Smithsonian Institute?

In the now infamous 2004 Town Council work session that laid bare the nonsense that is the Windover Heights Historic District, George Lovelace tossed forward this pearl of wisdom:

"I don't think we want to any way limit what this board does...how they get it done...You want to go to the Smithsonian Institute...whatever they want to do, but I think that it's been proven that may be a little more research needs to be done when you get to deal with these applications..."

Yes, you heard that right. George Lovelace proposes that when the Windover Heights Board of Review receives an application they should consult with the Smithsonian Institute. Guess how many times this type of consultation has happened in the past? Zero times.

We assume Lovelace's scenario would unfold something like this:

"Hi, we are from the Town of Vienna. We are the Vienna historic review board. As background, we have no rules or guidelines and nothing in our District has been validated as "historic", but we need your help Mr. Smithsonian. We have an application before us to tear down a standard 1970s house and replace it with a brand new structure. Our Town Council member George Lovelace says you will help us."

All of this would be funny if Lovelace wasn't intentionally damaging property rights. Doubt that statement? Lovelace was personally responsible for causing economic harm to the owner of 315 Windover Avenue.

George Lovelace: Not An Advocate of Property Rights