The following letter was written and submitted by local citizen Peter Alpern.
My wife and I have owned property in Cape Charles since August of 2020. We bought here to join my family, who have been sprinkled around town for some time. My mother and father spent their honeymoon at the Cape Charles Hotel in 1968 before I was even born. Since my wife and I bought our home in Cape Charles, we have invested in it and employed local people and businesses to help maintain it. We bring visitors and commerce to Cape Charles and in fact, had a wedding last September at the Oyster Farm, where we entertained 150 guests. While we live in Cape Charles part-time now, we expect to relocate here full-time in the next five years. I preface my letter this way so you understand that we are not cookie-cutter “come heres”.
As many people in Cape Charles know, our local government reviewed the Town’s zoning rules in the Fall of 2024 and revised them not once, but twice – once in October 2024 and again in December 2024. On Thursday, April 10th, 2025, there will be a hearing in Cape Charles to discuss two new zoning issues that evidently weren’t important last fall. While the town is presenting them as two separate issues, they are really one and the same. A local business person is trying to fix and flip the Seabreeze Apartments, except they can’t do it according to the way our zoning rules require. So, they want to amend one of the zoning classifications to allow the existing unsalvageable Seabreeze buildings to be renovated and converted into high-end condos; a plan contradicting the original thoughts of our town planners. This plan will not only hurt current Cape Charles property owners, it will hurt our heirs for generations to come.
The Seabreeze buildings were built in the early 80s and sit on approximately 1.5 acres of land. When our zoning rules were ratified in 1992, the parcel was zoned R-1, which meant it was for single-family homes. The parcel was immediately non-compliant with the R-1 zoning rules and was labeled “pre-existing non-conforming,” which allowed Seabreeze to continue to operate as a multi-family property. Now that Seabreeze has closed down, its pre-existing non-conformance no longer applies and any new construction would require compliance with the zoning laws. Therefore, the plans to forever stain and scar Cape Charles by fixing and flipping the Seabreeze require a zoning change of the property to R-3 which allows for multi family dwellings.
In 1992 and again twice last fall, the Cape Charles zoning rules were ratified, requiring R-3 parcels to sit on no less than 3 acres of land to avoid overcrowding and resource scarcities. On April 10th, the Planning Department would like to remove the 3 acre requirement of R-3 properties, and the proposed buyer of the 1.5 acre Seabreeze parcel would like its zoning changed from R-1 to R-3.
Really? Shame on you.
Our house is on Bay Vista, approximately 10 feet from one of the Seabreeze buildings. Living 10 feet away, we were in a unique position to observe the neglect of the Seabreeze buildings. The buildings in no way received the maintenance required of waterfront property and as a result, they arrived at the unsalvageable condition they are in. They are vermin-infested, with birds flying in and out of the rafters. The residents poured things from their kitchen windows (I can only suspect) because the drains don’t work. During Labor Day weekend 2023, one of the Seabreeze buildings was on fire. I repeat, the building was smoldering 10 feet from our house. Take a look at the property from the King’s Creek channel and you will see the rear retaining wall falling into the Bay. This particular building was nearly condemned in 2013 after Hurricane Sandy almost took out the north-facing wall. I also have video of men in orange HAZMAT suits randomly going in and out of one of the buildings. The conditions of the Seabreeze buildings were so bad that, upon inspection in February of 2024, the residents were evacuated.
The Seabreeze buildings are unsalvageable. The plan to re-zone and fix and flip Seabreeze will hurt Cape Charles and all surrounding property values for generations. Everyone in this town and all our heirs will lose, except for the developer. We have a moment given to us by the town planners in 1992 to reconsider the property – shame on us if we leave this mess to our children.
I am intentionally not addressing the need for affordable housing. While I think the issue is best discussed under separate header, I would point out that Cape Charles is surrounded by many, many square miles of space, much of which would afford residents a much better environment and quality of life than they had at the Seabreeze. The simple truth is that waterfront properties require a higher level of maintenance than non-waterfront properties do. If anyone can propose how to renovate the Seabreeze and operate it economically as a low-income multi-family residence, we should discuss it. The problem is, there is no such proposal – the buildings are in such disrepair that the investment required would never be earned back.
We need this zoning compliance now. All of us. What other laws and regulations are on the books of Cape Charles that are going to be changed exactly when we need them? Our family is relying on the Zoning Department keeping the Seabreeze property zoned R-1. If we don’t stand up to this now, the R-1 property next door to your house could become an R-3 multi-family dwelling. With no 3-acre requirement, what is to stop your next-door neighbor from applying for the same change being requested for Seabreeze???
Stop the effort to reduce the 3-acre requirement for R-3 zoned properties in Cape Charles. Stop the fixing and flipping of the Seabreeze buildings. Redevelop the property in compliance with R-1 zoning, Historic District guidelines, and setbacks required by the CBPA – just like the town planners envisioned in 1992. Save Cape Charles for your heirs from the stain and scar of fixing and flipping the unsalvageable and neglected Seabreeze buildings. Come to the meeting on April 10th and show the Zoning Department and the developer that Cape Charles objects.
Neighborly and sincerely yours, and with genuine thanks to all of our public servants,
Peter Alpern
“I preface my letter this way so you understand that we are not cookie-cutter “come heres”.”
You are the Merriam-Webster definition of a come-here.
“This plan will not only hurt current Cape Charles property owners, it will hurt our heirs for generations to come.”
You don’t want to live next to a multi-family complex any longer.
“Save Cape Charles for your heirs from the stain and scar”
Such heart felt drama!
I can’t wait for your next letter about how the concrete plant should shut down because it gets dust on your boat.
T Johnson said it perfectly…come here drama!
Well presented Mr. Alperin. Thank you.
So it’s better to have an abandoned property, or low income housing where folks sit outside and drink and sell drugs. Properly planned limited number of nice townhomes adding to the tax base, bringing families that take ownership in a long term investment in the town sure seems better to me. The difference is I don’t have a problem sharing our gem, you my friend are the typical “I have mine now, no one else should”.
Not sure what you mean by low-income folks sitting outside drinking and selling drugs. I’ve lived on the Shore all my life and have never seen any drug deals in Cape Charles. That’s truly just not where they happen, due to tourism and efficient policing. Additionally, I’ve rarely seen any drinking outside the apartments, apart from the occasional celebration. Even so, when it’s a visitor or homeowner sitting on their porch with a beer, it’s seen as relaxing — a luxury, something normalized. Yet when it’s someone from a low-income background, most likely African American given the population in those apartments, it’s viewed as disgraceful and trashy. You clearly have an issue with sharing this gem of a town with the very people who have been here for generations — people who have been consistently pushed out since my grandmother’s time. Its clear through your bias what type of people you judge for simply existing in your space.
Facts!
I will not comment on what I think should or should not happen with the Seabreeze property. I will keep that to myself for the time being. Many of the people speaking on this are not aware of many things involved with the zoning of this property. As long as the property is in the name of the original owners/company, zoning does not have to be changed, contrary to what you may believe. The zoning/rules/ordinances which applied at the opening of Seabreeze are still in effect for that property. The zoning everyone wants to change, was enacted in 1992. Seabreeze was built in 1982 and opened in February of 1993. It is grandfathered in. Just so you know.
Converting apartments to condos does not qualify under rights grandfathered into a property. Just so you know.
There will be condos built. The surveys about “maintaining small town charm” are window dressing.
Interesting how buildings can be condemned just long enough to evict section 8 tenants…
Watching the applicant propose NO STRs at the meeting ,and seeing the Town official encourage the opposite is curious. If approved we could gain 30 STRs!
If there are 30 condos ,as proposed, how many cars will that be per unit? Yet Mr and Mrs homeowner can’t rent an apartment in their accessory structure??
It’s all about $ . Don’t believe it? The Town cared about STRs just long enough to create more fees,taxes and a new government position to help count the money. Nothing they did addressed parking or over crowding .The zoning dept cares only about growing revenue.
Why is this so important it can’t wait until May when we get a new Town manager?
Bayfront condos spell Virginia Beach. Let’s get ready for the ferris wheel!
The planning and zoning department acted as if they were agents of the developer, not agents of the town. It was a disgrace. The Board asked the Alaskan guy to do some research and he said it would be deprioritized.
Residents – this town government is NOT on your side.
(4/17/2025) Neighbors – at this evening’s Town Council meeting, I will distribute copies of and quote from these two articles, available in the public domain. You might find it valuable to familiarize yourself. Thank you.
https://www.wtkr.com/im-in-limbo-nearly-20-without-a-home-after-cape-charles-apartments-deemed-unsafe
https://capecharleswave.com/2012/10/sandy-leaves-her-mark-on-cape-charles/
You do know that buildings can be fixed. Have you thought about selling your house and moving somewhere that will make you happy?
would you buy one after it has been fixed? good then the town has done you a service.
why wont you use your real name? so we know who the first buyer of the new Cape Charles Stain is.
for everyone else, your town government just screwed you.
Once again, have you thought about selling your house and moving somewhere that will make you happy?
You were so relieved all the poors got kicked out and you thought maybe a nice couple that comes from a “good family” would move next door. Now someone wants to ruin your dream and you’ll still have to live next to what is essentially an apartment complex with mere peasants.
My guess is that back room meetings with developers offering manila envelopes filled wih cash have already dramatically influenced the outcome.
Its pretty clear that this town is high level corrupt. shame on them. i won’t be spending any more money in this town until the governement cleans itself up.
If you don’t spend money here, the town will go bankrupt. Just like the certain short term rental owners who act like they saved this town from certain catastrophic failure. It was only avoided when they bought a house on Jefferson and saved the town!
It’s a Damn shame what you people have done to Cape Charles. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. What a mess you have created, for it did not happen naturally over time as a town should develop. Could you not see what was done to Virginia Beach? Sad.
“Better Than YOU sounds as if she is either oblivious, on a Tequila binge, a friend of the envelope passers or recipients, or too stupid to be an Idiot.
C’mon Elvis, no reason to cry.
I think it might be time to bring WTKR 3 News back over to Seabreeze. Someone Strom the outside should investigate Seabreeze ASSociates and the town council, town staff, and police department. It’s time for a REAL AUDIT. Who on the inside is gonna be the SNITCH? OR IS THERE ONE ALREADY. POSSIBLY YOUR BEST FRIEND.
WTKR must have interviewed you and your son. Sometimes thinning out the trash is a good thing.