Diners at the Guapo’s restaurant at the Rio Lakefront in Gaithersburg may have a new amenity to enjoy a meal if a floating dining pier gets approved.
Gaithersburg’s City Council on Tuesday evening fast-tracked approval of the proposal for a 1,506-square-foot pier, submitted by Jeff Parana of Rio’s developer, the Peterson Companies, based in Fairfax, Virginia. The council last summer approved a 1,012-square-foot floating pier for Copper Canyon Grill.
Guapo’s, at 9811 Washingtonian Blvd., is a Tex-Mex cantina and grill that serves tacos, burritos, fajitas and enchiladas. The eatery, offering margaritas, daiquiris and sangria, has 11 locations in the DMV, including one in downtown Bethesda.
Guapo’s Rio location offers indoor and outdoor seating, but the proposed dining pier over the lake would add a lot more seating options, according to the City Council’s agenda.
Building the pier would not affect any surrounding commercial buildings, according to the Peterson Companies’ application.
On Tuesday, Councilmembers Neil Harris, Lisa Henderson and Robert Wu voted in favor of finding the application has a minor effect and now directing the planning commission to make a final decision on the application, while Councilmembers Jim McNulty and Yamil Hernandez voted against it.
McNulty said that he was concerned that approval of the dining pier could lead to other restaurants and businesses requesting piers, which would reduce the visibility of the lake.
The 3-2 vote expedited the approval process for Peterson Companies because the alternative option would have been to send it to the planning commission for a further evaluation, public hearing and recommendation. Now, the next step is just for the city’s planning commission to approve the application.
“I think it’s a nice amenity to go along with the property, and I’m pretty comfortable that Peterson will do right by it,” Harris said at the meeting.
The fast-tracking of approval was first reported by Robert Dyer on Rockville Nights.
Digital renderings of what the proposed floating dining pier will look like next to the Guapo’s at the Rio Lakefront. Credit: Peterson Companies Credit: Courtney Cohn 
Digital renderings of what the proposed floating dining pier will look like next to the Guapo’s at the Rio Lakefront. Credit: Peterson Companies Credit: Courtney Cohn 
Digital renderings of what the proposed floating dining pier will look like next to the Guapo’s at the Rio Lakefront. Credit: Peterson Companies Credit: Credit: Peterson Companies.