Garvey Blames Krupicka for BRAC Problems

Libby Garvey offered the first barb in the race for the 30th district state senate seat on Thursday, blaming Democratic primary opponent Rob Krupicka for allowing the Department of Defense to set up shop at the Mark Center in Alexandria’s West End as part of its Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

“I believe strongly that we should judge public officials by the decisions they make,” Garvey wrote on her campaign website. “In this case, Rob Krupicka, one of my opponents for the Senate seat currently held by Patsy Ticer, made a terrible decision by giving the DOD a green light to locate the BRAC building at the Mark Center site. His candidacy for the Virginia Senate, like that of all of us running for that important position, should be evaluated according to the quality of our decisions.”

Krupicka has been a member of Alexandria’s City Council since 2003. The opening of the Mark Center to more than 6,400 workers in September is expected to cripple traffic on I-395. There remains no direct access to the site from the interstate. Plans for a ramp and other road improvements won't take shape for several years.

Garvey wrote that her remarks were prompted after attending a on Wednesday night.

During her  last week, the longtime Arlington County School Board member said she believed the Mark Center should never have been built at its location, but she didn’t place blame.

On Thursday evening, Krupicka sent an e-mail to his supporters stating that “the race for the 30th State Senate district took an ugly turn.”

Krupicka wrote that he believed Garvey “went on the attack” and distorted his “record of protecting the Winkler Botanical Preserve and dismissing my record of leadership on transit and transportation.”

He went on to write that he was disappointed that Garvey decided “to go negative” and that he planned to keep his campaign “focused on new ideas to move us forward.”

The Democratic primary for the senate seat is scheduled for Aug. 23. Adam Ebbin, currently a state delegate in the 49th district, is the third candidate in the race. He has sought public transit funding to alleviate traffic at the Mark Center.

Ebbin is kicking off his campaign Sunday at the Alexandria Black History Museum at 2 p.m.