Alexandria leaders have approved an Old Town cafe’s request to expand its outdoor seating and extend Sunday hours, after several neighbors spoke in support of the measure.
The City Council green-lit LaPluma Coffee & Wine’s special use permit application to increase outdoor seating capacity from 28 guests to 40, and to remain open until 10 p.m. on Sundays, as opposed to 6 p.m.
Although some speakers alleged violations of the city’s trash and noise regulations at a Nov. 6 Planning Commission meeting, several speakers on Saturday aimed to dispel concerns. Among the coffeehouse’s supporters was Ella, a barista and George Mason University student.
She held a list of nearly 400 petitioners who supported the request of the cafe at 1000 Cameron Street.
“While some concerns may not align with the city’s reports of the reality of their daily operations, I trust the council will look at the full picture,” Ella said. “LaPluma is not disruptive, it’s not disorderly, and it’s not causing the issues being described.”
The council unanimously approved the permit application, while some members expressed a desire to evaluate the city’s methods of violation tracking and code violation enforcement.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley said the processes are limited by resources, but said she hopes to “continue evaluating” how the city observes and corrects violations.
“This has weighed on me to some extent; the processes that are complaint-driven, the processes that are 311-driven, and what we can do to ensure our responsive to issues … are more than complaint-driven,” Bagley said.
Mayor Gaskins said that while the city does require a way to receive resident complaints, the current process may cause business owners to think twice.
“I think we also see examples where it makes it a point where if you’re a business owner, I’m sure you ask yourself, ‘is this a city where I want to do business, or is it just going to become harder and harder?'” Gaskins said.
Anti-ICE advocates press for communication
Also on Saturday, local activists thanked City Council for addressing Sheriff Sean Casey’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, but some said they are seeking more communication from Casey himself.
Del Ray resident Oliver Merino thanked the governing group on behalf of ICE Out of Alexandria, saying the Council had “reaffirmed” what the group has “been saying for months.”
He said this while also lamenting the Sheriff’s Office’s response, in which Casey said the Council “remain[s] confused” about the difference between a “lawful arrest warrant” and an “ICE detainer.”
“Unfortunately, Sheriff Casey has doubled down,” Merino said. “He refuses to ask ICE for a judicial warrant when he transfers a person from the Alexandria jail to ICE custody.”
Merino added that activists have filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the sheriff’s office for more information about its cooperation with ICE, but said that the group received a response from a private attorney.
Documents shared by ICE Out of Alexandria show an Oct. 29 FOIA response to a group inquiry from Oct. 23, sent from the law office of Dunn, Craig and Francuzenko on behalf of the sheriff’s office.
“Please be advised that we represent the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. Please direct all future communications related to the Sheriff’s Office to Dunn, Grag & Francuzenko”
“Why is a private attorney answering for the sheriff regarding a simple public information request?” Merino asked the council. “We urge the City Council to call the Sheriff to testify at a public meeting.”
Photo 1 via LaPluma Coffee and Wine/Facebook.
