May 22 Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans announced his opposition to the Borderstan 14th & U Streets moratorium.
May 21 ANC2B held a listening session on renewal of the 17th St (East Dupont) moratorium with about 30 residents plus most of the ANC2B Commissioners and three past commissioners. Opinion was divided among the speakers with a slim majority in favor of keeping the moratorium amended to admit more restaurants but no new taverns or nighclubs. One speaker said he represented the 450 people who signed a petition in 2009 against the last renewal, and former commissioner Bob Meehan spoke for the peace, order, and quiet of the 400-600 residents across 17th Street from the alcohol businesses. He noted that 17th Street was different from the other city alcohol areas which had businesses on both sides of the street. One exception to that rule is the 1300 block of 18th Street opposite the back doors of part of Club Central (south of Dupont Circle).
May 8. ANC2B drove the final nail in the coffin of a proposed 14th & U Streets five-year moratorium as it joined the three other affected ANCs (1B, 2F, and 6E) in opposition.The 2B resolution of disapproval carried by 6-1 (Abigail Nichols opposing) and claimed superiority for other available solutions without proposing any move in any direction. Three presidents of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association argued to the need of a halt to continued degeneration of the neighborhood as alcohol pushes retailers out by outbidding them for space.
April 17. ANC2B held listening session on 14th & U Streets proposed moratorium; at Chastleton Apartments building 1701 16th St .Read moratorium proposal. A few interested residents added to the several ANC commissioners and civic activists.
April 10. Nightlife Association at ANC2B meeting showed two new posters for member businesses: one against sexual harrasssment and one about fake college ids. Also announced a best practices booklet available on its website.
Apr 10. Police Chief Lanier's public speech said that more than ten bars in a block quadruples the work for police officers. We need to respect such data as recognizing the price the community pays for the liberty to carouse.
Apr 10. Georgetown Current newspaper reports that ANC2E blessed a liquor license provided no music is played on its roof deck, and a license allowing no outside speaker system.
ANC2F and ANC1B voted unanimously against the Borderstan moratorium proposal in April. The opposers hate the collateral damage to the neighborhood but want to do specific remedies.April 4. ANC 1B voted unanimously against the 14th and U Streets moratorium. ANC1B ABC Committee had voted 10 to 3 against. Note: ANC 6E voted against it in February. [Report by Dave McAuley of Borderstan.]
April 3. ANC2F unanimously approved a Resolution to oppose 14th and U Streets moratorium.
April 1. Sign seen outside a London (England) Bloomsbury pub [Marquis Cornwallis] opposite a large hotel and multi-apartment residential building: No drinking outside after 9:30PM. Another Bloomsbury pub [George and Dragon] closes at 11 PM. The 24/7 city protects its residents and visitors.
March 20. Three ANCs (1B, 2B, and 2F) that comprise Borderstan invited public comment at a Joint Listening Session on a proposed Liquor License Moratorium for 14th and U Streets area The petition for the moratorium was submitted jointly by the Shaw Dupont Citizens Alliance and the Residential Action Coalition, and later supported by the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association and the Dupont Circle Citizens Association. First, the entire proposal was read to the crowd of 160. Then 47 gave two-minute speeches on the subject. Comments, counting about 6:1 against, ranged from "how silly" to "must have"; showed 6:1 opposition. . ABRA announced a public hearing for May 22 at 1:30 PM which eliminates working folk from convenient access. Longer report by Borderstan's David McAuley. Draft Resolution and delay proposal
March 13. Abigail Nichols elected as ANC Commissioner for ANC2B05.
Feb 21, 2013 Abigail Nichols testified for more resident input at Jim Graham Committee on oversight of ABRA. Part of her recommendations were seconded by the Chair of the Alcohol Control Board, Ruth Ann Miller.
Dec 18, 2012. The Council passed the Omnibus Alcohol bill that gave alcohol business most of what in wanted, including more barriers to residents' self-protection. ANCs got their first real authority to override "Group of Five" protests to licenses. Residents' groups fear the misuse of such authority. Although business can fend for itself on ignored economic effects like market saturation, at least some businesses will invuite later drinking and resultant neighborhood problems that the law lets them ignore.
Dec 12. OpEd letter by John Hammond in Northwest Current.
Dec 12. ANC2B (Dupont Circle) voted to object to the provision in the Omnibus Alcohol bill that would dismiss a "group of five" if and when the ANC makes a Voluntary Agreement. Those in favor cited basic democracy principles even though recognizing the ABC Board's problem with many inappropriate time-consuming protests from small groups.
Dec 4. In a marathon session of the DC Council, on his own motion, CM Jim Graham removed several objectionable measures from the alcohol bill. As a result any residents who would be harmed by the proposed business operations can still file a protest without regard to distance from the business; there are no new requirements for citizens and civic associations; and noise will be measured as heard (not after the business closes any open doors and windows). Citing uneven response times by the ABC Board, Mr. Graham also introduced a requirement that its decisions on protests be made within 60 days. The Council accepted CM Mary Cheh’s amendment requiring the ABC Board to examine the fitness of applicants and their past violations at other establishments to ascertain their worthiness for licensing. However, Cheh was not successful in getting rid of the provisions to dismiss a resident group protests if the Advisory Neighborhood Commission reached their own Voluntary Agreement. The votes on this important effort were Yes votes in support of getting ride of dismissal by CM’s McDuffie, Alexander, Boswer, Cheh and Mendelson and No’s from Graham, Orange, Barry, Evans, Catania, Brown and Wells. The amended bill passed unanimously. A final vote on the bill occurs December 18. Civic activists left yesterday’s Council vote considering next steps regarding the remaining problems with the bill (dismissal of citizen groups and overly specified and sometimes wrong-headed voluntary agreement requirements).
Dec 2. Coalition posts on its website a compilation of all resident group resolutions opposing resident input provisions the Graham bill. Lower resolution diet version of compilation only 2.9MB.
Nov 29. Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans gets scolded by small biz manager Mike Lee in the Washington Blade for listening to residents' howling at his ignoring their right to peace, order, and quiet near nightclubs regardless of 2500 messages from the nightlifers that flooded his office in the Hank's Oyster Bar case. Lee also scolds the alcohol licensing system for allowing the miniscule gallery of residents a voice in "anything goes" alcohol business operations.
Nov 27. Council Chair Phil Mendelson was peppered with questions and criticisms of the Graham bill at a public meeting of the DC Federation of Citizens Associations. He noted that the businesses viscerally dislike having a few residents able to slow and pester their establishing the business. One veteran of the alcohol licensing negotiations noted that the core of the problem is the rigid procedures dictated by the ABC Board to identify and resolve residents' questions about the appropriateness of the business's plans.
Nov 26. Nightlifers appeal for unbridled business liberty to ignore any resident demands for peace, order, and quiet. Or any other restriction. Their list starts with STOP SMALL GROUPS BLOCKING LICENSING.
Nov 21. Northwest Current newspaper on spirited questions on Graham bill; cites Dupont Circle activism on residents' rights to protest.
Nov 20. Washington Post story on "revamp" of alcohol bill cites Dupont Circle activism on residents' rights to protest. ; AP publishes condensed version.
Nov 18. Uniformed police detail of five on foot and bike at 2AM in Club Central.
Nov 14. The express train for the Graham Omnibus Bill was shunted to a siding while the Council considers some late-breaking outcry from resident organizations. The new schedule apparently defers final judgment and consideration of amendments for at least three weeks.
Nov 14.Press Release by the Coalition seeks changes to the Graham bill.
Nov 13. ANCs and Citizens Groups Press Release.
Nov 10. The DC Council Human Services Committee OK'd a Jim Graham bill that reduces the opportunity for residents [Group of Five] to engage the ABC Board in controlling harm to residents from nearby nightclubs. Second reading due on or after November 28.
Where are the biggest problems for residents? Club Central south of Dupont Circle, P & 21st Streets, Adams Morgan, Verizon Center, Georgetown, 14th & U Streets. You tell us where else.