Some Fredericksburg residents enjoy telling others what they can and cannot operate on properly-zoned commercial property. In this case, the Sunken Well Tavern will keep it’s current hours of 9am – 9pm rather than being allowed to expand it’s hours.
Some local residents want to curtail even those hours in what essentially amounts to an effort to shut down the restaurant, reminiscent of Kelo.
The Tavern is located at 720 Littlepage Street on the corner of Littlepage and Hanover. Go patronize it, as I intend to do for many, many years.
Richard Street, who grew up on nearby Weedon Street, said the restaurant has a been a positive addition to the area.
“Our neighborhood is actually loving it,” he said. “It’s actually become a neighborhood asset.”
The restaurant’s request for a liquor license is still pending before the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Shamefully, there’s about 13 people in my old neighborhood whose definition of “property rights” means they can tell others what to do with their property.
Most communities would do cartwheels to have such an establishment within walking distance, but not so with the busybodies in Fairview who overstep the bounds of well-established property rights.
Sunken Well is a neighborhood asset indeed. Leave it be.