Shaw ANC Protest for Joe Englert Bar near Dacha Beer Garden

Long-time DC restauranteur Joe Englert got a frosty reception for his proposed new tavern, Trinity, on Tuesday, April 7. Englert appeared before Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw to ask for endorsement of a new tavern license for the proposed operation at 1606 7th Street NW, two doors up from Dacha Beer Garden at 7th and Q Streets.

Blue building center right is 1606 7th Street

Englert told the ANC the tavern would be a "barbeque concept", serving from a food truck parked on the patio behind the main building. There will be DJs inside the establishment, so Englert is seeking an entertainment endorsement on his liquor license.

According a Notice of Public Hearing by DC's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA), available here, Trinity will have a "[f]ull menu with ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and salads". It will have an inside capacity of 199 and outdoor space with capacity of 68. Trinity seeks to keep the interior portion of its operation open until 1:45am Sunday - Thursday, and 2:45am Friday and Saturday. The exterior portion would be allowed to stay open until 2am seven days a week, according to the application, but liquor service outside would end before midnight Sunday to Thursday, and just before 2am weekends.  Live entertainment would be permitted until 10pm, seven days a week.

Back-to-back with people's homes

1606 7th Street is back-to-back with a series of row houses that face 8th Street. They would be separated from Trinity's outside service by a narrow alley. ANC6E Commissioner Alex Padro (district 01) noted "significant concern" from these neighbors. The proposed tavern would be in Padro's district.

"We have families that live 10 feet from the back" of the proposed establishment, Padro said.

"The inside part, I welcome. It's the outside part that bothers me," one neighbor said.

"You need to make choices about what this is going to be," the same neighbor said.

"For us, it's a quality of life issue," said a representative of the Central Shaw Neighborhood Association. "Outdoor residential drinking space is a non-starter for some neighbors."

"We do largely welcome development in the neighborhood," she added.

Slightly odd ANC conversation

The conversation took some strange turns. Commissioner Rachelle Nigro (district 04) asked, if this application failed, and the next applicant wanted to open a "titty bar", would the neighbors object to that also? Nigro said that the neighbors could not "pick and choose" what type of businesses they liked in the neighborhood.

Other Commissioners openly disagreed.

Commissioner Kevin Chapple (district 02) said: "I can completely sympathize. You have a right to pick and choose."

Commissioner Frank Wiggins (district 03) also expressed solidarity: "I hear the cry of the neighbors."

Padro said he had served on ANCs for 15 years, and had never protested a liquor license. In this case, however, Padro (also chair of ANC6E's liquor-licensing affairs committee) said talks with Englert about the establishment and "what were the deal breakers" yielded no satisfactory conclusion.

The 800-pound gorilla in the room was the nearby Dacha Beer Garden (1600 7th Street). This establishment was mentioned in connection with the noise issue several times. When a speaker did so, the speaker usually felt it necessary to acknowledge the present applicant was not the Dacha Beer Garden, and any complaints about the behavior of the patrons of the Dacha Beer had no bearing on this application. Yet Dacha Beer Garden still seemed to be on everybody's mind.

Padro said when Dacha applied for a liquor license, they claimed their capacity was 129, but often "in reality" there were 400 people there.

"The noise is unbearable," Padro said.

Nigro noted some neighbors who had been before the ANC in support of Dacha a few years ago were now emailing and appearing against this bar's liquor license application.

Englert was present during the discussion but did not speak very often. He mentioned there was "many ways to attack noise", but he did not make any specific suggestions or promises.

Vote and next steps

The ANC voted to protest the liquor license application. The vote to protest was five to one -- the dissenting vote was from ANC6E Chair Marge Maceda (Commissioner for district 05).

The petition of protest by the ANC (and the neighbors, if they choose to act separately) have to be filed by April 27. Trinity's next scheduled ABRA hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 11, at ABRA's offices on the 4th floor of the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets).

Englert has opened over a dozen bars in the District. He is perhaps best known for many establishments on H Street NE, including The Rock and Roll Hotel and H Street Country Club. Englert operations in the Shaw/U Street area include DC9 and the now-closed State of the Union.

Read a 2012 Washingtonian magazine portrait of Englert here, which includes (near the end) some information about Englert's relations with ANCs on H Street NE.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

Shaw Restaurant Wants Public Space, ANC Wants Security Cameras

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw endorsed a request for 50 seats of sidewalk seating for the Shaw branch of Beau Thai restaurant (550 7th Street NW, at the corner of P Street) at its regular monthly meeting on March 2. However, it included the stipulation that Beau Thai should install outdoor security cameras -- apparently not part of Beau Thai's plan or request.

Interior of Beau Thai Shaw (photo credit below)

Andrew Klein of Veritas Law Firm represented Beau Thai. He told ANC6E the request was for 750 square feet of unfenced sidewalk space with umbrellas. It is located on the P Street side of the mixed-use building where Beau Thai is located, between 7th Street and an alley. The space will close at 11am Sunday to Thursday evenings and midnight Fridays and Saturdays. Tables will be brought inside or secured once outdoor seating hours have passed.

The normal DC requirement for urban sidewalks is a ten-foot gap for pedestrians to pass between the edge of sidewalk space and the nearest obstruction -- in this case, a sidewalk tree box. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has the discretion to reduce it to as much as six feet.

In this case, Klein said: "We'll be asking them to reduce it to nine."

Klein told the ANC they had already received the necessary separate permission from DC's liquor licensing authorities to serve alcohol outdoors.

A Commissioner brought up the possibility of installing outdoor security camera, sighting the May 2013 case of a man to robbed two people sitting at the sidewalk patio of Pizzoli's Pizzeria (1418 12th Street NW) in Logan Circle. The establishments outdoor security camera caught the robbery, which led to the arrest and convicting of the hold-up man -- see SALM blog post of September 23, 2013.

"I'm sure [the owner] will consider it," Klein said.

The Commissioner said such camera were not expensive.

"Yes, they're only like about $200 apiece," said ANC6E chair Marge Maceda (Commissioner for district 05).

Commissioner Alexander Padro (district 01) made the motion to endorse the outdoor space request with the provision that security cameras be installed. The motion was approved unanimously, with two abstentions.

Beau Thai Shaw is in Padro's ANC district.

The initial liquor license for the Shaw branch of Beau Thai was the subject of an SALM blog post of September 18, 2014.

(Photo credit: the blog BadWolfDC. Used by permission.)

Stipulated Liquor License Recommended for Calabash Tea & Tonic in Shaw

Sunyatta Amen, a self-described "fifth-generation herbalist" and local TV and radio personality, appeared before the liquor-licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street on February 18. She asked for a stipulated liquor license for a soon-to-open Shaw branch of her five-year-old Takoma vegan tea room, Calabash Tea & Tonic.

From website of Calabash Tea & Tonic

The address will be 1847 7th Street NW.

Amen told the committee she intended to serve "low alcoholic kombucha", cherry liqueur, and dandelion wine. She also said the shop might have some products from nearby Right Proper Brewing (624 T Street) but the shop would serve "primarily tea". The establishment may seek an endorsement on its license that will allow tastings, but it will not seek a live entertainment endorsement, nor will it have any type of outside seating. Its planned hours of operation are 8am to 11pm.

"It's not like we're a bar," she said. Nevertheless, the establishment is seeking a category CT license, also known as a "tavern license". These are more expensive than licenses often sought by restaurants ("CR"), but the holder is not obligated to demonstrate that a certain amount of its revenue come from sales of non-alcoholic items.

Amen said the establishment planned to open "maybe in three weeks".

Amen is a self-described "natural health advocate" who has a radio program on Monday afternoons on WPFW. She has appeared on many occasions on Fox 5 News doing demonstrations of healthy cooking, teas, and herbal remedies.

On her Fox 5 appearances, on her YouTube videos, and elsewhere online, she is sometimes referred to as "Dr. Sunyatta Amen".

The committee voted unanimously to grant the establishment a stipulated liquor license, which will allow it to serve alcohol while its paperwork for a permanent DC liquor license is processed, assuming that no other objecting parties appear. The chair of the committee did not vote on the matter, in accordance with ANC1B's new bylaws.

The matter will probably be considered by the full ANC at its next regularly-scheduled meeting, to be hear on Thursday, March 5, at 7pm, at a location to be determined.

ANCs have to authority to grant stipulated liquor licenses to allow establishments to get up and running. However, the potential licensees must make a separate application to the ANC and DC liquor-licensing authorities for a permanent liquor license, so the committee will probably see Amen again soon.

Beau Thai Liquor License: How Early is Too Early?

At its regular monthly meeting September 1, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6E/Shaw voted to endorse the application for a liquor license for the new branch of Beau Thai. The restaurant will be located in the new Jefferson MarketPlace development at 1550 7th Street NW. It is moving from its current location at 1700 New Jersey Avenue NW, at R Street, also in Shaw.

Beau Thai's future home earlier this year (photo credit below)

Steven Whalen of Veritas Law Firm presented for the management of Beau Thai. Whalen said the restaurant will have 99 seats and a total occupancy of 120. There will be a 24-seat outdoor cafe.

Beau Thai will be located in ANC6E district 01. ANC6E Chair Alexander Padro is the Commissioner for that district. Representing the ANC, Padro and Beau Thai have signed a "settlement agreement", which at the time of the meeting was pending approval by DC liquor-licensing authorities. Padro characterized the agreement as "standard".

As a result, the permitted operating hours of the new restaurant will be the same or similar to its neighbors. For example, the outside patio will normally open at 11am. It will stay open until 10:30pm weekdays, and until 11pm weekends. There will be no live music. The inside hours of operation will be the maximum normally allowed by DC law, that is, until 2am weekdays and 3am weekends.

The settlement agreement also allows alcohol consumption at 8am. A neighbor noted this detail at the meeting. She had observed it on the mandatory liquor licensing placard on the future site of the restaurant.

She called this "much, much too early in the a.m."

"If we don't have enough alcoholics, we will have enough alcoholics," she said. "That's like an invitation."

There followed a long discussion in which the neighbor attempted unsuccessfully to get the morning hours reduced. Whalen repeated there was no intention to serve alcohol early in the morning on a regular basis, but the restaurant wished to leave its options open in case it decided, for example, to serve brunch.

Commissioner Rachelle Nigro (district 04) asked if it was possible to amend the signed agreement so that liquor service could not start until 10:30 or 11am, "whenever normal lunchtime is". Whalen and Padro were dead-set against it.

"We already have an agreement negotiated. I would not support any changes to it," Padro said.

Nigro said there was a "neighborhood concern" about the hours.

Padro said one person (i.e., the person protesting at the meeting) "was not a neighborhood concern".

"I'm not the only person who's concerned about this," the neighbor said.

Padro directed the neighbor to bring up her concern at the ABRA hearing about the liquor license. The neighbor promised to do so.

Nigro recommended that the neighbor sit down with the restaurant owner first.

The neighbor said she would "follow through on that".

The vote on Padro's motion to endorse the liquor license request was 5 to 2. The two "no" votes were Commissioners Frank Wiggins (district 03) and Marge Maceda (district 05).

ANC6E records its meeting in their entirety and posts them in half-hour chunks on its YouTube channel. One of the half-hour chunks (part two of five) -- during which part of the discussion above took place -- was missing when I last looked. However, most of the discussion above can be viewed on part three of five, starting at the beginning of the video, here.

See previous coverage of the Beau Thai's infra-Shaw move from the blogs BadWolf DC here and Popville here.

Beau Thai has another branch in Mount Pleasant.

(Photo credit: BadWolf DC. Used by permission.)

What's the Deal with the Census Forms in the Mail?

Tens of thousands of DC and Maryland homes have received or soon will receive an envelope in their mailboxes marked "Your response is required by law". That's because the part of DC west of 7th Street NW, plus much of Montgomery County, Maryland, has been chosen as the venue to test new technology in preparation for the 2020 Census.

The orange dotted line shows the area to be surveyed

"It's the only area of the country that's actually doing an actual census," Al Millikan of US Census Bureau told Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)  6E/Shaw on June 3.

At the ANC6E meeting on June 3, Al Millikan of the US Census Bureau appeared to announce the availability of temporary jobs, full or part time, of several months' duration, paying $17 an hour or more. He said that DC west of 7th Street, starting at New York and Pennsylvania Avenues in the South and extending all the way north to the city line, was being surveyed.

"There's going to be use of technologies -- I-phones, GPS -- that really haven't been used in the past census," Millikan said.

"In 2020, there might be a possibility of people able to fill their Census forms online," he also said.

Census employees would start being sent out about July 10 to contact people who had not responded on-line to the survey before July 1, Millikan said.

Millikan could not answer several questions ANC Commissioners had. For example, he failed to answer, twice, the same question from two Commissioners: Is participation mandatory?

"Everyone is expected to respond to the Census," was the closest he got to an answer.

Nor was Millikan particularly clear in response to a question about how the US Census Bureau was going to get the word out about the Census test, or about how Census enumerators will arrange to get access to high-rise buildings.

Millikan remarked that hiring preference was given to people who lived in the Census area. Someone asked Millikan, twice, if this meant that applicants from DC's three other quadrants were not eligible for Census jobs. After the second attempt, Millikan mentioned that he had interviewed people from Northeast and Southeast for jobs. While this did not directly answer the question, it seemed to indicate that all four quadrants were welcome.

The welcome screen of the census test

I received a notification from the Census in the mail and have just finished participating. It takes about 15 minutes.

My suggested improvement: To respond, you have to type in a URL from a piece of paper. The census bureau could provide an alternate shorter address formed with the help of a URL-shortener.

See a press release about the 2014 field test for the 2020 Census here. The field test also has a web page here.

ANC6E has a Youtube Channel, on which they post meetings in their entirety. See Millikan's appearance by clicking on this link and starting at time 9:00.

ANC6E is having its July meeting tomorrow night, July 1, at 6:30pm, at the Northwest One Library (155 L Street NW). See the agenda here. ANC6E will have its next regularly scheduled meeting in September.

Long-Delayed Federal Money Funds 7th Street Repaving, Sidewalk Upgrade, New Bike Racks

At its regular monthly meeting May 6, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw heard that the 7th Street NW corridor is about to be given a facelift with federal government money. If all goes as planned, streets will be repaved, street lighting will be given a elegant new look, sidewalks will be uniform, and bike racks will be installed on every block of 7th Street between N and Florida Avenue.

Coming soon on 7th Street

ANC6E Chair Alexander Padro (Commissioner for district 01) recalled that the project, which will cover the 1300 to 1700 blocks on 7th Street, has been in development for "the better part of a decade" and had been repeatedly delayed by "a number of missteps".

The project was originally part of the Howard Theatre renovation project, but it was detached so that the portion of the project near the Howard Theatre could go ahead using money from the D.C. budget. The Howard Theatre project was finished in 2012.

DDOT presentation

Richard Kenney and Adil Rizvi, program managers at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), told the ANC that 7th Street will be resurfaced and renovated. But don't call the project a "resurfacing project".

"That's kind of misleading because we're including building-face-to-building-face streetscape improvements," Rizvi said.

Kenney and Rizvi told ANC6E the project would, in addition to road resurfacing, include street light and traffic signal upgrades, sidewalk replacement, the addition of green infrastructure, improvements to wheelchair ramps to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), and other changes.

The work will start in "late summer to early fall" and will continue for nine to twelve months, "weather permitting". Work will be done from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday. There will be some Saturday work, but no Sunday work. The DDOT presenters said all blockage of traffic and detours would take place outside of rush hours.

The project will work to make the sidewalks uniform. Right now, there is a patchwork of brick and concrete, some of which is deteriorating, making the sidewalks unsafe. The sidewalks will be uniformly concrete. The areas around the trees will be given a uniform look as well, with low ornamental rails on three sides. DDOT assured the committee the ornamental rails will be well anchored and will not come up or fall over by themselves. However, these rails cannot withstand the impact of a vehicle.

Cobble pavers are green infrastructure

The tree space will also be given a uniform look, with cobble pavers to each side of the tree (see photo). These cobble pavers catch storm water and allow natural filtration to take place, which captures pollutants before they can become part of the storm water runoff.

Bike racks for all

The DDOT presenters asked for ANC and public opinion on bike racks. Members of the public spoke strongly in favor. Commissioner Padro said he had asked for bike racks along 7th Street many times but was told they should wait for the long-delayed repaving project.

"It seems like the biggest comment we have for you is: We certainly do want to see bike racks installed," Padro said. "A number of businesses have requested them."

Padro volunteered to walk the route of the project along with Shaw resident and Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) Vice-President Michael Moulton to suggest placement of the bike racks. Moulton was present at the meeting and advocated for bike racks as part of the project.

ANC6E voted unanimously to support the project and recommend bike racks be installed on every block.

About 2/3rds of the area of the renovation falls with the borders of ANC6E. The other third is in ANC 1B/U Street.

ANC6E videos its meetings and posts them, in their entirety, on their Youtube channel. This discussion can be viewed on video number 00047 here, starting at time 11:05.

(Photo credits: details from hard copies of the DDOT presentation to ANC6E)

CORRECTED: T Street Bike Lane in Shaw to Become a Trench for the Summer

CORRECTION: Ben Klemens emails that the bike lane will be a trench for "four to six weeks", and NOT months as I reported. Apologies for the error.

Ben Klemens, Chair of the Transportation Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street, told the ANC on May 1 travel along the T Street bicycle lane in Shaw will be disrupted for four to six weeks several months. The disruption should start in May or June, and last four to six months.

T Street between 7th and 11th Streets will receive a set of more elegant-looking street lights from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) -- see SALM blog post of April 28. DDOT officials told the Transportation Committee about the project at the Committee's meeting of April 16. At that time, the officials said that's as part of the project, they'd need to dig a trench, in sections, along one side of the road. A committee member asked if the trench would be on the side of T Street with the bike lane, or the other side. DDOT promised to check and get back to the committee with the information.

On May 1, Klemens told ANC1B the trench would go "right down the bike lane", according to DDOT. When crews were not working in the trench, Klemens said, they would cover them with sleet plates. It was agreed that this was not the optimum arrangement for bicyclists, especially when it rains.

When the project is finished DDOT will install manhole covers and resurface T Street.

At the same time, DDOT will also be working on the neighboring sidewalks, so using them as an alternate route may not be an option.

The next meeting of ANC1B's Transportation Committee is scheduled for 7pm on May 15th at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street NW).

T Street: New Streetlights from 7th to 11th Streets

T Street NW between 7th and 11th Streets will get more elegant-looking street lights soon. The Transportation Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Committee (ANC) 1B/U Street heard about the project at its April 16 meeting.

Out with these

In with these

Representatives of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) told the Transportation Committee the design phase of the project is 95 percent complete. The all of the 11 existing 400-watt "cobra-head" street lights (right) will be replaced. Ten new street lights of the same design will be added. The new 100-watt street lights will have a retro look (see example left), with a vase-shaped glass lamp on a column.

"They'll look really great," a DDOT representative said.

Work along T Street will start in May or June and take 4 to 6 months. DDOT will have to dig a trench and eventually resurface the entire stretch of road. The trench will be dug along one side of the street, section by section. Steel plates will be put over the trenches when work is not in progress. When the work is in progress, there will be no room for parked cars. After completion, there will be dedicated manholes on T Street for the street lights.

"Is this going to interrupt traffic?" a committee member asked.

"Every project is going to interrupt traffic," the DDOT representative replied.

T Street has a bike lane.  Members of the committee asked if the trench was going to be dug on the side of the street with the bike lane. The DDOT representatives were not sure and promised to get back to the committee with the information.

ANC1B Commissioner Ricardo Reinoso (district 05) asked if the residents had been informed.

DDOT representatives said they were using email, ANC meetings, and postal mail to inform residents in the affected area.

A flyer distributed by DDOT at the meeting promised sidewalk repair along T Street will be coordinated to coincide with the work on the new street lights.

The old "cobra-head" street lights will be retained by DDOT and used elsewhere as needed.

Representatives of DDOT may be back to present to the full ANC at their next monthly meeting. This is scheduled to take place Thursday, May 1, at 7pm, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets).

(Photo credit: left - from DDOT brochure distributed at the April 16 meeting, right - Google Street View of 900 block of T Street)

ANC6E Endorses Longer Opening Hours for Dacha Beer Garden

At its regular monthly meeting on April 1, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw endorsed longer opening hours for Dacha Beer Garden (1600 7th Street NW).

This mural presides over Dacha Beer Garden.

Dacha Beer Garden sought three changes to its settlement agreement with ANC6E. Specifically, it wanted the ANC to

• remove restrictions on opening hours
• allow the Beer Garden to close later (i.e., have weekend hours) on the Sunday evenings of three-day weekends and the days before holidays like Fourth of July
• allow music to be played outside

Of these, ANC6E voted to endorse the first two suggested changes only. (Outside music was vetoed.) The endorsed changes will now go D.C.'s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board for final approval. 

The motion to endorse the first two changes was made by ANC6E Chair Alexander Padro (Commissioner for district 01). Dacha Beer Garden is in his ANC district. The local civic association had no objections, according to Padro.

"The neighbors had absolutely no objections," Padro also said.

But some Commissioners were not so enthusiastic. If restrictions on opening hours were completely removed, Dacha Beer Garden would legally be allowed to start serving alcohol at 7am. A few Commissioners worried there would be early-morning drinking.

Dmitri Chekaldin, co-owner of the Dacha Beer Garden, told the ANC repeatedly he had no intention of serving liquor so early.

"We're not going to open the beer garden before noon," he said. "We're going to open in the afternoon."

So why, he was asked, was he seeking permission to open at 7am?

Chekaldin explained his eventual plan to build a structure on the site. (The beer garden is currently open to the elements.) Once the structure is built, the plan is to open at 7 and sell coffee in the morning, while continuing to operate as liquor-serving establishment in the afternoons and evenings. Chekaldin did not want to have to come back again to seek separate permission to open at 7am.

Some Commissioners were not convinced of the wisdom of granting 7am opening right away. In the end, there was a roll call vote. The motion to endorse Dacha Beer Garden's request for longer hours passed by a vote of 4 - 2.

Commissioners voting to support the request: Padro, Kevin Chapple (district 02), Marge Maceda (05), and Alfreda Judd (07).

Commissioners voting against: Frank Wiggins (03) and Rachelle Nigro (04)

Liquor-serving establishments often enter into settlement agreements with local ANCs and other parties as a condition of their liquor license. These agreements often dictate the hours an establishment can stay open, use of public space like sidewalks, method and frequency of vermin control, operation of valet parking, and other details of licensee operation that can have an impact on the neighborhood.

(Photo credit: flickr.com)

ANC Crime Statements on the Increase?

Following the apparent success of a initiative by Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle, the use of ANC-drafted community impact statements may be on the rise, with the US Attorney's office asking another ANC this week to make statements on three other cases.

Community impact statements are filed by ANCs and detail the effects of a convicted criminal's activity on the community and urge that the criminal receive a stringent sentence.

Dupont smash-and-grab man gets three years with ANC help

A report on the website of ANC2B Commissioner Kishan Putta (district 04) states that Gregory Teal, a man arrested over 40 times for theft from automobiles, has been sentenced to three years in prison. The sentencing occurred after ANC2B filed a community impact statement requesting Teal receive a sentence of 2 - 3 years. Previously, Teal had never received prison sentences of more than 90 days.

Lanier addresses ANC2F October 2

Putta reports he received thanks from DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

"This is a prime example how well we do when we work as a team," Lanier wrote.

Assistant Chief of Police Cathy Diane Groomes wrote to credit the ANC's statement for the unusually long sentence.

"[W]e are so happy that community came out to support this effort … truly it resulted in the sentence issued," Groomes wrote in an email.

See the October 21 SALM blog post for more on the Teal case and the ANC statement.

Logan Circle ANC asked to weigh in on three cases

At its regular monthly meeting November 6, ANC 2F/Logan Circle voted unanimously to file community impact statements in three separate cases of local crime. The statements were requested by Roger Kemp, a community prosector at the US Attorney's office. Kemp sat through a long meeting about other matters before he had the opportunity to request the ANC's assistance.

The first case Kemp mentioned is that of Jahlani Brown, 21, who pled guilty to first-degree sexual abuse on October 25. The incident took place at the Lincoln Westmoreland Apartments (1730 7th Street NW), just north of the Shaw metro station.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice:

According to the government’s evidence, on Sept. 17, 2013, at about 9 a.m., the victim reported to her office in the Shaw area of Northwest Washington and began preparing for her workday.  Brown, who was captured on video surveillance, entered the office and locked the door. He sexually assaulted, threatened, and robbed the victim before leaving the office.

Following the attack, the police released screenshots of Brown from the video surveillance footage. He was arrested two days later and was not released.

Brown will be sentenced on January 10, 2014, and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

The second case involves Carlito Bailey and Rickey Watkins, both 22, who were convicted on October 11 of aggravated assault, assault with a dangerous weapon, and related firearms offenses, after a jury trial in D.C. Superior Court.
From a U.S. Department of Justice press release:

Johnson Avenue and R Street (photo credit below)

According to the government’s evidence, on the night of May 5, 2012, Bailey, Watkins, and a third unidentified shooter traveled to Northwest Washington armed with firearms.  The three men approached the intersection of Johnson Avenue and R Street NW, where they opened fire, shooting at least ten bullets into a block crowded with adults and children gathered to celebrate a birthday party.  One of the adults was shot several times in the legs. After firing the shots, the men fled on Johnson Avenue.

Bailey and Watkins were apprehended approximately 24 minutes after the shooting in a car with two firearms. One of the firearms was a ballistics match to six shell casings and a bullet from the crime scene, and a swab from the slide of that weapon yielded DNA that matched the DNA profile of Bailey.  Cell site data placed Watkins at the scene of the shooting.

Read another report about the incident here.

Bailey and Watkins are scheduled to be sentenced on December 10, 2013, by D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert I. Ritcher.

The third case is that of Gregory A. Cole. ANC2F Commissioner Peter Lallas (district 01) said at the meeting he had specificially requested this case be put on the agenda. Lallas described Cole as a crack dealer who operated on 14th Street, especially around R Street. This area is in Lallas's ANC district.

ANC2F's Crime and Public Safety Committee will draft the statements.

The full ANC is next scheduled to meet on December 4, 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

There is a good explanation of community impact statements about half-way down this page from the US Attorney's Office.

(Photo credit: Borderstan, used by permission)

ANC6E Supports Liquor License for Ivy and Coney

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw voted to support a request for a Class "C" Tavern license for Ivy and Coney (1537 7th Street NW) at its regular monthly meeting on September 4.

1537 7th Street NW

Commissioner Alexander Padro (district 01), head of the ANC6E liquor licensing affairs committee, reported the applicants have experience running liquor-serving establishments and there were no anticipated negative impacts on the peace, order, and quiet of the neighborhood.

Applicants are already the proprietors of the Kangaroo Boxing Club, a barbecue restaurant and bar in Columbia Heights.

A prospective proprietor, testifying before the committee, said the bar will be "a Midwestern themed sports bar, DC friendly". He also said the partners in the venture were exploring the possibility of opening a covered deck in the rear of the building.

Asked to explain the name, the proprietor said "ivy" stood for the ivy covering the walls at Wrigley Field in Chicago. "Coney" was for the "famous Coney Island hot dogs of Detroit" which are a favorite of one of the partners. After some laughter, a Commissioner asked if the proprietor was aware that Coney Island hot dogs came from Coney Island in New York City. The proprietor said he was aware and his business partner could never adequately explain why Detroit's favorite hot dog was named after a place in Brooklyn.

The ANC voted unanimously with one abstention to support the request.

It is now up to DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board to make the final decision. According to a notice on the door of 1537 7th Street, there will be a hearing on the application on October 15.

1537 7th Street is less than a block from the soon-to-open City Market at O.

7th & R: 105 Apartments + Retail, 40 Parking Spaces

Shaw 42 Developers told Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw about plans for a proposed multi-story building to be erected on the corner of 7th and R Streets, NW. The building will be near the corner of Rhode Island Avenue and across the street from Shaw/Howard University Metro station.

Artist's rendition of the proposed building

The empty site now

The presentation by Marullus Williams took place at ANC6E's regular monthly meeting on September 4. Williams said construction was planned to start in 2015 and conclude in 2017.

Parking always an issue

The planned building will have 105 rental units and retail space, and 40 parking spaces for both purposes. The developers have not decided how many spaces will be allocated for residents, and how many for retail, Williams said.

The presentation led to a debate about the appropriate number of parking spaces for the neighborhood, given the changing demographics of the neighborhood and the current shortage of spaces. Commissioners and member of the public made statements on both sides of the parking issue. Some urged more parking in the development. Others advocated making this new development near Metro less car-centered.

"Being close to a metro station will not alleviate parking problems," said Commissioner Kevin Chapple (district 02).

ANC6E then voted to recommend to Victor L. Hoskins, DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development, that the Parcel 42 development have at least two levels of parking. No specific number of parking spaces were recommended. The vote was 5-1. Commissioner Marge Maceda (05) voted against the resolution.

Affordable housing

The building will be only rental units -- no condos.

Of the proposed 105 units, 21 will be designated as affordable housing. Fourteen units will be priced as to be affordable to those at 50 percent of Average Area Median Income (AMI). Four will be priced for those at 30 40 percent of AMI. Three units will be priced for those at 20 30 percent of AMI.

Recent census statistics state that AMI overall in the District of Columbia is $75,807.

[NOTE: See comment below for an explanation of Area Median Income and what it would mean for the cost of apartments in this building. Thanks to commenter for setting me straight.]

There was no discussion of exactly how much an apartment might rent for, or about the cost of parking spaces.

The average unit size will be 700 square feet. Two bedroom units will be 1000 square feet. The building will be divided nearly equally between efficiency, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom rental apartments, according to Williams.

This piece of land, called "Parcel 42", was the site of a long-term protest about affordable housing in the summer of 2010, described here and here. 

Retail

Two retail operations have been chosen for the development.

One is Old City Farm and Guild, a garden store currently operating at 925 Rhode Island Avenue. Old City Farm and Guild will also move and do business on the land while the planning process is in progress.

The other is NURISH, described as "a restaurant and culinary entrepreneurship incubator". The operation will have an educational function for those who wish to enter the retail food industry. The developers have not decided how many seats the restaurant portion of the establishment will have, or the amount of free or paid parking.

Design

The architect will be Sasha Rosen of Georgetown-based R2L Architects. Rosen has recently attracted attention as the architect behind the restoration and development of the Wonder Bread building on the 600 block of S Street in Shaw.

Bernard Demczuk, African-American studies expert and Assistant Vice President for District Relations at George Washington University, made an enthusiastic presentation about the work he is doing on the project. Demczuk described his vision of the building's lobby, which will also function as a map and museum of the 7th Street corridor and its contribution to local African-American and Jewish history.

ANC6E to Giant: More Security or No Liquor License

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw told Giant Food that it must increase security when it re-opens on the site of City Market at O later this year.

ANC6E meeting in progress

Representatives of Giant Food appeared before the ANC last night (Wednesday, September 4) at ANC6E's monthly meeting, held at the Watha T. Daniel Library (1630 7th Street NW).

They asked for support for a request to regain their two liquor licenses, which were put into safekeeping when the old Giant supermarket on the same spot closed. The ANC twice voted unanimously to support the restoration of the liquor licenses, but in each case with the stipulation that Giant must provide security far in excess of that currently planned by the supermarket.

Beer and wine on shelves

One liquor license is Class B -- covering beer and wine sold in the supermarket for home consumption.

The ANC voted to support releasing the class B license from safekeeping on the condition that Giant have a minimum of three security guards on premises at all time. In their presentation to the ANC, Giant said that they planned to have one.

Commissioner Alexander Padro (district 01), head of the ANC liquor licensing affairs committee, said that one security guard for a projected 7300 square foot supermarket "doesn't seem right."

"We have concerns that you are not prepared," Padro added. 

Representatives of Giant cited the prohibitive cost of two more around-the-clock security guard. It would drastically reduce the site's projected profit margin, which is already razor-thin.

The cafe

The other license is Class D -- for a proposed Giant-run 40-50 seat cafe at the corner of 7th and O Streets.

As planned, the cafe would have two doors onto the street -- one opening onto O Street, the other opening onto Seventh. In addition, there would be a door between the cafe and the supermarket. Padro feared the possibility of grab-and-run robberies in and through the cafe.

The ANC voted to support releasing the class D license with the stipulation either that the two doors to the street would be equipped with "panic bars" and only open in case of emergency, or that there be two armed security guards, one at one of the street entrances and the other at the door between the cafe and the supermarket.

Some facts and figures about the Giant at City Market at O

The target date for re-opening is November 8th, but the opening "could slip to the end of the year," Steve O'Brien, a lawyer for Giant, told the committee.

Hiring will start in October, with a projected staff of 230. The old Giant on the same spot had 100 employees.

There will be at least 50 people on every shift.

There will be 110 parking spaces for customers.

There are 40 indoor and five outdoor cameras planned. Security footage will be saved for 180 days.

The store will be open 24/7.

Midcity ANC Meetings: September 3 - 5, 2013

Tuesday, September 3

7pm: ANC1B Town Hall meeting on standardized draft liquor licensing standards. How late should licensees be allowed to stay open? How many people must protest a licensee before the ANC must take action? How should outdoor spaces be handled? Reeves Center, 14th and U Streets NW.

7pm: ANC2B Zoning, Preservation, and Development Committee. The meeting will be held at Nine Dupont Circle, a small building facing the circle between Massachusetts Avenue and P Street.

Wednesday, September 4

POSTPONED due to Rosh Hashanah holiday: ANC2F monthly meeting. Meeting rescheduled to Monday, September 9, 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel, 10 Thomas Circle.

6:30pm: ANC6E monthly meeting, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street. Items on the agenda include a report on local police enforcement, a liquor license request for the soon-to-open Giant Supermarket on 7th Street, and perimeter security cameras for City Market at O. 

Thursday, September 5

7pm: ANC1B monthly meeting at Reeves Center, 14th and U Streets. Items on the agenda include the development at 14th Street and Wallach Place, the request for a liquor license modification by the Black Cat nightclub, and draft liquor licensing standards.