Northampton County Administrator Matt Spuck recently briefed the Cape Charles Town Council on the proposed revision to the county’s Town Edge zoning ordinance. The amendment would create a new Town Edge-Residential (TE-R) zoning classification within the county’s existing Town Edge (TE-1) district.
Northampton County officials are considering a zoning amendment that could increase residential development options around several incorporated towns, including Cape Charles, while maintaining existing public review requirements for any future rezoning requests.
Spuck emphasized that the proposal is a zoning ordinance amendment, not a development application.
The proposed change would provide property owners in designated Town Edge areas with the option to seek rezoning from TE-1 to TE-R. Any such requests would still require review by the Northampton County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, including public hearings before any approval could be granted.
Spuck says the amendment is intended to encourage housing development in areas already served by nearby infrastructure. Spuck noted that allowing higher-density residential development could help create more affordable housing opportunities because smaller housing units can be built in locations with access to existing municipal services.
The proposal would not permit planned unit developments, or PUDs, by right.
Town Edge zoning currently covers approximately 1.3% of Northampton County and was established in 2016. The zoning designation surrounds much of the incorporated towns of Exmore, Nassawadox, Eastville, Cheriton and Cape Charles.
Under current TE-1 regulations, residential density is limited to one dwelling unit per five acres. The proposed TE-R district would allow up to one dwelling unit per two acres in areas without public utilities and as many as five dwelling units per acre when served by municipal water and sewer systems.
The amendment would also expand housing options by allowing duplexes and townhouses within TE-R districts. Apartment developments could be considered through the county’s special-use permit process.
The main issue is that housing costs have far outpaced local county income. New construction costs have made the new home option a non-starter for a large swath of the community.
The proposal has generated public interest ahead of a scheduled June 16 public hearing before the Board of Supervisors.
Citizens in the County have doubts about the intent of the zoning changes. Citizens Ken Dufty and Steve Lawson have formally requested that county officials postpone the hearing until additional public outreach can be conducted. In a letter to the county, the pair called for a public information session involving representatives from the incorporated towns and county residents before the amendment moves forward.
Dufty and Lawson said the delay would help ensure residents are fully informed about the potential impacts and consequences of the proposed zoning changes before any action is taken.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to consider the ordinance amendment and hear public comments during the June 16 hearing.
The Town of Cape Charles is also preparing a Resolution in favor of the new zoning, which they hope will add weight to the proposal.
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