicle and listens to the gulls. NO dust, NO noise. What is this really about? Are you upset that this concrete company played a big part in the construction of the CBBT? After all, there are an awful lot of birds killed every day along that stretch…maybe after you shut down Coastal Concrete you can take up that cause?
Bayshore Concrete Plant built the bridge-tunnel. They are long gone. But, you’d think some folks might appreciate the jobs that were there back then. I’m surprised that VDOT hasn’t been sued by all the travelers that hit the deer on our highway…
Ridiculous! The concrete plant provides MANY JOBS! Other than a couple of years, there has been a concrete plant in operation for many years! I for one am sick of the people that move here and want to change everything! Maybe they should have paid more attention. If the come heres don’t like it they could just go back where they came from! That little citizens group better be glad I moved out of town. I’d have been ALL OVER THIS SHIT! WHY DO PEOPLE MOVE HERE AND THEN WANT TO CHANGE EVERYTHING?
stupid come heres want to change everything here! go back where you came from, the change is there, why did you leave?
For the record, the fairly pervasive “come-here’s ruin everything” attitude keeps the more laid-back, intelligent “come-here’s” from ever coming here. And some new ideas and money coming to the shore is not a bad thing.
Also, what’s the statute of limitations on “Coming-here”? If I moved here and had a kid, is he “from-here”? If not, will his kids be?
If my granddad moved here from Norfolk, had my parents here, and I was born here…am I from Hampton Roads or the Eastern Shore?
African Swallow or European Swallow?
Just trying to understand the rules.
If there is such a person who lives in a mindset that their need of serenity, when they visit the docks, outweighs other’s need of food, then that surely is a depraved mind. . That can’t be the case, can it?
Coastal Precast Concrete brings balance to the town. There could be all homes or even a seasonal hotel on that site. Instead you have jobs that produce a product.
If Cape Charles becomes nothing but a one dimensional tourist town then the honest character of its history and future will be limited. Working communities located in desirable environments offer buffers to the often changing economy.
Waterman deserve a dedicated dock of their own at the Town Marina. These Waterman provide fabulous fresh seafood and honest work for locals.
The Town of Cape Charles will review the contract with CCYC this year. I would hope they secure an area strictly for the registered Waterman’s use to include their own gas pump.
The seaside barrier islands, agricultural farmland, professional waterman and of course lets not forget the dynamic charm of Cape Charles itself. These are all reasons Northampton Co. and Cape Charles are seeing economic revitalization.
Most people do not want a Disney like community. Life is about balance. Coastal Concrete, the Va. Coastal Reserve, Cape Charles Marina and the Mason Ave shops all add to a mix of authenticity and balance.
Well put!
My husband and I are working come heres. I taught for years in both counties. The jobs provided by Coastal are desperately needed. I have friends and former students who are supporting their families with these jobs. So some rich person with a yacht is afraid of some noise and dust. For the noise they can get some earplugs and if the dust is really that bad maybe they can pay some of unemployed or underemployed citizens to wash their yacht.
How many jobs does the concrete plant provide to Northampton County residents? How much in taxes does the plant contribute? Does anyone know?