ANC 2B Becomes Final Commission to Oppose Liquor License Moratorium

From David McAuley. Email him at david[AT]borderstan.com.

At its regular monthly meeting last night, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont became the last of four ANCs inside the boundaries of the proposed 14th and U liquor license moratorium to condemn it. The vote was 6 to 1 in favor of a resolution against the moratorium; there was one abstention.

Commissioner Abigail Nichols, 2B-05, was the lone vote against the resolution. Commissioner Leo Dwyer, 2B-07, abstained. Commissioner Mike Silverstein, 2B-06, recused himself from the vote. Silverstein recuses himself from all ANC 2B alcohol licensing matters as he also serves on the DC Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.

ANC 6E/Shaw, ANC 2F/Logan Circle and ANC 1B/U Street have already voted against the proposed moratorium. ANCs are advisory in nature; they cannot approve or reject legislation or rules. The DC Council and city agencies are to give their opinions strong consideration.

The moratorium will be the subject of a public hearing by DC’s Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration on May 22 at 1:30 pm at the Reeves Municipal Building, northwest corner of 14th and U Streets NW. The hearing will take place in the Board Hearing Room, 4th Floor South. The Board is accepting email comment through Friday, May 17.

Next Up: East Dupont Circle Moratorium

The meeting gave one final chance for members and supporters of moratorium petition originator, Shaw Dupont Citizens Alliance (SDCA), to repeat their case. Former and current leadership of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association also spoke in support of the SDCA’s petition. A few other members of the community also gave input, and some commissioners spoke about the rationale for their votes.

Abigail Nichols had recently suggested delaying the vote, but she did not propose a motion to do so at the meeting.

After its vote on the 14th and U moratorium, ANC 2B will turn its attention to the East Dupont Circle liquor license moratorium. This moratorium covers most of 17th Street between P and S Streets, and will expire on September 23.

ANC 2B will hold two listening sessions to hear citizen comment on the East Dupont Circle moratorium. The first listening session will be on Tuesday, May 21, at 7 pm, at the Chastleton Ballroom (1701 16th Street NW). This is a change from a previously-announced date of Monday, May 20.

There will be another listening session at the Chastleton Ballroom on Monday, June 24, at 7 pm. ANC 2B then plans to role out a draft presentation on the East Dupont Circle moratorium at its liquor licensing affairs committee meeting on Wednesday, August 7. The matter will then be considered by the full ANC at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 14.

Garrison Elementary, Stead Park Battle for DC Funds

ANC2B joined ANC2F/Logan Circle in unanimously passing a resolution in support of accelerated funding for the renovation of Garrison Elementary School (1200 S Street). The resolution calls for $16 million in funding for the renovation to be moved from the 2015 DC budget to the 2014 DC budget.

The co-chairs of the ANC 2F Education Committee, Commissioner Matt Connelly, 2F-08, and Evelyn Boyd Simmons, appeared at the meeting in support of the resolution. They brought the fresh news. DC Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large) had just told a community meeting at Garrison the Council had found $8 million in the 2014 budget to begin the renovation.

At the beginning of the meeting, Commissioner Kishan Putta, 2B-04, announced that, after a local show of support and testimony by concerned citizens, the DC Council Committee on Workforce and Community Affairs had recommended $1.6 million for the renovation of Stead Park (1625 P Street) be moved to the 2014 budget. Putta pledged to work to get the recommendation included in the budget when it appears before the full DC Council on May 22.

Hotel Palomar: Valet Parking Problems

The ANC unanimously passed a resolution noting unsafe valet parking practices by the Hotel Palomar (2121 P Street). The Commission noted photographs showing the hotel parking vans and customer cars on the sidewalk of the 2100 block of P Street, and that the ANC and local residents have asked the hotel to stop. Still, the practice continues.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) asked ANC 2B to produce a document specifying the complaints against the Hotel Palomar, so they can move ahead on enforcement. The resolution is the result.

Food Truck Resolution

ANC 2B unanimously passed a resolution advising the DC Council to reject proposed rulemaking on food trucks and send the matter back to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) for review. Commissioner Kevin O’Connor, 2B-02, said the rules as currently written have no procedure for the community. through ANCs, to weigh in on this public space matter. Use of public space is ordinarily an area of ANC input.

There were too many action items for the three-hour meeting time, so ANC2B has scheduled an “Overflow Special Meeting” next Monday, May 13, 7 pm, at the Dupont Circle Hotel (1500 New Hampshire Avenue). Most of the items on the agenda concern Historic Preservation Review Board applications to change or renovate local properties.

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