Many people who live and shop in Old Town Alexandria are understandably upset about a sex shop that has opened on King Street, in the heart of the commercial district. The blame for its appearance, and whatever effect it has on nearby businesses, lies firmly with the local government, as the Wash Post explains:

Zarlenga [a small business owner] spent $350,000 on plans to expand his hunting and fishing store, the Trophy Room. He worked with city officials for almost two years and thought he had their support — until the architectural review board told him he couldn’t alter the historic property.
Furious and out of money, Zarlenga rented the space to its newest occupant, Le Tache. …
The store opened in January to both horrified and curious passersby at 210 King St., next to an art gallery and two doors from a boutique that sells children’s clothing. …
He hired a Washington architectural firm, which created eight designs for the project. The final one included plans to raise the roof on the back of the building and demolish a small section of a historic brick wall that was built about 1800. Most of the back wall would have been incorporated into the renovation.
Zarlenga said he consulted Alexandria’s historical preservation staff along the way to be sure everyone was on board with his plans. He said he relied heavily on the advice of Peter Smith, who at the time was the principal staff member of the city’s Board of Architectural Review.
But when the project came before the review board in 2007, it was rejected partly on Smith’s recommendation that it would cause an “unreasonable loss of historic fabric.” Zarlenga said Smith did not explain to him why he changed his mind. Smith has since died.
Tom Hulfish, chairman of the Alexandria Board of Architectural Review, said the project was rejected because it would have altered the traditional “flounder,” or shed roof structure that preservationists are trying to protect around the city.

So by trying to protect their “flounder,” historic preservationists have created the most jarring anachronism imaginable for Old Town Alexandria. Tourists beware.