The latest and greatest attempt to replace reverse-angle parking with front-in parking on Mason Avenue crashed like a lead balloon Thursday night.
The Town of Cape Charles was planning on submitting its latest ‘Design Waiver’ to VDOT, which would basically ban 80% of all vehicles from parking on Mason—that is, all trucks and large vehicles (including SUVs) would be verboten. You know, the kind of vehicles most people drive.
Not sure what they were not thinking with this one, but the prerequisite public outcry forced the town council to toss the whole thing in the trash.
After years of studies, tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees (your tax dollars), and many, many hours of staff time (your tax dollars at work), the quest for front-in parking is relegated to the 8th ring of Dante’s Hell, probably never to return. Council voted to kill the current waiver proposal, as well quashing future attempts to “reverse the reverse”.
It seemed VDOT had made it clear several times that reverse-angle was the preferred, safer option, and that it would be hard, if not impossible to move them off of it. Cape Charles was never going to have front-in parking. VDOT just let them chase the fantasy anyway.
There were some members of the Town Council that still could not decipher the message. Council members Follmer and Holloway wanted to table the proposal, get ‘more public input’ from ‘constituents’ and re-visit in the future.
It doesn’t matter what the people want. The only thing that matters is what VDOT wants, and they want reverse-angle parking. C’mon, man.
Let’s face it, both parking schemes suck, but they suck in their own ways. It appears reverse-angle sucks just a little bit less. Not much, just a little. So, there you have it.
Despite all the wailing, gnashing of teeth, the falling to the ground, and shaking fists at Lord VDOT, parking is not the real problem with Cape Charles. It’s just a symptom. Maybe it’s not the parking situation that sucks, but the town itself. This boondoggle should have been expected.
Many years ago, there were those that warned this would be the outcome of selling the town’s soul for the lure of tourist dollars. Now that full-blown Touristation has taken hold, the once quiet, charming Cape Charles has turned into something else. This is also what happens when unchecked gentrification takes place–this is a holistic model, and many things affect it, making it what it is.
The new Cape Charles has been taken over by more affluent residents and people of privilege, mainly of the retiree class. This “upward” movement has forced displacement of locals, has fostered discriminatory behavior by people in power and placed a focus on spaces that exclude low-income individuals and people of color.
Of course, these new residents are plenty proud of themselves for creating a mini–Fairfax County on the once quiet and sleepy Eastern Shore. Congratulations.
In Cape Charles, this once working-class town has been converted to high-end neighborhoods with only very expensive housing options. Options that working folks can’t afford (this scenario is spreading to all nooks of the Shore).
Even as old Cape Charles has remained largely residential, the development attracts new residents with higher incomes which in turn increases the cost of living and property values, as well as seasonal density.
The influx of these new and more affluent residents, along with massive quantities of ‘visitors’ puts pressure on the housing market that produces inflated rents and prices that effectively displace low-income residents.
What we have witnessed in Cape Charles is that the “new residents”, who have come here are in wealthy groups with the “most spatialized privilege” and “high economic standing” use this privilege to control and shape town policy after their own image. How many original locals are now on Town Council??
The amount of traffic and the parking issue that accompanies it is the result of many factors, including the intentional (political) decisions made by the Town of Cape Charles.
So, for all you whining about parking, dudes, you did it to yourself. Enjoy.
My goodness, but isn’t the purpose of collecting taxes from people so that profligates can spend them on stupidity?
Isn’t that the function of government, to be stupid, incompetent, inept and totally worthless, but expensive just the same?
Paul
NAILED IT !
I like the new theme of the “come here’s “ ruining our town! So, when it was a S***hole of unemployment, old trash homes you begged for an influx of tourist dollars. You now see that, want our money, but not us. Typical of where society has gone, bottom line you just want a handout without compromise. I’ll be back for the season soon, and my “tourist dollars”, including the tax on my waterfront home, maybe you could leave for our season.
Note: It’s a melting pot, actually, where scum always rises to the top.
I truly appreciate well written sarcasm, one of the simple highlights of a day can be enjoyed by watching the unskilled drivers trying to park on our summertime crowded streets. The vocabulary and hand gestures can enlightening.
Well, you can’t fix stupid! Welcome to Cape Fairfax.
Lord VDOT is just as stupid as the town council and manager.
– They sold the high school for $10 and agreed to rebuild a wall for $40,000.
– moved the rescue squad to Cheriton so not to disturb the tourist. Yet they can drive by my house at 8:45 every other morning with siren going.
– lock up the gas pumps from the commercial fisherman at the marina
– raised the docking rates
– sold or is selling the town harbor to private company.
– threaten to sue the concrete plant, because it too noisy and a eye sore.
– selling the water utility, to protect the developer of Bay Creek from the needed upgrades.
– and lets not forget to remove the sand dunes for the tourist beach. Because the town manager fell to put up snow fences for erosion control (The hell with the houses on Bay ave).
Yes, its official. The town of Cape Charles sucks!
Enjoy what you have created. No employees to clean your hotels work in your resturants or shops. But you will have tourist to complain about traffic congestion and lack of public service through out your town.
No matter how much common sense you use or facts you present, after awhile you get tired of the town’s BS and realize … you just can’t fix stupid.
Good article Wayne, thanks
Sorry that the Town is feeling the effects of a changing economy. It would be great if it were based on commercial fishing, rail/port activity and a place for farm hands to live. Unfortunately, that model died quite a while ago. And so, just like everyone, you had a choice: you could watch as your lands and wealth erode to basically nothing while you remember “the good old days” like the family-owned antebellum mansion or you could try to figure out a new and hopefully prosperous new model.
Obviously one of the lesser outcomes of a tourist/newcomer based economy is how human nature seems to like the quaintness (or grandeur) of a place, chooses to reside there and then wants to change it to something more in line with what we are used to. Not really any different than when that mansion owning family sells it and the new owners decide to replace the old wallpaper that adorned the “grand rooms” of all the ages with something more up-to-date. Buyers have rights, well unless it is in a historic district and all those “keepers-of-the-truth” get to take some of those rights away.
Personally, I think Cape Charles is a nice, shiny beacon of wanting to get back to a simpler and less cluttered life. And yes, boutiques, latte shops, and whatnot are not simple-life ideas. But as long as it isn’t Suburbia USA it works for most of us. And you just hope that the folks who move in from the outside understand how not to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
I am not sure why the parking on Mason has become a symbol for the stark differences between the old family mansion owners and the new mansion owners. I would think something like allowing a non-licensed (read young) driver drive a golf cart on a public street designed for motor vehicles would be much more of an issue. Working on common sense awareness is as good a thing as I can think of. And then if you have developed some common sense, maybe it will rub off on how to park your vehicles on Mason. Maybe.
I know change is not what anyone wants in their lives but change is inevitable. Just know that it happens everywhere and not just in Small Town USA.
The back in parking has been a disaster from the beginning. Anyone that wanted it probably does not own a real working truck without the backup cameras. Try it sometime when you have big trucks or SUVs on either side of you and cars backed up waiting on you. I have seen tourist slowly drive by coming into town and looking totally confused go to the end of Mason turn around picking up speed a little to leave town. As for affordable living for all our working folks; forget it. We are already short staffed and if anyone new comes to apply thinking about moving closer to work it is impossible to find a place. Our young people do not have options and pretty much if they want to live independently cannot stay here in Cape Charles.
The locals just want their cake and eat it too.
It is their Home, so don’t ever forget that you are a guest.
Haha locals in Cape Charles, where are they. I graduated from school there in 1976. Knew most everyone in town then pretty much. Few left but not many.
The Magothas Tribe?
On point Wayne!