GOP Candidate Explains Why He’s Running for County Board
It’s going to be quite the uphill climb for Republican County Board candidate Matt Wavro.
Wavro will be facing Democrat Libby Garvey and perennial Green Party candidate Audrey Clement in November, following Garvey’s recent defeat of a better-known Republican candidate in a very low-turnout special election — an election that was billed as the GOP’s best chance of getting on the Board since 1999.
Wavro’s chances are especially long due to the other, higher-profile races that are on the bill for November 6 — the presidential race, a U.S. Senate race and a House of Representatives race — all of which are sure to draw droves of Democrats to the polls in Arlington.
Nonetheless Wavro, who lives in Crystal City and works as a human resources consultant, says he’s prepared to make a strong case to voters for why he should be elected. In an email to ARLnow.com, Wavro detailed some of his positions on the issues.
Like many in Arlington, I am concerned with the direction of our county. We score well in magazine surveys, but the health of our civil society and the quality of life of our neighbors is a much better measure of the performance of our political leadership. The civil and political health of our community continues to decline under the control of a single-party controlled County Board. It is the lack of any dissenting voices on the board that has allowed the County Board to continue their plans to rapidly redevelop neighborhoods and redesign our lives and our community around their ideological beliefs.
I am running for a seat on the Arlington County Board to stand up for our neighborhoods. It shouldn’t be considered part of living in Arlington that you have to regularly mobilize your neighbors to speak out against a local government action, program or plan that members of the County Board have determined does not require public input. We deserve a County Board Member who will insist on meaningful collaboration with homeowners, renters and local businesses instead of a top-down, rigid ideological approach to sidewalks, streets, zoning, permits, signs and outdoor restaurant seating.
I am running to bring active and engaged leadership to the County Board. The Arlington County Civic Federation has regularly called for an Inspector General to provide a professional and independent review of governmental operations to the County Board and the community. When elected, I will work with my colleagues to establish an Office of Inspector General to provide this much needed governance reform. If the current County Board continues their obstruction and insistence on a structural lack of accountability on tax, budget and spending issues, I will raise donations myself to fund an analogous position through a non-profit entity.
I am running to stand with our community against the wholesale redevelopment of particular neighborhoods and to develop a better plan for Columbia Pike than the trolley. I am running to prove that Arlington County government can be both effective and efficient without increasing taxes on top of already increased property-tax assessments. Lastly, I am running to appropriately prioritize projects in our county’s capital improvement program so that we can give our schools the flexibility to solve the capacity problem without another massive tax increase or an equally damaging downgrade to the County’s bond rating.
Anyone interested in more information can visit my website www.Wavro2012.com to sign up for email updates and get involved.
Photo via Facebook
Four Arlington Stops for Bike to Work Day Tomorrow
Tomorrow, May 18, is Bike to Work Day in the D.C. area. Arlington will be participating with four different “pit stops” for bike commuters around the county.
Bike to Work Day was created in 1956 to encourage commuters to try riding their bike to work as a healthy alternative to sitting in traffic. In metro D.C., participation has ballooned from a few hundred riders to 11,000 last year.
Arlington County is hosting three pit stops tomorrow: Rosslyn (Rosslyn Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Highway), Ballston (FreshBikes Bike Shop, 3924 Wilson Blvd) and Crystal City (Crystal City Water Park, 1750 Crystal Drive).
The Rosslyn and Ballston stops will open at 6:30 a.m. and will feature DJ entertainment and roving unicyclists. The Crystal City stop will open at 7:00 a.m. All three stops will remain open through 9:00 a.m. and will offer free food, beverages, prizes and giveaways.
A fourth pit stop will be held tomorrow afternoon from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. along the W&OD Trail at Washington Blvd & Lee Highway. The stop is sponsored by the new Tri360 bike shop in East Falls Church.
Tomorrow’s weather is predicted to be mostly sunny with a high of 76 degrees.
Bocce Courts Proposed for Tiny Ballston Park
A pair of bocce courts may soon be coming to a small strip of green space near Ballston Common Mall.
Arlington County park planners have proposed a set of improvements to a barren, triangular park at the corner of N. Randolph Street and N. Glebe Road, adjacent to the Ballston public parking garage.
The proposal includes two side-by-side bocce courts, benches, a handicap-accessible walkway, bike parking, meadow plantings and a designated food truck/cart area. The cost of the improvements is estimated at $150,000. The park design is described as temporary, and is intended to be “easily… displaced if a long-term use is identified.”
Park planners met with community members on Tuesday to discuss the proposal. The final design for the park is expected to be firmed up by early summer, with construction beginning in late summer or early fall.
Market Tavern in Clarendon Closes
Seven months after opening, Market Tavern in Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd) has closed its doors.
The steak-centric restaurant opened last year over Thanksgiving weekend, following extensive renovations to the former Harry’s Tap Room. The revamped restaurant featured a bar and lounge area downstairs and a dining area called the “Chophouse” upstairs. Overall seating was reduced during renovations — from 275 to 155 — and pricing was raised in conjunction with the eatery’s more upscale vibe.
Market Tavern’s menu included steaks, burgers, flatbreads, and other entrees, in addition to 26 beers on tap, 70 wines by the glass, and a selection of hand-crafted cocktails. There was also a self-serve “bread bar” upstairs.
Owner and restaurant industry veteran Michael Sternberg acknowledged that the pricey renovations left him with little financial wiggle room once business did not meet initial expectations, but he says he’s still not sure why Market Tavern never quite caught on with diners.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and I thought this was a terrific restaurant,” Sternberg said. “I liked the service, I liked the food, I liked the decor, and I don’t know why we didn’t catch on in this neighborhood. I spend my nights awake just wondering about it.”
Reviews of Market Tavern were mixed, at best. The Washington Post’s Tim Carman said he’d go to the nearby Ray’s the Steaks over Market Tavern “nine times out of 10,” and Yelp reviewers gave the restaurant 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Market Tavern served its final customers last night after Sternberg reached an agreement to sell the restaurant last Friday, May 11. The restaurant is expected to remain closed for several months while the new owners obtain permits and make changes to the space for a new restaurant concept.
Sternberg declined to identify the new owners, except to describe them as “local, well-established restaurateurs.”
Market Tavern has been in bankruptcy since February. A bankruptcy court must approve the sale before the restaurant can officially change hands, Sternberg said.
UPDATED: Lime Fresh to Open Pentagon Row Location
Update on 5/21/12 — A Lime rep says the opening of the company’s new Pentagon Row location has been delayed until Wednesday, May 30.
Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is expected to open its second Arlington location in Pentagon City next week.
The fast-growing restaurant chain says they’ll be opening in the former Baja Fresh space at Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street) on Wednesday, May 23. As of last night, interior construction was still underway.
Lime Fresh will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. No special festivities are planned for the Wednesday opening, but a company rep says a “grand opening fiesta” is being “planned for a date in the near future.”
Lime Fresh opened its first Arlington location, at 2900 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, in mid-January. Parent company Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on how the location is faring financially, except to say “are excited about the good community response and continuing expansion in the D.C. area.”
Originally launched in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, Lime Fresh describes itself as a “fast-casual Mexican restaurant” that has “garnered a cult following from locals and celebrities alike throughout Miami.”
Famous for its signature blend of fresh, mouth-watering Mexican dishes, dynamic ambiance, stylized interiors and scrupulous service, Lime was originally conceived in 2004, to complement the vibrant and food-conscious culture of South Beach. Today, Lime delivers light Mexican-style cuisine using fresh produce and meats charbroiled on grills in an exhibition style kitchen. Additionally, all locations feature a signature house-made salsa bar with selections ranging from mild pico de gallo to the spicy habanero salsa, as well as 50 variations of custom hot sauces.
Diners have the option of choosing from a variety of guacamole flavors served with house-made tortilla chips, including the Classic Guac and the Gringo Guac, as well as the Housemade Queso Dip. Entrée favorites include the South Beach Burrito with chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce served on a low-carb tortilla; Flautas with chicken, organic black beans, corn, jack and cheddar cheese lightly fried in golden brown, soft yellow corn tortillas and served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce; and the Surfer Tacos with grilled Mahi Mahi, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and a cool cilantro sauce. Low carb, vegetarian and whole wheat options are also available for health-conscious diners.
Bluemont Safeway Looks to Sell Development Rights
Safeway is soliciting bids from developers interested in building a residential property on top of a new, proposed Safeway supermarket at 5101 Wilson Boulevard in Bluemont.
According to a document sent to ARLnow.com and first reported on by the Arlington Mercury, Safeway is seeking bids from developers interested in building a new 58,000 to 65,000 square foot Safeway store on the ground floor, with a residential development on top of it. The project would take up the entire block between N. Frederick and Edison Streets, replacing the current, aging Bluemont Safeway and its surface parking lot. Parking — including at least 170 spaces reserved for the Safeway store, would be provided by an underground lot. Safeway is seeking a development that meets a minimum LEED Silver certification.
Last year representatives of the Bluemont Civic Association released sketches of an envisioned “Bluemont Village Center” that included two to three stories of residential development on top of a new Safeway store. Created only as a theoretical planning exercise, it’s unclear whether the civic association’s vision would be adopted by the winning developer.
Real estate firm KLNB is marketing the air rights at 5101 Wilson Boulevard on behalf of Safeway. Bids are due on June 15.
Morning Notes
County Manager Proposes $2.4 Billion CIP — Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan has proposed a $2.4 billion Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2013-2022. The CIP includes big ticket items like a new Long Bridge Park Aquatics Center and streetcars for the Columbia Pike and Route 1 corridors. It also includes maintenance-related item, like increased funding for street paving, parks and facility renovations, and replacement of aged fire stations. [Arlington County]
Arlington Eateries in Dining Guide — Two Arlington restaurants — Eventide and Ray’s The Steaks — have made Tom Sietsema’s spring 2012 dining guide. [Washington Post]
Shuttleworth Keeping Race Close? — The campaign of Democratic congressional challenger Bruce Shuttleworth is touting new polling numbers that it says show Shuttleworth has a chance against incumbent Rep. Jim Moran. The poll reportedly shows a thin margin between Shuttleworth and Moran among likely voters — 16 percent to 19 percent — with 65 percent of likely voters undecided. A Moran spokesman said the claim of a close race was based on “laughably inaccurate numbers.” [Sun Gazette]
Flickr pool photo by ddimick
