Mayor-Elect Adrian Fenty’s most celebrated quality is his rigor for getting the small things done. Ward 4 supporters tell tales of the Councilman as Blackberry-brandishing musketeer, sweeping in to remedy urgent street repairs and the like. By contrast, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams’ supporters have always heralded his ability to dream big. Details be damned, he’s the guy with the grand vision: a growing, vibrant city; attractive to businesses and middle class residents, and with enough wealth to look after its neediest.

That difference in leadership style was readily apparent on Tuesday, when the D.C. Council took up the latest (and final?) proposal to provide the 1,225 parking spaces required by the stadium lease. In what was heralded as the first major political victory of his incoming administration, the council approved Fenty’s proposal to go ahead and build two three-story above-ground garages north of the stadium and another two-story garage to the south. According to Fenty, “the decision made not only allows the project to go forward without any further risk of damages or liability but also continues to encourage a lot of economic development in the area.”

Photo by Flickr user DCMatt.