Living in the 21st century, patience is not a trait that comes naturally, but it’s necessary if one lives in Fauquier County. Retail development would go far to ease the stress and up the entertainment quotient.
Mall: Residents must either make the dreaded drive to Fairfax or Tysons for quality shopping malls, or wait all week and wonder why the slugs at UPS are still delivering packages with horse drawn carriages. A local mall would attract business to Fauquier, refine our wardrobes, and give us something to do on weekends.
Movie Theater: When I went to Manassas to watch The Hobbit, I felt like I had made a more significant journey than Bilbo and the dwarves. But that 30 minute drive was my only option. Fauquier used to have a movie theater, but it was filthy, small, and the projector would sometimes shut off during films. A movie theater would serve to build community by providing something enjoyable for everyone.
Book Store: Mark Twain once said, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” The county’s book worms have mourned the death of its one and only bookstore since Borders closed last year. There is something in the ambiance of flipping through pages while enjoying the aroma of coffee, a vibe unparalleled by ordering books from Amazon or reading eBooks or even visiting the library. We need a new bookstore to restore our sanity and to improve our intellect.
Costco: Whether you go to troll the food samples or because you really need 80 rolls of paper towels, Costco offers an unrivaled impulse shopping experience. Since the Price Club days, Costco has maintained an exquisite assortment of groceries and household necessities in large quantities for bargain prices. The proposal to build a Costco in the New Baltimore area was stymied by community and land preservation concerns and issues with traffic congestion. As of 2007, more than 7,000 Fauquier County Costco members shopped at the Manassas store. Prince William County has received massive amounts of tax revenue due to the encouragement and development of retail businesses. By building a Costco, we could participate in this revenue stream, and keep Fauquier revenue at home. With a population of over 65,000, we have outgrown Walmart.