Boat Club Asks Circuit Court to Reconsider Wales Alley Case

The Old Dominion Boat Club has filed a motion in the Alexandria Circuit Court asking it to reconsider its decision allowing Wales Alley to be leased by Virtue Feed & Grain restaurant for outdoor seating.

The court ruled last month in favor of the city and the restaurant (PDF), saying the city has the authority to “lay out open, extend, widen, narrow…or close…the alleys of the City.”

The ruling also said the boat club “has not established facts necessary for relief…” on certain points. The decision document was a total of about three pages but only about one page of explanation.

“The ruling in the Wales Alley case was very brief and in need of clarification,” said boat club President Miles Holtzman in a statement. “We look forward to resolving the details of this case in a way that upholds the Old Dominion Boat Club’s property rights.… We feel that a reconsideration of the decision is justified and it will provide us with direction.”

When the ruling was made public in October, Holtzman said it was distressing that a court “would allow a government to take private property and allow it to be used by another private owner."