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Showing posts with label 14th Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 14th Street. Show all posts

Friday, March 27, 2015

"Everybody That Goes to Popeye's Must Be Drunk"

When the Popeye's Fried Chicken on 14th Street NW between N Street and Rhode Island Avenue closed recently, some were sad. It was inexpensive, and also had a drive-up window on the neighboring alley.

The leaders of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church (1306 Vermont Street) were not so
sad. For decades, the back wall of the church has been victimized by drivers in the alley. Many, the church management thinks, might have been customers of Popeye's with the late-night munchies.

How it was (Google Street View)
"We always said, 'Everybody that goes to Popeye's must be drunk'," a representative of Mt. Olivet's building committee told a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle on March 25.

Why were the church and the Community Development Committee (CDC) discussing the sobriety of the drivers emerging from a now-closed business? Because now Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church must spend $100,000 to repair and repoint the rear wall of the church.

It is using $50,000 of its own money on the job, and asking the DC Preservation League for a matching $50,000 grant. A representative of Mt. Olivet appeared before the CDC to request a letter of support.

The church yesterday
The church will be repointing and repairing the whole length of the wall, but it is not clear yet on how high the labor-intensive repairs can go -- assuming the church gets the $100,000 it wants.

"Mt. Olivet has always been a valued member of the community," said a CDC member.

The committee unanimously passed a motion to send a letter of "unqualified support of the matching grant" to the DC Preservation League. The matter will now move to the full ANC for approval, where it will probably meet with little opposition or discussion.

Once repaired, the wall may not be subject to the same level of wear-and-tear, as the proposed new mixed-use building for the location will fill in the alley, as wall as replace the two neighboring buildings. 

See the agenda of the next meeting of ANC2F here. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

Popeye's will soon open a more upscale version of the franchise across 14th Street from its former location.

See a short video explaining repointing brick walls here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Long-delayed Dog Daycare at Florida and 14th Moves Forward

A long struggle to open a dog daycare facility on the ground floor of the View 14 apartment building (2303 14th Street NW, at the corner of Florida Avenue) appears headed toward a successful conclusion. The aspiring proprietors had to engage in a multi-year struggle to change DC zoning. In addition, they also had a conflict over the name of the new establishment, which was very similar to a local pet care organization of long standing.

From Doozy Dog's submission to DC zoning authorities
The establishment has changed its name -- it will now be called "Doozy Dog". This name was arrived at after much research, the management team told a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street. The research could uncover no establishment with this similar name, not only here in the DC area, but indeed anywhere in the US, a team from Doozy Dog told ANC1B's Zoning, Preservation and Development Committee on March 16.

Doozy Dog is the first branch east of the Mississippi for a Los Angeles-based chain of dog daycare facilities known elsewhere as Citydog! Club. When it first appeared before a committee of ANC1B over a year ago asking for zoning relief -- see SALM blog post of December 18, 2013 -- it used this name. Shortly afterward, a local business called City Dogs Daycare, Dupont Circle-based and open since 1999, objected to the new establishment's name -- see SALM blog post of January 6, 2014. The dispute seemed to lead to the decision to change the name of the local branch of the chain.

In addition to changing the name, the proprietors and their attorneys were involved in a successful effort to change DC zoning requirements regarding pet boarding, grooming, and care businesses. As a result, it is no longer required that such an establishment be at least 25 feet from a residence. Another revision to zoning regulations now allows pet care establishments to open in the basement of a mixed-use buildings as a "matter-of-right", that is, without needing any zoning relief.

In addition, the former requirement that such an establishment be in a "sound-proof building" was relaxed -- instead, the establishment must show it will produce no "noise objectionable to residential units" in the same building or nearby buildings. A similar relaxation of standards was made in regard to odor.

With all these problems solved, Doozy Dog is now ready to take the final steps. These involve obtaining an officially-blessed revision of a 2006 Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement that allowed the View 14 building to be built in the first place. This revision will allow Doozy Dog to open without seeking further zoning relief.

Representatives of Doozy Dog allowed that applying for a revision of a PUD so long after the initial agreement was "unusual".

The ANC committee heard the case for the planned revision of the PUD. The proprietors and their attorney reviewed some details of their planned operation, including disposal of animal waste. Parking was also discussed -- there will be a 15-minute drop-off zone. No other parking mitigation is planned. The proprietors expected most of their customers would come on foot.

The committee voted unanimously to endorse the proposed revision to the PUD. The committee's recommendation will go the full ANC for approval. It will probably be on the agenda of the next scheduled meeting of the full ANC on April 2. The meeting will be at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets) and is scheduled to start at 6:30pm -- 30 minutes earlier than usual.

A hearing before DC zoning authorities on this case is scheduled for April 20. There was no mention at the meeting of when Doozy Dog was planning to open.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Tropicalia Assault Case Report: No Blame on Club

The owner of the dance club Tropicalia (2001 14th Street NW) gave a freshly-minted official report to a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street on March 18. This report, the owner said, exonerated his club of any wrong-doing concerning two alleged cases of assault by club bouncers against women customers -- see SALM blog post of January 22.

Tropicalia is in the basement of this building at 14th and U
Jesse Cornelius, Public Affairs Specialist at DC's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), said in an email the report (see copy here) states that ABRA "took the matter under consideration and decided to take no further action."

The chair of the liquor-licensing affairs committee, Nick Baumann, began the discussion as a part of the committee's regularly-scheduled committee meeting. Baumann had invited both the customers and the club ownership to the meeting to discuss the incident, and both sides were present.

"It's not our role to rule on the facts," Baumann said.

Baumann then said ABRA had not yet ruled on the case. It was at that moment that Tropicalia owner Amanollah Ayoubi first informed the committee of the ABRA report's existence. Ayoubi said the report had been issued that day and had "dismissed the case". He gave the committee a copy of the report.

Ayoubi was given the floor and disputed much of the customers' version of events as presented to the committee in January. The owner's version of events largely agrees with that presented in the ABRA report. For example, one customer stated at the January committee meeting she had been assaulted by the nightclub bouncer. However, the report says the only assault that occurred at that time was when the woman struck the bouncer after refusing to leave.

The owner also said there was no video of the incident. The club keeps surveillance camera video for two weeks. They were notified by ABRA of the investigation 17 days after the incident took place, the owner said.

The owner also accused the customers of waging an unfair campaign against the club on social media.

ANC Commissioner John Green (district 12 -- where Tropicalia is located) asked if the bouncer involved in the incident was still working at Tropicalia.

Another member of the management team said the bouncer involved in the incident had left -- "for unrelated reasons".

The customers who had made the allegations and their allies sat silently while the owner talked to the committee. When he was finished, Baumann asked if they wished to say anything. One of them took up his offer.

"The reason I came before this body was to give you a heads up," she said.

She said she had been "attacked and injured" at the club and a report had been "filed with the prosecutor". However, she said, she understood the owner's perspective.

"I want to prevent that from happening again," she said.

Barring further developments, this seems to be the end of the case. The committee did not take any action or any vote on this matter at the meeting.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

Friday, March 20, 2015

Problem Liquor Stores at 14th and U and in Columbia Heights Seek Liquor License Renewal

This is the second of two articles published today about renewals of liquor store licenses -- more specifically, about the renewals that the liquor licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street discussed at its March 18 meeting. All DC liquor stores have until the end of March to file applications to renew their Class A liquor licenses.

Many of the applications seemed routine and generated little or no discussion. The two cases below were exceptions.

Bestway Liquors

The owner of Bestway Liquors (2011 14th Street) attended the meeting and reported that his mandatory placard about the renewal application has been up in the window of his store for about a week. Commissioner John Green (district 12 -- also the location of Bestway Liquors) reported "positive and negative remarks" via email about the store. He read the emails to the meeting about the store, which is located on the east side of 14th Street just north of U Street. Some emails said the store "attracts unsavory people", that there were "people loitering", and "drunks passed out" in front of the store.

Bestway Liquors and placard on March 19
The owner of the store said he tried to do everything possible to limit people from congregating in front of his store, but the space was after all a public sidewalk as well as a bus stop. He said it was particularly difficult to get people to clear out of the bus stop, which had a bench. Police had told him not to shoo people away from the store -- he should call the police, because anything on the sidewalk was police responsibility.

The owner and his attorney showed the ANC several "certificates of compliance", which is what liquor stores get when DC authorities attempt a "sting" to get the store to sell liquor to underage or obviously drunk patrons, and the store (complying with the law) refuses to do so. The owner also showed several "barring notices" -- official documents that allow an owner to refuse to sell to specific individuals who have been a problem. On some occasions, the owner says he observes, on the store's security cameras, barred individuals sitting at the bus stop persuading others to buy liquor on their behalf. When the owner sees this, he said, he refuses the sale.

The owner also said he does not sell malt liquor or "singles".

A police officer at the committee meeting said the MPD had a new additional police officer assigned to that stretch of U Street and hoped the officer would reduce the problems in front of Bestway Liquors.

The committee voted to take no action. If there are no official complaints to DC's liquor-licensing authorities, the store will probably have its license renewed.

Fairmont Liquors

"It draws a huge crowd of Howard students," said one committee member of Fairmont Liquors (2633 Sherman Avenue).

"They come in six, seven, ten at a time," the owner of Fairmont Liquors told the committee.

(Google Street View)
The committee noted three cases of selling liquor to minors. In November 2014, Fairmont Liquors was fined $8000 and ordered closed for 15 days for selling to underaged individuals who were probably Howard students -- see SALM blog post of December 9, 2014.

"The problem is a fake ID," the owner said. "They [meaning, the ID cards] come from many states, not just Virginia, Maryland, but Alaska, many states."

The owner told the committee he had gotten a booklet from DC's liquor-licensing authorities to help him distinguish genuine out-of-state IDs from not-so-genuine.

"We need to take a serious look at the record," said ANC1B Chair James Turner (Commissioner for district 08). Turner noted there were occasions when there was no ID check.

"Is that a good community neighborhood establishment?" Turner said.

During the discussion it was also noted there had been a homicide at the liquor store sometime during the last three years. However, the homicide was unconnected with the store, except for the fact that it took place there, and no one suggested the owner was in any way culpable.

A member of the committee asked if the establishment had security camera. The owner said he had one inside camera and was planning four cameras outside.

The liquor license renewal application for Fairmont Liquors has not started its placarding period yet, so there was no vote at the meeting. The committee expects to take up the case at its next meeting. The owner was advised to prepare as much as possible in order to make a strong case for renewal when he comes before the committee.

Many other liquor stores in the area between U Street and Columbia Heights are coming up for renewal -- see the bottom of today's other post for a list.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

27 New "Leaning Toward Condos" at 14th and U

Developers The Goldstar Group and Bonstra|Haresign Architects has unveiled a proposed design for a new nine-story mixed-used building at 1355/1357 U Street NW, a stone's throw from 14th Street. A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street heard a preliminary presentation about the building on March 16. The development has not yet applied for historic preservation review or zoning relief -- the briefing was purely informational.

How the building (top left) might look from the Reeves Center
ANC1B's Zoning, Preservation and Development (ZPD) Committee heard Eric May of The Goldstar Group and Rob McClennan of Bonstra|Haresign tell of their September 2014 purchase of the property and the "somewhat arduous process" of meeting three times each with DC's historic preservation and zoning authorities since then. Any development on the property will require review by DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) because it is located in the U Street Historic District.

Parking

The presenters have not officially applied at any government agency yet, but they told the committee they will probably apply for zoning relief for parking. The current design of the property provides three parking spaces, located in the rear of the building. Zoning would require nine. The presenters said the shape of the long, narrow lot would make an underground garage with a ramp a near-impossibility.

ANC1B chair James Turner (Commissioner for district 08) told the presenters the ANC would likely push for building to provide at least nine spaces as required. Turner is not on the ZPD Committee but attended the meeting.

The presenters' calculation of nine spaces was built on the assumption they would end up with 27 new residential units in the new building. At another moment, the presenters said they expected the finished building to have 25 - 30 residential units, and they were "leaning towards condos" as opposed to rental units.

Size

The proposed designs would preserve the existing buildings facing U Street to a depth of 34 foot from the sidewalk, which is their depth as originally constructed. Behind these original structures, there are newer buildings. These would be demolished so the new mixed-use building could be built on the land.

The original buildings facing U Street would be then integrated with brand-new construction to the rear to form one continuous space of 3000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

The presenters said they were considering both office and residential space for the second floor, extending from the old building facing U Street to the rear of the lot in the same manner as the ground floor. If they went with office space, the presenters said, they might have 4600 square feet of office space.

Starting on the third floor, the building facade would be set back 34 feet from U Street for a planned additional six stories of residential space, plus a "mechanical penthouse" (containing air conditioning units, elevator machinery, etc.).

The projected height of the building is 100 feet, which is still not as tall as a neighboring apartment building, The Ellington.

Affordable Housing

The development would also be subject to DC regulations about "inclusionary zoning", also known as affordable housing. The law would require eight percent of the total units -- perhaps two or three units, depending on how many total units the development had -- be set aside for housing available at less than market rates. These units would be considered affordable by families earning 80% of DC Metropolitan Area Median Income (AMI) -- about $70,000 for a family of four. In 2013, two-bedroom condos included in the inclusionary zoning program sold for about $200,000/year average, according to a DC government report here.

Turner said the ANC would push on inclusionary zoning and urged the developer to go beyond the minimum requirement and consider including some units affordable at less than 80% AMI.

One committee member said units at 60% AMI would offer "real benefit" to the community.

More generally, the presenters said they were considering putting four units on each floor -- two one-bedroom, two two-bedroom -- except for the top floor, which would have only two units total.

Other details

The presenters said they had talked to the neighboring Hamiltonian Gallery. The gallery was "fully supportive". The developers will offer compensation to the gallery for disruption that will occur construction. About a neighboring liquor store, the presenters said it had been unresponsive and "we cannot get past go."

Given the building's location, committee members asked the presenters to consider materials than absorb, rather than reflect, sound -- meaning, for example, less use of glass.

The presenters said they had not gotten to the point where they had settled on the details of the design (e.g., color and materials) but "we'd like to go very contemporary".

The property is the former location of the nightclubs Republic Gardens and State of the Union.

Goldstar and Bonstra|Haresign told the ANC they had presented the new building designs to the U Street Neighborhood Association the previous week -- see March 13 article from the blog Urban Turf.

(photo credit: detail from documents submitted to the ZPD Committee)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Dupont ANC Holds the Line on 14th and U Pedestrian Space

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle has voted to protect the crowded sidewalk space near 14th and U Streets NW. At its regular monthly meeting March 11, ANC2B voted to recommend that The Wydown Coffee Bar (1924 14th Street) be required to array proposed sidewalk tables to allow a gap ten feet wide for pedestrians on the 14th Street sidewalk, just south of U Street. Wydown had made a request at the meeting for an eight-foot gap, scaled back from its original proposal of a six-foot gap.

ANC2B Chair Noah Smith (Commissioner for district 09) said, "While we
normally ask for ten feet, we are instructed to consider requests on a case-by-case basis."

Wydown is in Smith's ANC district.

There is currently a gap of 13.5 feet between the front of Wydown and the planter boxes that border 14th Street (see photo). Wydown's owners said the planter boxes were not in the design for the space when they agreed to occupy the property.

The ANC publicly reviewed the precedents. Last summer, ANC2B voted to dramatically scale back a sidewalk space request from the nearby branch of Taylor Gourmet (1908 14th Street NW) for outdoor serving space -- see SALM blog post of July 15, 2014. Smith also noted the case of Doi Moi restaurant (1800 14th Street) -- most of their tables create a ten-foot gap but they were allowed a few tables at eight feet.

Members of local community organizations spoke against reducing the gap.

"I think with that precedent you are going to have to be very conservative," said Ramon Estrada, President of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association.

"Fourteenth Street is almost impossible to traverse without going Indian-file," said Tom Bauer of the Dupont Circle Conservancy. (Bauer made it clear that, in this case, he was speaking for himself only, not for the organization.)

The commissioners were split. Commissioner Daniel Warwick (district 02) said he would vote in favor of more sidewalk space for Wydown, i.e., in favor of a smaller gap.

Commissioner Nicole Mann (district 08) agreed: "I don't think it's a huge issue."

Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06) thought the density of the location required special consideration: "This is about as busy as area as can be. I'm not sure whether I'm comfortable with eight feet."

Smith's original resolution supported an eight-foot gap. Silverstein made a motion to change the eight-foot gap to a ten-foot gap. Silverstein's motion to amend the original proposal passed, six votes to three. Then a motion to pass the entire resolution as amended passed, eight votes to one, with one abstention. Warwick was the vote against both the amendment and the entire resolution as amended.

ANC2B's recommendation will now go to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), which has final authority over the commercial use of public space.


Friday, February 27, 2015

14th Street Sidewalk Cafe for Slipstream Coffee

A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle unanimously endorsed a request for a sidewalk cafe for coffee shop/cocktail bar Slipstream (1333 14th Street NW) at a regular monthly meeting on February 25.

(Photo credit below)
A settlement agreement signed by the establishment and ANC2F in 2013 dictates that the sidewalk cafe cannot have more than 20 seats. The same agreement also says Slipstream can serve sidewalk patrons starting at 8 am seven days a week. They can continue until midnight Sunday to Wednesday, and 1 am Thursday to Sunday, plus the evening before federal holidays.

Ryan Fleming, co-proprietor (with wife Miranda) of Slipstream, told ANC2F's Community Development Committee (CDC) that DC public space regulations will also limit the number of tables to four.

In order to use public space like a sidewalk, it is necessary to get a public space permit from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). A letter of endorsement from the ANC makes the process go more smoothly.

The plan is to put tables outside during hours of operation and pull them in at closing -- no permanent fixtures. There will be no railing fences at the perimeter of the space. The committee recommended putting planters at the corners of the outside space.

There were comparisons to the outdoor space of their immediate neighbor, the restaurant Birch and Barley (1337 14th Street) when Fleming told the ANC that slipstream would have an awning.

"Will it be as imposing as Birch and Barley?" asked CDC member Jim Lamare (Commissioner for district 05).

"The awning is not similar to theirs," Fleming said. He further explained that the awning was already in place and, unlike Birch and Barley, was attached to the building.

In many cases, after getting a public space permit from DDOT, a liquor licensee has an additional step of going back to DC's liquor-licensing authorities for specific permission to sell alcohol outside. However, in this case, the proprietors had the foresight to have provisions about outdoor service written into its original settlement agreement (an 11-page .pdf viewable here), even though they did not immediately use it. At the meeting, Fleming said Slipstream did not start outdoor service directly upon opening because it did not have the money to buy extra tables, chairs, planters, etc.

This matter is on the agenda for the next meeting of the full ANC, scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle). Matters passed unanimously by the CDC are routinely passed by the full ANC without further discussion, unless someone from the community shows up to object.

There is a September 20, 2013, SALM blog post about this establishment when it was still in its planning stages.

(Photo credit: Joe Flood/flickr.com - Creative Commons License 2.0)





Thursday, February 26, 2015

Cork Market In Danger of Losing Liquor License over Ownership Issues

DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board is investigating Cork Market & Tasting Room (1805 14th Street NW) for possible "ownership interest issues". According to ABC Board document available here, the ABC Board is investigating to determine if it is appropriate to forward the matter to the DC Office of the Attorney General for prosecution, and to determine if the ABC Board can legally renew their liquor license.

A hearing on the matter was scheduled for yesterday, February 25, at the ABC's Board offices at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets). The hearing was postponed until April 22.

The ABC Board document cited above asks the proprietors of Cork Market & Tasting Room, Diane Gross and Khalid Pitts, to supply all bank records for the establishment plus their federal income tax returns for 2012 and 2013.

The document also said the Board was looking into whether Cork was "not in compliance" with several parts of the DC Code. One of them is section 25-301 (a)(5), which states that, before the ABC Board will issue or renew a liquor license, the applicant must be able to show that he or she
is the true and actual owner of the establishment for which the license is sought, and he or she intends to carry on the business for himself or herself and not as the agent of any other individual, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation not identified in the application.
Another section cited is section 25-403 which states in part
The making of a false statement, whether made with or without the knowledge or consent of the applicant, shall, in the discretion of the Board, constitute sufficient cause for denial of the application or revocation of the license.
Khalid Pitts ran unsuccessfully for an At-Large City Council seat last year. His Linked In profile says he is active in an executive capacity in a number of other organizations, including Democracy Partners, DC Health Link, and USAction.

Cork Market & Tasting Room's sister establishment, Cork Wine Bar, is located across the street at 1720 14th Street. It is not named in the ABC Board document. Cork Wine Bar was one of the first upscale establishments to appear on 14th Street. It won Pitts and Gross the title Restaurateurs of the Year from Washingtonian Magazine in 2009.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

CORRECTED: Assaults by Staff at 14th and U Club Alleged at ANC1B Committee Meeting

CORRECTED: After publication, I received an email from one of the woman mentioned below with a list of corrections. As I result, I rewrote parts of this article. I have tried to indicate edits with strikethrough for deletions and italics for additions. Also, I am adding the text of the email at the end of the article.

Two women came before the liquor-licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street last night (January 21) to allege that they had been assaulted inside the dance club Tropicalia (2001 14th Street NW).

"He dragged me down to the floor," one woman said. "He slammed me to the wall trying to drag me out."

Tropicalia is downstairs from the Subway at 14th and U
Although both of the women identified themselves (and their attacker) by name at the public meeting, I am not printing any of the names out of an abundance of caution, even though one of the women specifically gave me permission to print her name. After the meeting ended, I asked permission from both of the women to write a story about their testimony. They both agreed without hesitation.

One of the victims identified herself as a 24-year-old woman. She went to Tropicalia on New Year's Eve in early December, but neglected to take identification. She was allowed into the club, but was marked with a black "X" on her hands to indicate that she could not drink in the club. Nevertheless, she managed to obtained a drink from a performer. When the staff member saw the woman with the drink, he told her to leave the club approached her. She attempted to talk to him, and put the drink down and apologized. The staff member then assaulted her without warning, in the manner quoted above, she told the meeting. She also said the incident took place in front of five witnesses, one of whom was punched in the face.

The other woman said her incident took place on New Year's Eve, and did not detail what happen to her at the club, but she said she was injured and had to go the hospital. She also said the incident took place in front of five many witnesses, two of whom gave statements to the police.

"It's hard enough for me to talk about this," said the second woman.

The woman said she was in the club and felt a man touch the small of her back. She told him not to touch her there. She told him to say "excuse me" when trying to get by, instead of touching. The man grabbed her, picked her up bodily, crushing her ribs while walking her around. He told the woman he could touch her wherever he wanted.

Both women have reported the incidents to the police and have police reports.

One of the women The 24-year-old woman said the owner of the club had called to apologize. The owner also said the employee would be removed. But when the woman went to Tropicalia to meet with the owner, she said, the owner was absent but her assailant was present. The assailant told her that he would not be losing his job, that he had never actually touched her, and there was no footage of the incident from security cameras.

She also told the committee the assailant said: "Bitch, I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm astounded and I'm shocked," said one committee member, himself a liquor licensee.

The same committee member told the women that they might wish to press the owner on the matter of security footage because, according to DC law, licensees were only obligated to hold onto security footage for 30 days. By the end of the month, the liquor licensee would be able to legally destroy the video of the New Year's Eve incident.

Members of the committee told the women that this matter was one to be brought before DC's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA). They also advised the women to make sure that ABRA got a copy of the police reports. Committee Chair Nick Baumann said the incident would certainly come up when the liquor license came up for renewal in 2016, but there was a feeling at the meeting that it was a long time to wait.

"People need to be accountable for what they do," a committee member said.

Baumann said he would ask the licensee to come to the next meeting of the liquor-licensing affairs committee, scheduled for February 18. Would the women be willing to return and talk with owner in front of the committee?

They would, they said.

Committee members called up public records at the meeting which indicated that there had been an alleged assault at the club in 2014, but ABRA declined to take any action against the club in relation to the event.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

UPDATE: Below is the text of the email from one of the women, correcting the record:

quote

I would correct the following inaccuracies:


Woman #1

·       This occurred in early December
·       She did not buy a drink, the performer passed one to her
·       The staff member did not tell her to leave the club, he simply approached her
·       She put the drink down and said sorry before he assaulted her, without saying anything
·       At least 5 witnesses, one of whom was punched in the face
·       When she went back and was surprised he was not fired as the owner had promised, the security staff told her, “Bitch, I’m not going anywhere.”

Woman #2 (me)

·       31 years old
·       New Year’s Eve
·       I felt hands on the small of my back from a random person walking through the crowd. I told the man, “Don’t touch me there.” I told him he could say excuse me when trying to get by, instead of putting his hands on my body. He got aggressive, grabbed me, put me in a bear hug, and crushed my ribs while lifting me up and walking me around, telling me “I can touch you however I want.”
·       I only found out when I talked to the police that he was the head of security.
·       Many witnesses, 2 of whom were with me and have given statements to MPD
·       Owner called me to apologize, but this is disingenuous; he already knew about this particular staff member assaulting women, because he knew about what happened to woman #1.

end quote

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

1618 14th Street: "That Wall Could Collapse at Any Point Right Now"

A structural engineer testified to DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on December 18, 2014, that the south wall of 1618 14th Street NW "represents a significant safety hazard" and "bracing should have been installed quite a while ago".

"That wall could collapse at any point right now," said Nathan Hicks of Robert Silman Associates, a Georgetown-based structural engineering firm, in testimony concerning the owner's application to knock the building down.

"I have severe concerns about the integrity of that wall and the potential for its collapse," said HPRB Chair Gretchen Pfaehler at the same meeting.

The building sits on the corner of 14th and Corcoran Streets. The unsafe wall under discussion was the wall that runs along the Corcoran Street side. As of three days ago, when I last saw the building, there was no visible exterior bracing, nor was there any indication to passing pedestrians that the building was potentially unsafe.

Stephen Jaffe, owner of 1618 14th Street
HPRB against raze of the building

After hearing testimony both for and against the raze, the HPRB voted 7-2 to reject the owner's application. Many board members made statements opposing the application.

"We've protected and preserved buildings in far worse condition," said Joseph Taylor.

"We need to preserve this building," said Robert Sonderman.

"I'm not convinced that the owner is not partially responsible for its condition and he hasn't been very aggressive about remediating it," said Maria Casarella.

Building owner testifies

Stephen Jaffe, the owner of the building, testified in favor of the demolition. He told the HPRB he had bought the building in the year 2000, but he had no idea it was structurally unsafe until the year 2012, when the interior dry wall was taken down and the extent of the damage to the building was made clear.

Jaffe also told the HPRB of his intentions concerning the size of a successor to the present two-story building -- should he ever get permission to knock it down.

"We're thinking that it's going to be the same or possibly a three-story building," Jaffe said. "But basically the same style to fit in with the neighborhood. We're not looking to make a big change in this building."

At another point in the hearing, Jaffe told the Board he owned two other buildings in DC historic districts -- one of which is the building which houses Le Diplomate restaurant, one block away on 14th Street.

Other testimony at the meeting detailed the building's history as the location of first an African-American-owned tailoring business, followed by a high end photo studio. A sex club took residency in part of the building in 1991, according to testimony, and eventually expanded to the entire building. The club allegedly made unauthorized changes to the building's interior walls and was the scene of a fire in 2005. The sex club was finally closed in 2009 after a man fell to his death there. 

The request to raze the building was conditionally endorsed in November, 2014, by a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2F/Logan Circle (see SALM blog post of November 21, 2014). The committee's decision was ratified at the December 2014 meeting of the full ANC.

I did not attend this meeting. This report is based on viewing the archived video of the meeting, available here, starting a time 1:11:34.

(photo credit: screenshot of HPRB video of the meeting)

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Logan Circle ANC Committee Endorses Outdoor Seating for "The Pig"

An application for a public space use permit for The Pig restaurant (1320 14th Street NW) will go ahead after a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle endorsed the application unanimously. The endorsement took place at the regular monthly meeting of ANC2F's Community Development Committee (CDC) on November 19.

(Luis Gomez Photos. Used by permission)
The matter was dispatched in a matter of minutes at the beginning of the meeting. David Winer, principal of The Pig and other restaurants operated by EatWellDC, presented. Four tables with eight seats on 14th Street in front of the restaurant are planned. There will be no fence or barrier between the tables and passing pedestrians.

At its narrowest point, there will be an 8-foot-wide gap for pedestrians to pass, but mostly the gap will be 12 feet wide. The sidewalk seating will not "jut out" as far as that of the neighboring B Too restaurant (1324 14th Street) because The Pig has a flat front onto 14th Street, as opposed to B Too's bay window.
meeting.

The sidewalk seating will operate until 10:30pm weekdays and 11:30pm weekends.

Winer was scheduled to present at the last meeting of the CDC but then didn't show up. The CDC voted to recommend opposition to Winer's sidewalk cafe permit. Winer came to the last meeting of the full ANC on November 12 prepared to present but was told he had to appear before the CDC first -- see SALM blog post of November 6.

See a summary here of the November 19 CDC meeting where this matter was discussed.

The matter will now move to the full ANC for endorsement. Matters approved unanimously by the CDC, like this one, are normally approved by the full ANC without much further debate. The next scheduled meeting of ANC2F is Wednesday, December 10, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

After that, the matter goes to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), which has authority over public space use, for final approval.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Sex Club Building Conditional Demolition Endorsement from ANC Committee

A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle voted unanimously to give conditional endorsement to a request to raze 1618 14th Street NW. For years until 2009, the building was the site of the gay sex club "Men's Parties", which was closed after a man fell to his death on premises.

1618 14th is at the corner of Corcoran (Luis Gomez Photos)
The support for the demolition of the building is "strictly contingent" on the retention of the 14th Street facade of the building, according to the resolution passed by the Community Development Committee (CDC) of ANC2F.

The request to the committee was made by the "personal attorney since 1989" of Stephen Jaffe, the owner of the building. A NBC4 report about the lawsuit by the DC government following the 2009 death says the building was owned by 1618 14th Street LLC, "a company listed at 9464 Newbridge Dr. in Potomac, Md., the home of Stephen and Pirjo Jaffe."

The case for the raze

Accompanying the attorney was Peter Neubauer of Neubauer Consulting Engineers.

The attorney began his presentation by warning the committee the discussion and vote should be about the demolition only, and not "what comes after".

The attorney and the engineer detailed recent study of the building. The building has been "fully vacated" since December 2010. An architect retained in 2011 recommended facade repairs and full interior demolition. In May 2012, an internal demolition of the building received official approval and was done. The true condition of the building was revealed. Moisture at ground level had rotted the floorboard and led to termite infestation according to Neubauer.

A June 2013 raze request met objections from ANC2F and DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). There has been some further study since then.

The building is in terrible condition and some of the walls are bowing. It is structurally unsound, Neubauer said. In order to restore the south wall facing Corcoran Street, for example, the original bricks in the wall would have to be removed individually or in groups and then replaced. Some of the wall would be lost in the process.

"The brick is failing," Neubauer said.

Three sides of the building (south, west, north) are unsound in part because the bricks are only two-deep. However, the east wall is three-deep (the usual standard). The engineer said in response to committee questioning that the east wall (facing 14th Street) was not structurally unsound.

Historic Preservation attends the meeting

The new raze request seems to have the support of HPRB, although that support is not yet official. Steve Callcott of HPRB appeared in support of the raze request, waiting patiently for over two hours while the CDC considered other matters.

Callcott said the building dates from the 1870s.

"It probably wasn't intended to last this long," he said. "It's significant for that reason. It's a nice reflection of the earliest period of the neighborhood."

However, as the structural integrity of the building is failing, the building may no longer be considered a contributing building to the 14th Street Historic District, in which it is located. 

New ANC Commissioner responds

This building is located in ANC2F district 01. Katherine Gordon was elected earlier this month to be the Commissioner for this district after running unopposed. Her term will start in January.

Gordon told the committee she had spoken to neighbors and the building has been a problem since 2001. (Jaffe bought the property in 2005.) The building owner has not listened to neighbor complaints about the condition of the building since he owned it.

"It has been demolition by neglect," Gordon said.

"I've been expecting this," the attorney replied.

Jaffe only became aware of their concerns after "the 2009 horrific event".

"The neighbors never voiced concerns." the attorney said. "My client was unaware of their concerns."

"If my client had been aware of concerns," the attorney said, "my client would have responded."

The attorney said the building owner now addressed graffiti and vermin problems "weekly".

The raze application resolution will now move to the full ANC for approval. The next meeting of ANC2F is scheduled for Wednesday, December 10, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

All requests (like this one) to demolish contributing buildings in a designated historic district must be heard by the Mayor's Agent in the DC Office of Planning.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

ANC2F Blocks Public Space Permit of "The Pig"

At its regular monthly meeting last night (November 5), Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle voted to protest the public space permit of The Pig restaurant (1320 14th Street NW).

(Luis Gomez Photos. Used by permission)
Matt Raymond, ANC2F Chair, said there was no specific objection to the public space permit -- the objection was strictly procedural. Specifically, a representative of The Pig was supposed to appear at the last meeting of ANC2F's Community Development Committee (CDC) on October 29, but no one did. Since all public space applications are supposed to be considered by the committee first, the full ANC moved to oppose the application until the CDC could hear the details of the application.

DC restauranteur David Winer, partner in the EatWellDC restaurant group (which includes The Pig), appeared at the ANC meeting in support of the application. He asked the full ANC to hear the application, but found the ANC unwilling to hear it.

If all the parties involved show up, the public space application of The Pig will probably be considered at the next scheduled meeting of the Community Development Committee, scheduled for Wednesday, November 19, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle). If the case turns out to be routine, it will most likely be on the agenda of ANC2F's next regular monthly meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, December 3, at 7pm, also at the Washington Plaza Hotel.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Astonishingly Short ANC Committee Meeting

Last night, the liquor-licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle met. It completed all its business in 12 minutes. This is the shortest ANC-related meeting I have attended.

No one from the community appeared to object to any of the liquor license renewal requests.

The most complex item concerned the Capitol Supermarket (1231 11th Street NW). The committee wanted to include an item in the establishment's settlement agreement stating that deliveries will be taken from 11th Street (i.e., the front of the supermarket) and not the rear alley. The owner said he would, except in cases where official or construction vehicles took up the parking spaces in front of the building. The committee agreed to include language to this effect.

The second item was the liquor license renewal for Whole Foods (1440 P Street).

"No one objecting to the rowdy crowds at Whole Foods?" a committee member asked in mock astonishment.

The third item was a request by Studio Theater (1501 14th Street) to change their liquor-license category from D-X to C-X. This will allow the theater to serve hard liquor, in addition to wine and beer, to patrons.

The fourth item was a liquor license renewal for Cork & Fork (1524 14th Street). No one objected to that either.

Congratulations to all involved on the short meeting.

The items above will now be considered at the next meeting of the full ANC, scheduled for Wednesday, November 5, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle). Items like those above, which pass the committee unanimously with little controversy, normally are passed by the full ANC as a slate with little or no discussion.

Monday, September 8, 2014

1415 T Street: "This Is Essentially a Pop-up"

A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle, at a meeting on September 3, heard a proposal to add an extra story on the roof of a row house at 1415 T Street NW. This was the first step on a long bureaucratic journey for the project -- after this meeting, it will be presented to the full ANC, and then to DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). After that, it will have to do the entire process over again -- first committee, then full ANC, before appearing before DC's Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).

1415 T Street
The plan is to add a penthouse and two roof decks to the top of the existing house. Architect Patrick Brian Jones told ANC2B's Zoning, Preservation and Development (ZPD) Committee called the addition a "small roof structure" and said that it would not be visible from any point on the sidewalk of T Street, because it will be set back more than 20 feet from the front of the building.

Commissioner Noah Smith (district 09) asked if the planned addition would be a condo unit. Jones said that it would be.

"This is essentially a pop up," Smith said.

"Yes," Jones said.

1415 T Street is in Smith's ANC district.

The project has a letter of support from an apartment building abutting the property to the east. This building is taller than the existing row house.

The abutting neighbors to the west are Ramon Estrada and Elwyn Ferris, who are, respectively, President of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association and Secretary of the Shaw Dupont Citizens Alliance. Both of these groups pay close attention to development in the area.

The home owner said she had sent an email to Estrada the previous week, but had heard nothing yet. In the absence of any reply, she was considering going ahead with the process.

Members of committee told the homeowner that Estrada and Ferris would almost definitely have an opinion about the plan and advised them not to proceed any further until hearing from them.

Commissioner Smith said he would recommend that the ANC support the project, because it was not visible from the sidewalk across the street and it was not out of character for the neighborhood. However, Smith's support was conditional upon the applicants providing evidence they had consulted with all the neighbors, including Estrada and Ferris, and that there were no objections.

Presenters also told the committee that the project will need to go before the BZA because the building is presently "non-conforming" (i.e., in violation of zoning code) with regard to lot occupancy, meaning the footprint of the building is larger than that envisioned by zoning regulations.

This case may be considered at the next meeting of ANC2B, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 10, at the Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Avenue).

The project needs to go before the HPRB because it is located in the U Street Historic District. The HPRB case number is 14-633. It is scheduled to be heard by the HPRB within the next month.

1415 T Street has a placard from the HPRB on its front door, notifying the public of the proposed project. This is the first time I have seen HPRB placarding in ANC2B. Read more about placarding for historical preservation projects here and here.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

UPDATED: "Average Price Points" Bar Proposed for Former Ghana Cafe Space (1336 14th Street)

UPDATED: A tweet from Jamie Hess makes it clear that the new bar will be named "Crowbar".

The prospective co-owners of a bar to be located at 1336 14th Street NW came before Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle last night (August 6) to brief on their plans. The space, between N Street and Rhode Island Avenue, is the former home of the Ghana Cafe, which closed in early June.

1336 14th Street yesterday
One of the prospective owners is Steve Zarpas, former proprietor of Crow Bar (which was located at K and 20th Streets and closed in 1998). The other is Jamie Hess, one of the operators of Ivy and Coney (which opened at 1537 7th Street in Shaw less than a year ago).

Zarpas and Hess told the ANC they were "lifelong residents" of DC. They wanted to alert the ANC and the community of their intentions before they signed a lease on the space, they said.

"We're professionals, decent honorable people," Zarpas said.

Speaking of the Ghana Cafe, Zarpas said: "Given the history of that restaurant, it's ripe for innuendos."

The Ghana Cafe was the subject of a long and contentious battle involving the ANC and a group of neighbors. The dispute led to the ANC being sued by one of the neighbors. The lawsuit is still ongoing.

Ghana Cafe had a restaurant-category liquor license, which obliges the owner to show he earned a certain percentage of revenue from food. If the new establishment wants a tavern license, they will most likely have to petition for a completely new license, instead of buying the liquor license of the Ghana Cafe.

"I'll be honest," Zarpas said. "It's definitely more of a bar."

The prospective owners told the ANC they wished to get a tavern license, but they intended to serve a full menu of "comfort food" at "average price points".

Zarpas said he was "astounded" at the $20 hamburgers routinely found at restaurants along 14th Street. He wished to open a place with more reasonable prices.


Commissioner Walt Cain (district 02) asked if they proprietors would have entertainment on the premises.

The prospective owners said their initial plan was to show sports on television. After opening, they said, they might consider renovating the basement and offering recorded music there.

James Kane, the neighbor of the former Ghana Cafe who brought the lawsuit, was present at the meeting. There was an opportunity for community comment after the presentation, and Kane asked about characterizations on the Internet that Crow Bar was a "biker bar".

Zarpas said that "biker bar" was "a mischaracterization", but it had been a hang-out for bike couriers and popular with the motorcycle enthusiasts who came to DC every Memorial Day weekend for the Rolling Thunder Rally.

"Is that a group that you are planning to target?" Commissioner Cain asked.

"We have no plans to target that community specifically," Zarpas said.

After the presentation, there was a short scheduled break in the meeting. Kane, Zarpas, and Hess had a seemingly amicable conversation in the hallway outside the meeting room.

The prospective owners did not say what name they planned for the bar. The ANC2F meeting agenda said the prospective business was named "Crowbar".

The briefing was strictly informational. There was no vote of any type taken on the proposed establishment. If the lease on the property is signed, the proprietors will have to return to the ANC for liquor-license related approval, and probably other matters as well.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

1608 14th Street: Let's Talk Again When Everybody Is Back from Vacation

On July 30, the owner of 1608 14th Street NW was out of the country, and the architect was in Florida. Instead, they sent a tenant of the building -- Sak Pollert, co-owner of Rice Restaurant -- to the meeting of a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle.

Proposed addition to go here
1608 14th Street is located in the Fourteenth Street Historic District, so any exterior modification must get the approval of DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). The owner and architect propose to put a second story on the rear of the building. The proposed addition would not be visible from 14th Street but would be visible from Q Street.

The petitions hoped to get ANC endorsement of their request, but Pollert did not have enough information to adequately answer the questions the questions of ANC2F Community Development Committee (CDC).

"Your explanation has me more confused," a committee member said at one point.

Pollert emailed drawings of the project to the committee before the meeting, and brought hard copies to the meeting. Committee members said the drawings were not detailed enough and difficult to read. The committee could not tell how the new construction might look from the street or rear alley. So, CDC Chair Walt Cain (Commissioner for district 02) said the CDC would take no action until they could hear from more knowledgeable parties. No one on the committee objected to Cain's decision.

1608 14th Street from the front
Pollert was vague about the date of the HPRB hearing on the matter. An HPRB document shows the matter was on the agenda for one of the Board's July meetings. One of these meetings was scheduled for July 24 (a week before the CDC meeting), the other was scheduled for July 31 (the day after the CDC meeting).

The committee asked about outreach to the community. Pollert said the building's owner had met with the president of a neighboring condo and also with the management of the abutting Ghibellina Restaurant (1610 14th Street). But Pollert didn't have any information on the content of the meetings.

"We have not gone through the community," he said.

Pollert reported that the purpose of the proposed addition was residential. A roof deck on the second floor was also part of the plan.

The tone was amicable. Everyone seemed to agree that Pollert was just the messenger and not responsible for the inadequacy of the presentation. Committee members seemed to think the project was likely not to be controversial and could have a favorable reception if properly presented.

Pollert was advised to tell the owner and architect to reach out to the community and come back with improved drawings.

"We need to have a back-and-forth," one committee member said.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Scoop: Dolcezza Lacks Permit for Outside Seating

A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle voted unanimously last night (July 30) to oppose an application for a public space use permit for Dolcezza Gelato (1418 14th Street NW). ANC2F's Community Development Committee (CDC) voted to oppose the application because a representative of Dolcezza Gelato failed to appear before the committee in support of the application, and because Dolcezza Gelato has been using the space without authorization since shortly after their opening on June 28.

Enjoying ice-cream in violation of public space regulations
"They're already in violation," said Commissioner Walt Cain (district 02). Cain is the Chair of the CDC.

Dolcezza Gelato's application is for two outside tables. The space is surrounded by the same black wrought-iron fence that was there when the location was an empty storefront. However, before opening, Dolcezza Gelato removed it, cleaned it, and gave it a fresh coat of paint before re-installing.

To be fair, nobody on the committee seemed to be seriously opposed to Dolcezza's use of the space. No one from the community came to the meeting to complain or otherwise comment about the use of the space. Members of the committee were just concerned about the precedent: every applicant for a public space permit should appear before the committee.

Failing belated action by Dolcezza, the recommendation of the CDC will be ratified by the full ANC at their next scheduled meeting on August 6, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

The final authority to approve or refuse public space applications lies with the Public Space Management division of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

14th Street Taylor Gourmet: Sidewalk Seating Too Ambitious

At its regular monthly meeting July 9, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle voted unanimously to recommend cutting back a request by Taylor Gourmet (1908 14th Street NW) for outdoor serving space.

Taylor Gourmet as seen from the far side of the curb cut
Taylor Gourmet asked for two sets of outdoor tables. One set would be situated on the sidewalk up against the 14th Street (i.e., front) side of the establishment. The other set would be close the curb. Pedestrians on 14th Street would walk in an aisle between the two sets of tables.

In addition, Taylor Gourmet asked to extend its hours of operation. They asked for permission to be open 10am to 10pm, Monday-Thursday, and 10am to 3:30, Saturday and Sunday.

Commissioner Noah Smith (district 09) negotiated with Taylor Gourmet, which is in his ANC district.

ANC1B agreed to endorse operating hours of 10am to 11pm, Monday-Thursday, and 10am to midnight, Saturday and Sunday.

At the meeting, Smith also said the original proposal was for tables to be situated a foot from the curb of 14th Street. No other restaurant in the area has this configuration of sidewalk space.

"If approved, it is potentially precedent-setting for the block," Smith said. He noted that other newly-opened establishments nearby, like the Wydown Coffee Bar (1924 14th Street), were considering outdoor space applications. Someone said the only restaurant in DC that has permission for the split configuration of sidewalk tables is Jaleo on 7th Street in Penn Quarter.

Smith advocated eliminating the two table (and four chairs) closest to the street for several reasons. The tables would be too close to both the street as well as a curb cut that allows cars in and out of the building now housing the next-door Trader Joe's. Diners would be in danger. Also, the tables and diners would block the sight line of the cars exiting Trader Joe's garage.

Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06) agreed with Smith.

"This areas is going to have an enormous population increase," he said. "Our responsibility is to care for the public".

During the public comment period, audience members said the proposed configuration would make it difficult for two people to walk abreast, and this type of public space configuration has not been approved for any other cafe in the area.

If the curbside tables are eliminated from the plan, Taylor Gourmet will end up with permission for only one outdoor table, with two seats, next to its front window.

The request will now go to the part of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) that deals with public space management for final adjudication.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Ghana Cafe, Catalyst of Logan Circle ANC Lawsuit, Closed

Ghana Cafe yesterday (June 8)
Ghana Cafe (1336 14th Street NW), whose liquor-license application was at the center of a recently-filed lawsuit by a local resident against Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle (see SALM blog post of June 5), has apparently closed.

Since Friday (June 6), the restaurant has been dark, complimentary newspaper reviews have been removed from the windows, and the interior furniture has been removed or overturned. There was no additional information on the restaurant's web site.

Neither side in the lawsuit wished to comment on the Ghana Cafe's closing for this story.