Tim's Rivershore

by James Simpson
Potomac News
Friday, June 18, 2004

Tim's Rivershore Restaurant is being "railroaded" by the County. Can there be any better example of the political conniving that goes on in Prince William than this fiasco? It stinks worse than an outhouse at a chili cook-off.

If the deck and railing at Tim's is so hazardous to human life, why did the county "allow" patrons to eat on the deck for months since Hurricane Isabel? On the same note, if the railroad crossing at Tim's is so hazardous to human life, why has the county "allowed" citizens to cross it for years on their way to Tim's... for years? Is the answer that the County didn't care about protecting citizens until June of 2004? Or, is the answer more likely that the actions that have recently been taken are based upon the strategic significance of shutting down Tim's Rivershore Restaurant right at the start of his peak season?

Prince William County Attorney Sharon Pandak states in a front page Potomac News article on June 9, "It would be unconscionable for a public entity to be aware of violations in permits, in parking, possible health issues and not do anything about it, especially when we are talking about an obviously popular restaurant."

Pandak is indirectly quoted as saying that there is inadequate parking at Tim's ... [which] often results in patrons parking on the other side of the railroad tracks and crossing them to reach the restaurant.

Frankly I can't believe she is even bringing this up as a potential problem. I have never heard of a patron of Tim's Rivershore getting hit by a train. This is most likely due to two factors: 1. Trains are rather large vehicles and tend to be easily avoidable by all but the most oblivious animals, and 2. Trains travel on rails - hence you know where they are coming from and going.

If the issue of people getting hit by dangerous vehicles is of concern then I suggest the County Attorney's Office look into actions that can be taken to prevent individuals from crossing County roads altogether. Being hit by a car is just as deadly as being hit by a train, and unlike trains the direction cars travel in are not nearly as predictable. I have heard of numerous individuals being hit by cars in the county over the past year.

Is the County Attorney about to ask for roads to be off limits to pedestrian traffic? Of course not. So what should we make of the case being levied against Tim's Rivershore? One doesn't have to be a conspiracy theorist to see what is happening. The timing of all these "violations," as well as the fact that numerous County agencies have been called in to investigate so-called violations, points to a concerted effort to shut down Tim's Rivershore.

If the county were truly interested in helping small businesses it would be working "with" a business owner like Tim Bauckman, not "against" him.

Of course, one unavoidable fact is that mega developer KSI owns swaths of land all around Tim's Rivershore. Frankly I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find out that KSI is behind part of the problem Tim is facing. Precedent is well established in Virginia, as it is nationwide, for larger businesses and developers to collude with government officials and elected representatives in order to obtain property that they would otherwise never be able to acquire.

There are many people who have a similar opinion, but proving such collusion can be difficult. Back room agreements and ulterior motives are not easy to bring to light.

Developers are very hypocritical when it comes to protecting property rights. They talk a good talk, but they only truly favor property rights when it comes to protecting their own self-interests. Developers get upset when government tries to prevent them from building what they want, where they want, and how they want. But when it comes to individual property owners who get in their way, all of a sudden "property rights" aren't very important. You can be certain that the developers who want to open up huge parcels of land around the proposed "Western Bypass" don't give a damn about the thousands of homeowners who are opposed to having a new beltway rip through their property.

These days it seems that the only establishments that can survive burdensome government regulations and land hungry developers are nationwide chains. It would be a real loss to have a nice, independent family restaurant shut down, regardless of who is behind the effort. Let's pray that continued public pressure will triumph in this case.

James Simpson lives in Lake Ridge