City Paper Widget

Showing posts with label S Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label S Street. Show all posts

Thursday, March 12, 2015

U Street ANC Asks Attorney General Opinion on Liquor License for Shared Office Space

At its regular monthly meeting March 10, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street voted unanimously to ask the the office of the DC Attorney General to weight in on the matter of the requirement of a liquor license for DC branch of WeWork, located in the Wonder Bread Factory (641 S Street NW) in Shaw. This may set a precedent for all shared office space establishments in DC.

Wonder Bread Factory in 2013
"This is actually a very important issue to tackle," said ANC1B Chair James Turner (Commissioner for district 09).

DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board has reviewed the case and issued a temporary liquor license to WeWork, according to page six of this March 4 document. This would allow WeWork to continue its practice of supplying beer free of extra charge to the tenants of its shared workspace for tech start-ups.   The ABC Board is presumably considering the issuance of a long-term Class C multi-purpose facility liquor license, which normally might cost around $2000 and be valid until March 2016.

WeWork, a multi-national company specializing in shared office space, had been providing a common refrigerator stocked with beer, as well as non-alcoholic beverages, to clients at its three DC locations until it was visited by the enforcement branch of DC's liquor-licensing authorities -- see SALM blog post here. While WeWork will probably not have difficulty getting a liquor license, the ANC brought up the possibility that WeWork doesn't actually need a liquor license as long as meets certain basic requirements -- similar to the 2014 case of a U Street art gallery reported here.

ANC1B voted to send a letter to the ABC Board supporting the contention that WeWork did not need a license. However, it was reported at the meeting that the ABC Board found aginst WeWork, meaning, WeWork is required to get a liquor license. This decision sets a precedent for all providers of shared office space in the district.

In addition, Commissioner Brian Footer (district 01) said: "It doesn't make sense."

Commissioners also reported advocates for WeWork had been given bad advice and had "made a poor argument during the basic finding hearing" at the ABC Board.

The DC Attorney General's office is not obligated to agree with ANC opinion, of course, but it is obligated to respond to a letter from the ANC.

In addition to the Wonder Bread Factory location, WeWork also has branches in Dupont Circle (1875 Connecticut Avenue) and Chinatown (718 7th Street).

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Who Can Serve Alcohol in DC without a Liquor License?

DC's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) decided on January 21 to schedule a hearing on the issue of whether WeWork is required to obtain a liquor license, according to a January 26 email from Jessie Cornelius, an ABRA Public Affairs Specialist. A date for the hearing has not been scheduled.

Detail from last year's letter to the Hamiltonian Gallery
WeWork, which located in the Wonder Bread Factory (641 S Street NW) in Shaw, is a multi-city company that provides office space for start-ups and small companies. It provides beer free of charge to its tenants, along with water, coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

In a separate SALM post today, it was reported, on the same day as the ABRA decision, WeWork got the endorsement of the liquor-licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street for both a temporary liquor license (effective sooner) and a permanent liquor license (takes a while to obtain).

A team of representatives from WeWork explained the events which had led to their appearance before the committee. In an effort to comply with the law after a visit by ABRA enforcement staff, WeWork applied for a category CX liquor license. A CX liquor license, according to the ABRA web site, "[p]ermits multipurpose facilities including theaters, museums, sports facilities, passenger-carrying ships and trains to sell and serve beer, wine and spirits." This category license would cost $1,950 and expire on March 30, 2016. It was reported at the meeting that ABRA then told WeWork it would need a category CT, or tavern, license, which could cost up to $3,120 and expire on September 30, 2016.

Committee member Joan Sterling suggested a liquor license was not necessary. (Sterling is also President of the Shaw Dupont Citizens Alliance.) Sterling said there was new liquor-license-related rulemaking in the works which would make clear that businesses in this circumstance do not need a liquor license.

Sterling also said a similar set of circumstances existed last year when the Hamiltonian Gallery (1353 U Street) was visited by ABRA staff who informed the Hamiltonian it would need a liquor license to serve complimentary glasses of wine and beer at receptions that occurred once every six weeks -- see SALM blog post of July 22, 2014.

ABRA, Sterling said, decided that the Hamiltonian Gallery did not need a liquor license. A note on page 15 of a 28-page .pdf document here confirms that, on October 1, 2014, ABRA "determined no license was necessary". A transcript of the October 1 meeting (see page 17 of another 28-page .pdf here) shows DC liquor-licensing authorities voting unanimously that a liquor license was not necessary in this case "provided they [i.e., the Hamiltonian Gallery] comply with DC Code Section 25-102". ABRA spokesperson Cornelius confirms in his email that the Hamiltonian Gallery had received a letter signed by ABRA Director Fred Moosally stating a liquor licensing was not necessary.

Cornelius also explained in his email that DC ...
... laws and regulations provide that an entity—not a restaurant, tavern or other establishment that serves food, non-alcoholic beverages and/or provides entertainment—does not need to obtain a liquor license to provide alcoholic beverages gratuitously. A temporary liquor license or a caterer’s liquor license would still be needed for any event at a facility where:

(1) Alcoholic beverages are being sold or not provided gratuitously to guests;
(2) There is a cost, such as a cover charge or a requirement to purchase tickets to attend the event;
(3) The facility is being rented out for compensation;
(4) A caterer or bartender has been hired or is being paid to serve alcoholic beverages; and/or
(5) Non-alcoholic beverages, food, or entertainment are being sold or being charged for at the event.
At the January 21 ANC1B committee meeting, Sterling moved the ANC write a letter to ABRA stating the ANC does not believe a license is necessary. The motion was passed, and will be probably considered at the next meeting of the full ANC, scheduled for Thursday, February 5, at 7pm, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets) -- unless ABRA first makes a decision which renders the point moot.

WeWork's Liquor License: "I Didn't Realize It Was a Big Deal until the Police Came In"

A DC branch of WeWork, located in the Wonder Bread Factory (641 S Street NW), has gotten endorsement of both permanent and temporary liquor licenses  from the liquor licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street.

641 S Street in November 2013
The committee also voted to draft a letter to DC's liquor-licensing authorities stating that the ANC does not believe WeWork actually needs a liquor license. Whether WeWork actually needs a liquor license is the subject of a separate blog post today here.

The decisions occurred at the most recent committee meeting on January 21.

WeWork is a New York-based start-up that "creates collaborative co-working communities". It has branches in 13 cities in four countries. According to Forbes.com, the company "takes out a cut-rate lease on a floor or two of an office building, chops it up into smaller parcels and then charges monthly memberships to startups and small companies that want to work cheek-by-jowl with each other." A report in Wired.com said the company was valued at $5 billion.

At the January 21 meeting, Carl Pierre, head of DC Operations for WeWork, called the company a "shared office space collaborative environment". It supplies to tenants, as part of their leases, a shared kitchen stocked with water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, and beer, at no additional charge. The beer is sometimes deployed to lubricate "speed business coaching" and computer coding sessions, but is locked up at 10pm.

WeWork operated in this matter until they were visited by the enforcement division of DC's Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).

"I didn't realize it was a big deal until the police came in," Pierre said.

The committee held a single vote that recommended to the full ANC that they endorse both a stipulated liquor license and a permanent liquor license for WeWork. The vote was nine in favor, one against, one abstention.

A stipulated liquor license, explained here, is one of the few acts which an ANC can take on its own authority. If the ANC approves a stipulated license (and if there are no other objecting parties), then an establishment can start serving alcohol immediately after the payment of a $100 fee to ABRA, while the establishment's paperwork for a permanent license works its way through normal channels.

The full ANC will probably consider endorsement both the stipulated liquor license and the permanent license at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, February 5, at 7pm, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets).

However, as explained in a today's other blog post, it is possible that WeWork does not actually need a liquor license, in which case the time and money Pierre and others at WeWork spent engaging consultants, visiting the ANC committee meeting, etc., will have been unnecessary. 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

941 S Street: Planned Renovation for Long-time Vacant and Blighted Building

On November 17, the Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street endorsed the historic preservation and zoning elements of a proposed renovation at 941 S Street NW. This building has been vacant for many years and was designated a vacant or blighted building by the DC government as of March 2012.

945 S Street on the left behind tree
This item is on the agenda for the meeting of tonight (December 4) of the full ANC. The meeting is scheduled for 7pm at the Banneker Recreation Center (2500 Georgia Avenue).

Online information says this building was built in 1885 and was sold in July 2014 for $985,000. At the November 17 meeting, the tale of this building unfolded bit by bit. It became vacant after the 1968 riots. The city acquired the property through tax liens. It stood empty for a long time -- "at least 10 years", according to one member of the Design Review Committee. The same member recalled trying unsuccessfully to buy the property "20 years ago".

This property is located in ANC1B district 02, which is currently vacant. It has fallen to the recently-elected (but not-yet-officially-seated) Commissioner for this district, Ellen Nedrow Sullivan, to do some research and other spadework that a sitting Commissioner might ordinarily do. Sullivan reported to the Committee. She said that, after the 2011 earthquake, the nearby Westminster Neighborhood Association, of which she had been member, had determined who in the DC government had the authority to sell the long-vacant building. There had been a successful push over a long period by the neighbors and the Association to get it sold.

Unsurprisingly, the Westminster Neighborhood Association also supports the request for the necessary approvals from DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and zoning authorities so the building can stop being an eyesore and start being somebody's home.

The property falls under HPRB's jurisdiction because it is located in the U Street Historic District.

There will be a new rear roof deck addition to the house. This addition will not be visible from the street, and will not put the property over 60% lot coverage, so no zoning relief is required for this particular aspect. The sole zoning relief required will be for a side court on the property. The Committee supported this unanimously and members said that this type of zoning relief was granted in 99% of the cases. 

The committee also endorsed the historic preservation aspects of the renovation but suggested that cement not be used as a material. However, a member of the committee who objected to cement said if HPRB could live with cement, it was OK with him.

The owner and his architect said the renovation included painted brick and "all new windows to historic standards". There would also be a green roof, they said.

Both the HPRB and zoning aspects of this renovation received unanimous endorsement in separate resolutions.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

Monday, July 21, 2014

1740 NJ Ave: Trust Everybody, But Cut the Cards

An attorney told Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw July 1 that there was no reason to vote against her project, because she would immediately ask for a postponement of the planned zoning hearing. But ANC6E voted to oppose the project anyway.

The property from across Rhode Island Avenue
Attorney Meredith Mouldenhauer of Griffin, Murphy, Moldenhauer & Wiggins, LLP appeared before the ANC as part of a team with developer Jimmy Edgerton of Newton Street Development 3, LLC. The team aims to develop a property at 1740 New Jersey Avenue NW, a wedge-shaped piece of land at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and S Street, which has been vacant from at least 2011. The house on the property now is in poor condition. The current aim of the developers is to build a single-family home and an eight-unit condo on the property.

The single-family home can be built "by right", meaning, without asking for any zoning relief. But the eight-unit condo needs zoning variances for several reasons, including lot occupancy and parking. The existing building is not zoning-compliant because it covers 100% of the lot, and because it has no parking. ANC endorsement for these variance requests will help it move more smoothly through DC's Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).

From remarks made at the meeting, it is clear that the developers and the ANC have been negotiating for quite some time about this project. There still has not been a meeting of the minds. The developers won't go below eight units; the ANC won't agree to eight units.

"I have been talking to the developers for months now and I have expressed strong opposition to their plans," said Commissioner Kevin Chapple (district 02).

The proposed development in Chapple's district, and he lives three houses down from 1740 New Jersey Avenue.

"Everyone that I've spoken to in my district is against such a dense unit at this location," he said.

When it became clear that Chapple was dead-set against the plan and the most of the ANC would probably vote with him, Mouldenhauer backtracked and promised to ask the BZA for a postponement of their hearing. But Chapple was not inclined to let the matter rest at that.

"We'd have to take your word for it," he said, about Moldenhauer's promise to ask for a postponement. 

There was some consternation in the audience that someone would not take an attorney at her word.

"She's a member of the bar!" exclaimed an attorney sitting next to me.

It was also mentioned that, if Mouldenhauer went back on her word now, she would never get another favorable hearing before the ANC again.

But Chappell seemed to want to be better safe than sorry, and put forward a motion to oppose the zoning variances. It passed 6-1. The lone vote against was Commissioner Marge Maceda (district 05).

After the vote ANC6E chair Alexander Padro (commissioner for district 01) said: "We welcome the opportunity to continue to work with you. We just wanted to have a placeholder to express our concerns, so you'd understand where we were coming from."

Online information indicates this property was sold in December 2013 for $775,000.

The blog District Source has also written about this case.

The documents related to this case can be examined by going to the BZA's Interactive Zoning Information System and putting case number 18794 into the search bar. A request to postpone the BZA hearing until September has been recently added to the file.

The remark "Trust everybody, but cut the cards" is attributed to American humorist Finley Peter Dunne.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

1738 14th Street: Renovation to Bring Eight Apartments near S Street

A planned renovation on 14th Street NW will bring eight apartments, retail space, and two parking spaces to a busy and popular intersection.

"Not a restaurant" here
Architects Andy Schiefer and Joel DeLeon of Architects Group Practice of Alexandria, Virginia, came before a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle last night (April 30) to ask for endorsement of their concept and massing of a top-to-bottom, front-to-back renovation on the entire lot of 1738 14th Street NW.

Right now, the building that fronts onto 1738 14th Street is a historically-protected building, built in 1890. It recently housed a gym and a hair salon. Behind it were two newer shorter buildings, attached to the main building, that are not considered historically significant. The three buildings together take up nearly 100 percent of the lot.

The Community Development Committee (CDC) of ANC2F heard a plan to preserve and restore the building at the front of the property, and demolish the two rear buildings. After the renovation, the front building will have retail on the first floor. The presenters said they had an expression of interest from a real estate company --"not a restaurant" -- for the first floor space.

Above the retail space there will be a single dwelling unit each on the second and third floors. At the rear of the property there will be a separate, new building, which will have six "efficiency apartments". Of these, three will face the rear alleyway, and three will face a courtyard between the new and old buildings. This rear building will be accessed by a door and a flight of stairs from 14th Street, and a secondary entrance from the alley.

There will be two parking spaces, accessible through the rear alley.

The architects may have to seek zoning relief in the future, in which case they will most likely appear before the CDC again. But last night they asked the CDC to endorse the project so it can move to D.C.'s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for approval. Any major renovation of this building must be considered by the HPRB because the building is located within the Fourteenth Street Historic District.

The north facade of both the old and the new buildings would be completely exposed, because there is an empty lot currently used as a parking lot on the southwest corner of 14th and S. Rumor has it that the empty lot may someday house a 4- or 5-story building. If this is the case, the rear building at 1738 14th Street will not be visible from the street. But, for time being, both buildings and their northern facades will be plainly visible from 14th Street. HPRB told the architects "they want us to do something with the exposed facade" on the north side of the property.

The CDC voted unanimously to endorse the concept and massing from the 1738 14th Street project. It will now move onto the full ANC for approval at their next scheduled meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, May 14, at 7pm at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

Online records show 1738 14th Street was sold in November 2011 for $1.4 million.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Glen's Garden Market Moves towards Beer Garden

Glen's Garden Market (2001 S Street NW) is taking steps to use the space outside its front door as a beer garden. Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle endorsed a request to change the use of the space. Right now, customers are purchasing food and coffee inside Glen's Garden Market and consuming it on benches on the patio.

Tables and umbrellas will replace benches
Danielle Vogel, owner/operator of Glen's Garden Market, told ANC 2B of plans to expand the scope of the outside space by adding a series of tables with umbrella and hiring extra servers. There will 16 places and will operate between 10am and 10pm, seven days a week.

The application will go next to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), which handles applications of use of public spaces like sidewalks.

A successful application to DDOT will not necessarily mean that Glen's Garden Market can immediately begin to serve alcohol outside. If it has not already done so, Glen's will have to apply to D.C.'s alcohol-licensing authorities for a change to the terms of its liquor license.

Good feelings all around

Glen's Garden Market seemed to have an especially cordial relationship with the ANC. It has found an unusual way to create good feeling: it named one of the sandwiches on its menu after their district's ANC Commissioner, Mike Feldstein (district 01).

During the discussion of the public space application, Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06) invoked the theory of social capital.

"I can't think of a better example of that than Glen's Garden Market," Silverstein said. "I think it's an invaluable asset to the community."

Silverstein later asked Danielle Vogel, a first-time entrepreneur and former lawyer, what she had learned since the opening of Glen's, which opened with the idea it would carry exclusively locally-sourced products.

"Folks care about convenience and price point," she answered. "We tried to be responsive."

As a result, she said, Glen's has had to stock inventory that is "not indigenous".

All the Commissioners present voted to support the public space request of Glen's Garden Market.

The vote was taken at ANC2B's regular monthly meeting on April 9.

See a .pdf copy of the letter in support of Glen's that ANC2B sent to DDOT Public Space Committee here.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Doi Moi to Have 60 Outside Seats on S and 14th Streets

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle endorsed a proposal that would give 60 outdoor seats to Doi Moi (1800 14th Street NW). The popular Southeast Asian restaurant at the corner of S Street received the endorsement at ANC2B's regular monthly meeting on April 9.

Doi Moi's patio facing S Street
Of these, 48 seats will be enclosed in a purpose-built patio (see photo) facing S Street. It is set apart from the sidewalk and will have outdoor umbrellas.

The other 12 seats will be on the 14th Street side of the restaurant. There will be six "two-tops" running along the east wall of the building, starting at the south corner.

There was some discussion about the amount of space this would leave on the sidewalk for pedestrians. On paper, DC requires a pedestrian space ten feet across. At the meeting, Commissioners noted this requirement was no longer being enforced outside the downtown business district.

There is a bicycle rack, a lamp post, and a tree with knee-high railing on the sidewalk on the 14th Street side of Doi Moi. The addition of outdoor tables may create a pedestrian choke-point. ANC2B, as part of its endorsement of the plan, will urge  the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), which oversees public space managment, to make sure that the placement of tables is appropriate for pedestrian safety on 14th Street.

Doi Moi has a settlement agreement with ANC2B and a group of 29 neighbors (starting on page four of a .pdf here). Doi Moi's plan is "consistent with the settlement agreement", according to Commissioner Noah Smith (district 09). In fact, the settlement agreement states the exact amount of outdoor places Doi Moi may have, which is the same number as they are applying for.

Doi Moi is in Smith's ANC district.

The settlement agreement also states there will be no outside standing bar, no outside line for outdoor seating, and no outdoor seating hostess. Customers wanting outdoor seating will have to see a restaurant hostess indoors.

Outside service will end at 11pm Monday - Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. There is no provision to extend hours on the evenings before holidays.

Commissioner Smith made the motion to endorse Doi Moi's public space application. It was passed by a unanimous vote of all the Commissioners present.

The request now moves on to DDOT for final approval.

See a .pdf copy of the letter about Doi Moi's outside space that ANC2B sent to DDOT's Public Space Committee here.


Monday, March 10, 2014

ANC1B Again Fails to Have a Quorum

For the second time in four months, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street failed to have a quorum for its regular monthly meeting. Only five of 11 sitting Commissioners attended the meeting on Thursday, March 6. Six were necessary to have a quorum.

About 45 developers, architects, homeowners, businesspeople, and members of the community were left waiting, hoping an absent Commissioner would show up so the Commission could take binding votes on the matters on the agenda. The meeting, which began at seven, eventually broke up at 9pm.

Not enough for a quorum
The following Commissioners attended the meeting: Marc Morgan (district 01), Deborah Thomas (district 04), Ricardo Reinoso (district 05), James Turner (district 09), and Zahra Jilani (district 12).

The following Commissioners did not attend: Jeremy Leffler (district 02), Sedrick Muhammed (district 03), Dyana Forester (district 06), Juan Lopez (district 07), Tony Norman (district 10), E. Gail Anderson Holness (district 11)

Commissioner Emily Washington (district 08) announced her resignation at last month's meeting. She is moving out of her ANC district.

In December 2013, ANC1B also failed to have a quorum when a meeting was held on the same day as a Christmas party for ANC Commissioners -- see SALM blog post for December 9, 2013.

Recent attendance record of ANC1B Commissioners

Below is record of ANC Commissioners' attendance record for the last four monthly meetings, based on my observation. Just like airlines, I define "late" as arriving more than 15 minutes behind schedule. Meetings usually last between two and three hours.
  • Morgan (01): Three present, one absent
  • Leffler (02): Two present, two absent
  • Muhammed (03): One present, three absent
  • Thomas (04): One present, three absent
  • Reinoso (05): Four present
  • Forester (06): One present, two absent, one late*
  • Lopez (07): Two present, one absent, one late**
  • Washington (resigned, 08): Two present, one absent
  • Turner (09): Three present, one absent
  • Norman (10): Three present, one absent
  • Anderson Holness (11): Two absent, two late***
  • Zilani (12): Four present
* arrived 20 minutes late, left same meeting after 90 minutes
** arrived 25 minutes late
*** arrived 90 minutes late twice

March meeting: making the best of it

To productively fill the time while hoping in vain that another Commissioner would eventually arrive, ANC1B Chair James Turner asked newly-appointed ANC1B committee chairs to speak and take questions from the audience about their work. Alcohol-policy committee Chair Nick Baumann, Transportation Committee Chair Ben Klemens, and Design Review Committee Chair Lela Winston spoke.

This turned out to be a surprisingly effective use of time. The committee chairs outlined the responsibilities and current concerns of their committees. Members of the community spoke up to ask questions about how the process worked. Several people who seemed somewhat baffled by the proceedings received clarification. One urged the committee and community members to use fewer abbreviations and jargon, so novice members of the audience could more easily understand.

After that, several members of the community who had hoped to get ANC endorsement on various projects spoke up. The longest presentation was by the developers of Portner Place (1450 V Street NW), who sought ANC endorsement for their appearance before D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) later this month. The ANC Commissioners in attendance asked about the concerns raised when the developers presented before the Design Review Committee on February 26 -- see SALM blog post of March 3.

Members of the current tenants' committee of Portner Place spoke up in favor of the design and plans to move families out while construction went on. The commissioners in attendance seemed to approve of the development.

In addition, the aspiring proprietor of Peace Lounge (2632 Georgia Avenue) and a homeowner from the 1300 block of S Street also wished to tell the committee they needed ANC endorsement this month for their projects, because they would soon be appearing before various DC government bodies. Commissioner Turner suggested they could get letters from their ANC district representatives praising their projects and explaining why the ANC failed to vote. While this would not carry the "great weight" of a conventional ANC decision, Turner said, it might help.

At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Turner announced there would be a special election to fill the place of Commissioner Washington, and urged interested members of the public to pick up nomination papers from the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics. No date for the special election has been set.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tonight: ANC1B Hearing about S Street Parking Proposal

The Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street will hold a meeting tonight, Tuesday, February 25. On the agenda for discussion will be a proposal to study having a parking facility at 1325 S Street NW. The property is currently used by the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.

1325 S Street (Google Street View)
This is the first time the proposed facility is on an ANC1B meeting agenda.

The meeting starts at 6:30pm at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street).

This idea was endorsed by ANC 2F/Logan Circle at its last meeting -- see SALM blog post of February 6. ANC2F abuts the property on its south side. See a post about the proposal on ANC2F's web site here, and a .pdf presentation about the plan (starting at page 8) here.

The idea was brought up by a community member during the concluding "new business" portion of ANC1B's last meeting on February 6. At that time, ANC1B Chair James Turner (district 09) expressed disappointment that ANC2F had not chosen to consult ANC1B before releasing the plan. But he said ANC2F had not overstepped over its authority.

"They abut. They have a right," Turner said.

At a separate meeting of ANC1B's Transportation Committee on February 20, Turner said the ANC might consider doing a joint resolution with ANC2F on the proposal. Turner emphasized the proposal was at its very beginning, and the property would have to be declared surplus property by the D.C. government and sold, and there would have to be a traffic pattern study before any proposal could move forward.

Turner also said D.C. City Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1) had come out against the proposal.

Another Transportation Committee member spoke against the proposal as well.

"We understand that parking is a problem but more parking is not a solution," he said.

Today's meeting will be the first Design Review Committee meeting under its new chair, Lela Winston. Winston was selected as the chair at ANC1B's February meeting.

See the full agenda for tonight's meeting here.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

ANC2F Champions More Parking in ANC1B

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle last night endorsed a plan to study setting up more parking -- in a neighboring ANC.

ANC2F would like more parking here.
1325 S Street NW is D.C. city government property and used for parking and other purposes by the Department of Parks and Recreation. The property borders on ANC2F on its south side. But it is located in ANC 1B/U Street.

The Community Development Committee (CDC) of ANC2F thinks it would be an ideal place to put additional public parking. Last month the CDC recommended "the full ANC endorse the exploration of public parking options by the City Council for the lot". Last night, February 5, the full ANC approved the committee's report -- agreeing that plans to explore the possibility should go forward.

"It's a very very very early stage of the process," said ANC2F Commission Walt Cain (district 02). Cain is the chair of the CDC.

"There's a lot of conversations that need to happen," Cain said.

The proposal brought several people across the border from 1B into 2F to speak against the idea.

"I have an email from [D.C. City Councilmember] Jim Graham saying that he is opposed," said one man.

Another local resident said ANC2F was advocating the construction of a parking garage in ANC1B. Commissioner Cain said there were many options, and ANC2F was not advocating the immediate construction of an above-ground parking garage. Later, Cain said among the many options was a below-ground parking garage with a park over it on the ground level.

Other residents suggested property developers JBG, one of the authors of the plan, was hoping to gain ANC support in order to get its hands on a valuable property without adequate community input.

"The community doesn't have the opportunity to get on board about what's going on there," one resident said.

Sherri Kimball, constituent services director for D.C. City Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward Two), said ANC2F's plan was "a suggestion". She also said there was a rumor that the lot might be included in the Reeves Center land swap deal, rendering the current debate pointless.

There is a Powerpoint presentation about the plan on the ANC2F web site (available here, starting with slide 8).

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Carlyle Suites Roof Terrace: Thin End of the Wedge?

Carlyle Suites Hotel (1731 New Hampshire Avenue NW) management tells Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle there is no rooftop bar or restaurant in the works. But neighbors are skeptical.

The proposed deck (credit below)
At the October 1 meeting of the ANC2B's Zoning, Preservation and Development (ZPD) Committee, Carlyle Suites Manager Scott Dawson said the planned roof deck will be primarily for yoga, sunbathing, and the occasional special event.

"There are no plans for bars or nightclubs," Dawson said.

"But you're paving the way," a neighbor replied.

The hotel today (credit below)
The supporting presentation on behalf of the Carlyle Suites was made by Dawson and Michael Lee Beidler of Trout Design Studio. Beidler is also a member of the ZPD Committee. 

How aware are the neighbors?

Beginning their talk, the presenters made an assertion that there were no objections from abutting properties. One attendee spoke up to claim this was not accurate.

Later, another local resident said most of the people in the area were unaware of the intended construction.

"Some of these folks are going to be really surprised," he said. "The neighbors need some time to figure it out."

Proposal details

The proposal will create deck space on the rear of the Carlyle Suites property, away from New Hampshire Avenue. The proposed addition would not be visible from New Hampshire Avenue, but it would be visible from 17th Street and Riggs Place. Beidler said the view from 17th Street would only be in winter -- trees would cover it the rest of the year.

The deck will be set back ten feet from the roof edge, but will still be larger than the roof decks of neighboring buildings. There will be no setbacks at certain interior parts of the building, which might cause noise problems.

"It's going to be echo alley," one neighbor said.

While repeating that there were no plans for a bar, restaurant, or nightclub, Dawson refused repeatedly to categorically state the hotel would never seek to have one there in the future. Dawson also refused to rule out the possibility of outside seating on the roof deck. Similarly, the presenters could not say exactly what the capacity of the deck would be.

Dawson said nothing could prevent people from consuming food and drink on the roof deck. But the roof deck space was not shaped and sized correctly for on-site food preparation, he said. Everyone agreed it would be possible to set up a bar on the deck.

Dawson said the security arrangements necessary to get non-guests through the hotel lobby and up to the roof was an issue. This was a reason why the hotel was not considering regular food or drink service on the roof deck at this time.

Still, the neighbors were suspicious.

"Couldn't it easily be converted?" one asked.

"No, there isn't the infrastructure, there isn't the space," Dawson said.

The paperwork

The planned roof deck expansion requires approval from DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) because it lies within the boundaries of the Dupont Circle Historic District. The Carlyle Suites Hotel is seeking ANC2B endorsement on its petition to the HPRB.

It does not require a zoning variance or any other type of approval at this time. In addition, if the hotel decided to serve food and/or drink on the roof deck, it would require one or more new rounds of public space permits and liquor license amendments, all of which would normally be subject to citizen comment through the ANC before a decision was taken by the DC government. There are no such permit requests pending at this time.

Members of the committee pronounced themselves comfortable with the historic preservation aspects of the renovation, but urged the Carlyle Suites Hotel management to further consult residents of nearby apartment buildings before moving forward on the project.

"Continue to reach out to the neighboring properties," said ANC2B Commissioner Leo Dwyer (district 07). Dwyer is chair of the ZPD committee.

(Photo credit: from documents prepared by Trout Design Studio and presented to the ZPD committee)


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Four-week-old Restaurant Needs Liquor License Renewal

A restaurant open less than four weeks needs a liquor license renewal. The September 11 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont heard that Doi Moi (1800 14th Street NW) is applying for a renewal of the liquor license originally obtained in 2012, when the restaurant was in its planning stages.
Doi Moi is located at 14th and S Streets

Doi Moi serves Thai and Vietnamese street food and opened for business on August 27.

Doi Moi is ANC2B district 09. The ANC member for that district is Noah Smith. Smith could not be at the ANC meeting due to business obligations. ANC2B liquor licensing affairs committee chair Kevin O'Connor (district 02) said that Smith had recommended that no action be taken on the renewal request, meaning, that the ANC neither protest it or endorse it.

ANC2B took Smith's suggestion, and no action was taken on Doi Moi's request.

According to information posted at the restaurant site, DC's Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board will hold a hearing on October 21 on Doi Moi's application. The deadline for comments, for or against, is October 7.

Attorney Michael Fonseca appeared before the ANC on behalf of Doi Moi's operators. Doi Moi's owner is Mark Kuller, who also owns Estadio (1520 14th Street) and Proof (775 G Street).

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Former Home of Washington Afro-American to be Renovated

The Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street soon will consider a renovation of a property that was the long-time home of the Washington Afro-American newspaper. Developers of the property came before the Design Review Committee at its regular monthly meeting on Monday, August 19, at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street NW).

Detail from plaque at the property
The property is actually two adjacent lots: 1101 S Street and 1800 11th Street, on the northwest corner of 11th and S at Vermont Street. It was the location of the Washington Afro-American's offices from 1937 until the late 1970's, according to information on a plaque on the side of the building and on the website of Cultural Tourism DC.

The property today
A scheduling mix-up resulted in the hearing on the property being postponed. On ANC1B's website prior to the meeting, it was announced that the committee would hear a petition about a property at 1501 11th Street, which is not located within the boundaries of ANC1B. This address turned out to be that of offices of the CAS Riegler, a property developer who is overseeing the project. When the nature of the confusion became clear, Design Review Committee Chair Tony Norman told the petitioners that they had to come back next month. The ANC needed to advertise the hearing properly, Norman said, so neighbors could attend the meeting if they wished.

Norman is also the ANC Commissioner from district 09 and the chair of ANC1B as a whole.

The property falls within the boundaries of the U Street Historic District. External renovations to houses in historic districts nearly always require approval from DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) prior to starting work. Petitioners often seek ANC endorsement before approaching the HPRB.

Documents submitted to the Design Review Committee say the project will include a full renovation of both buildings. The proposal also says that the structural integrity of 1101 S Street will be improved, and the existing facade with be removed down to the original brick facade. There will be no additions to the existing buildings.

In addition, a presenter for the developer said that a large exterior staircase, which emerges from the property into public space on the sidewalk of 11th Street, will be removed.

1101 S Street is a residential unit.

A current occupant of the other building is the Upco Lock and Safe Service. This company has been in business since 1967.

The next meeting of the Design Review Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 23, at 6:30pm at the Thurgood Marshall Center.