Comments

• On the article Del Ray BB&T Branch Opens Monday

  

  Linda Fairall

  4:14 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013

  RCA, I'm the owner of Fabulous Frocks. Long story short, the city denied the bank a special use permit (in the city of Alexandria, banks are only allowed to have a certain footage of store front on a street apparently?). The only solution was to "give" me the middle window, so that they wouldn't be in violation of that ordinance, so they cut a hole in my wall, and built it out for me! I think people would rather see pretty gowns in a window, don't you agree?? :D

• On the article Walgreens in Del Ray: 'I Don't Think Anything is Going to Stop This'

  

  Linda Fairall

  10:44 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013

  What about the people who live in the apartments in the surrounding areas who NEED that laundromat?? where are they supposed to go? Can they come to your house and do their laundry?? I agree that it (and the two stores next to it) may be unsightly, but the laundromat is a necessity, and the two antique stores are fantastic local businesses who do not deserve to get displaced by a drug store....that inexplicably wants to move in a block from another drug store....

• On the article Saving Warwick Pool: Advocacy Group, Citizens Associations Dive In to Halt Closure

  

  Linda Fairall

  4:11 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013

  You should definitely submit this account to call.click.connect. (http://request.alexandriava.gov/CCC/#tab=Find) - I copied and pasted my comment above to that site, and got an answer within the hour from the Division Chief of Recreation Services, expressing his own surprise and concern that ID's aren't being checked, and promising to look into it. Who knows if that's just BS, but hey, the more people who bring these things to their attention, the more likely they will start enforcing the rules. hopefully.

• On the article Saving Warwick Pool: Advocacy Group, Citizens Associations Dive In to Halt Closure

  Linda Fairall

  11:31 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013

  I mean, seriously?? $2/adult to get into the pools??? We can easily and REASONABLY raise that to $4 or $5 for city residents, and $8 to $10 for non-residents. I can't fathom why just flat-out CLOSING the nicer of the two outdoor pools is their first choice plan before exploring at least one season of rate increases to see what kind of an impact that would have.

  ANOTHER THING: There are resident and non-resident fees.....but I have never ONCE had my ID checked at either the Old Town or Warwick Pools!!! How do we know that we're not losing a sizable amount of money to non-residents paying the resident fee, or one resident bringing a bunch of non-resident guests with them who all pay the resident price?? It seems like a small amount, but when you add all that up, taking 5 seconds to check an ID seems like an easy step towards a solution...

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• On the article BB&T Coming to Mt. Vernon Avenue

  Linda Fairall

  3:39 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

  Sarah, thanks for the thought, but my shop isn't exactly a foot traffic kind of shop - people don't generally walk by and think "you know what I need today?? A $3000 wedding gown!" ;) haha.

  CScott, the rent is actually not astronomically high, and the end unit IS approved for restaurant use - our landlord just HATES renting to small business, which sucks (it was an ordeal getting him to take a chance on my shop!!). and Bungalow breaking their lease RIGHT after signing an extension didn't help spark any warm fuzzy feelings toward possible small business tenants :(

  BB&T has been having trouble apparently. Our landlord had me sign a provision that my shop would be using the middle window and not the bank "until they get their special use permit approved." They made it seem like BB&T would have no problems getting this permission and that it was just a tehcnicality. WELL, I guess it never did get approved, because they are knocking out an opening in my wall tomorrow, and Fab Frocks is getting a second window! Good for me, but just goes to show how tough the city is being on them...

  Reply

• On the article Del Ray Variety Aims for March Opening

  Linda Fairall

  10:00 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013

  This is SUCH a fantastic idea, especially for this particular neighborhood!! I can't believe no one had thought of this already!! Art supplies would be HUGE - everyone in del ray is so creative. I know I would buy art supplies there! I love how people are immediately being negative with the whole lock and key thing - RELAX and be glad to have a new fun business in the neighborhood :P McBrinn needs to stop being so miserable, and Scooby's Doo, don't worry! ME Swings will be open soon! :D best coffee in the DC area, hands down - we should be counting our blessings!

• On the article Thieves Smash Glass Stache Window, Steal Telescope

  Linda Fairall

  1:59 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

  Really guys??? "Telescope?" We all know what business the glass stache is in :P not doing them any favors by sugar coating it

  Reply

• On the article Opinion: 'Complete Streets' Must be a Top City Priority

  Linda Fairall

  12:48 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012

  I say bicyclists get stuff when they learn to FOLLOW TRAFFIC LAWS. There are signs ALL OVER OLD TOWN: Bicyclists MUST obey all traffic signs and signals. But like typical bike-snobs, they blow right through, and then get mad at drivers when we gesture and honk and yell at them. I'll share the road when they learn how ride safely and responsibly :P (sorry, GIANT pet peeve of mine. Maybe it stems from my hatred for hipsters :P)

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• On the article Hughes Refuses to Participate in Closed Council Session

  Linda Fairall

  7:19 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

  I'm a rabid dem, but I also live in tobacco quay (community on Oronoco a block from Robinson terminal). I wound up voting for every republican city council candidate on the ticket - they seem to be the only people willing to stick up for the citizens whose home values/quality of life will be directly affected by the waterfront plan. Considering her stance on the waterfront plan, it's VERY likely that that's what they were discussing, and that scares the crap out of me. Part of me wishes she had attended just to stick up for us! :( Euille and the new council will shove this plan down our throats. Truly worrisome.

  Reply

• On the article Readers' Choice: Best Pizza in Old Town and Del Ray

  Linda Fairall

  9:39 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012

  (and to back my point up, I know several italians and one person who lived in Rome for a while and every one of them agrees that the pizza at pizzeria paradiso is a TRAVESTY - the olive garden of neopolitan pizza :P)