Stewardship program to promote a successful summer season for all of Cape Charles.
Cape Charles, VA, February 20, 2023 — The Vacation Homeowners of Cape Charles (VHOCC) is proud to announce the launch of their grassroots initiative, “The Good Neighbor Program.” This program was initiated by a group of Vacation Homeowners who love Cape Charles and desire to preserve the STRONG ties between full-time residents, vacation homeowners, and the guests we host.
“While our group is young, the VHOCC has been extremely active in supporting the Town of Cape Charles, including raising funds for the community via events like ‘First Day in the Bay’ as well as direct donations collected from our members. However, we also saw a void in the way regulations and community expectations were communicated to out-of-town guests. So, via the Good Neighbor Program, we created a unified voice to disseminate useful information to the guests of members of our group. It is our hope and expectation that by doing this, we can ensure an awesome summer season for both residents and guests alike,” said Phillip Dail, President of the VHOCC.
This grassroots effort focuses on communicating the neighborly expectations for out-of-town guests hosted in short-term rentals within town limits. This includes a commitment to communicating with guests’ expectations for (among other things): parking (cars, trailers, and boats), noise, lights, golf carts, and waste/trash pickup.
“Cape Charles is beloved by many and we want to ensure it stays that way. With an evolving tourist industry that has led to a booming local economy, we understand that creates some unique challenges and growing pains. First and foremost, as part-time residents and Vacation Homeowners, we want to ensure that we are the forefront of being good stewards of the community and our neighbors. By agreeing to the Good Neighbor Program, Vacation Homeowners will now be able to communicate to their guests a unified set of guidelines and expectations that we will require of all guests. It’s a proactive first step we are taking to ensure we are achieving our mission. We fully expect it to be extremely effective,” said Scott Faircloth, Vice President of the VHOCC.
About The Vacation Homeowners of Cape Charles (VHOCC)
Founded in 2021, the VHOCC is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the legacy and history of Cape Charles are preserved for generations to come. With over 100 active members, the VHOCC mission is to ensure that Vacation Homeowners are actively engaged and contributing to the community they love and own property in. The VHOCC has a membership that has supported community efforts, including “Concerts in the Park”, the Cape Charles Police Department, and Fire Department as well as running events including The Cookie Trail and First Day in the Bay.
Learn more at www.vrhocc.org.
I wish the VHOCC the best with there “The Good Neighbor Program.”
We have 2 vacation homes as neighbors: One across the street and another next door. The neighbor across the street sends a lovely note to all the neighbors , letting them know their telephone number for emergency issues and if their are any complaints. They are respectful of parking. Issues may come up, but they are willing to address them with the neighbors. We really haven’t had any problems The neighbor next door keeps in touch with everyone, lets us know if someone is coming. Any issue we have has been small and handled quickly. We are lucky. Our neighbors are doing it right, However it’s not the case all over town. The golf carts are a bit out of control at times and we can hear noise from down the street. I do feel we need to cap the amount we have or make sure we have more co operative people like we have.
I agree with Trina, that the Town needs to cap the number of short term rentals. Our block is now at 40% short term rentals. I will admit, it is nice and quiet, September through May, but we dread the summer influx.
Trina is blessed that the owners of her STR neighbors have shared their contact information, in case there are issues.
I wish there was a way to hold parents accountable for their children’s behavior while they are in our neighborhood. I just read about a Chick Fil A that had to institute a policy that kids under the age of 16 have to be accompanied by a parent. It seems that parents were dropping off their kids at this Chick Fil A and the kids were not well-behaved.
I think parents need to be reminded when they are vacationing in our quiet neighborhoods, that they are not on vacation from their parenting responsibilities. Last summer, some inattentive parents lost track of their child at the beach and the Coast Guard was called in to search…when it turned out the child was safe, but parents were not paying attention.
If you are vacationing, you do not have the luxury you may have at home, with neighbors who are looking out for your kids. While our little town is pretty safe, we are not your neighbors. Respect our quiet neighborhoods and parent your kids on vacation.
Respect?
It’s America, Julie!
We don’t do respect here.
Sounds, to me, like Cape Charles is becoming a great place to live, to have a business, and, also, becoming a great place to visit…That’s certainly good news….Quick question : Is this a good time to be taking up the rails, on the railroad, that leads to Cape Charles?…
Note: The rails have already been taken up, and the old ties are being loaded up for removal.
Good morning America, how are you?
Say, don’t you know me? I’m your native son
I’m the train they call the City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done
Nighttime on the City of New Orleans
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Half way home, we’ll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness
Rolling down to the sea
But all the towns and people seem
To fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still ain’t heard the news
The conductor sings his songs again
The passengers will please refrain
This train got the disappearing railroad blues
Good night, America, how are you?
Say, don’t you know me? I’m your native son
I’m the train they call the City of New Orleans
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done
Still, the question remains in hindsight…Was it really a smart idea to take up those rails?. (on the railroad leading to Cape Charles)…
The removal grieves me. It changed the historical landscape of Cape Charles. Was the town leadership given an opportunity to provide input?
I personally would say not, but the fact remains, they are gone, and like a lot of stupid decisions in a nation that makes stupid decisions all the time, because stupid people elect people more stupid than they to represent them in what they call government, which is why we have so many stupid decisions being made all the time, because stupid people are making them, this stupid decision now seems irreversible, and thus, it is a waste of emotional energy to speculate on what might have been.
Sadly, I’ll have to admit that I agree with you, Paul..
Sadly, indeed, Tim Hoyt!
Stupid people put in elected office where they have no clue as to how a government is actually supposed to be managed to keep it sustainable with their stupid decisions have made us into a second or third rate nation on the world stage, a third world banana republic, and once that decline starts, as history tells us over and over and over again, it is irreversible and society collapses, actually quite rapidly compared with how long it takes to actually create a nation that is not a third-world banana republic such as we have become.
As an American citizen from the last century and last millennium, I think it is quite disgusting what stupid politicians have done to this nation, but I am old, and NOBODY today listens to old people, so there we both have it.
And I think that GREED of the CORPORATE LOOTERS known as “take-over” artists also played a big part in the demise of railroads in this country.
Perhaps some of the older folks from Cape Charles familiar with the death of this particular railroad can chime in on that with their own thoughts, but as you say, Tim, the rails are now gone and we are just wishful thinkers thinking of other times and where they have went.