The Georgetown Metropolitan

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• What went down at our last ANC Meeting.
• The Georgetown Pantry business I was curious about is seeking a license to sell beer and wine on a retail basis. So maybe a small grocery type store?

On July 3rd, the ABC Board issued two orders directed at unlicensed pot shops in Georgetown: HotBox (at 1564 Wisconsin Ave.) and Smoke Island (at 1326 Wisconsin Ave.). The orders were cease and desist orders demanding the shops stop selling cannabis products.

As mentioned above, both these shops are unlicensed. Up until recently, all pot shops were unlicensed. But the city made a shift towards legalizing the commercial sale of cannabis under the ambit of the medical cannabis program. It has begun issuing retailer’s licenses for this purpose. But, as anyone can see, we have a large number of shops that opened before this new regulatory regime. They operated in a gray zone with a tenuous legal status. Now that the city is standing up a genuinely legal regime, the plan was that these gray market shops would either get a license or shut down. (For a much more detailed explanation of all this, please see my constituent update from last May.)

A surprising (to me, at least) number of unlicensed shops simply did not apply for a license. But there could be lots of reasons. The biggest reason is probably that they can’t get a license if they’re located within 300 feet of school or rec center (or within 400 feet of another Cannabis retailer that got their application in first). Also some might not think they can pass the license review process. Or they don’t want to source their cannabis from growers based in the District (as the new law requires).

In any event, many did not apply to get a retailer’s license. Earlier this year, ABCA (the regulatory arm of the ABC Board) was given legal authority from the DC Council to go after these shops. They have taken a deliberative approach to exercising that authority. While I would love quicker action, I certainly appreciate the agency taking the time to do it right.

In line with this deliberative approach, in March ABCA issued warning letters to six unlicensed shops in Georgetown warning them against selling pot without a license. While the agency did not share the names of these shops, I will note that several unlicensed shops have closed in the last six months.

But these cease and desist orders should amp up the pressure on the hold-outs. HotBox was an especially egregious case. It opened this location months after the city decreed the gray market shops to be no longer allowed. It opened at a location that is too close to Volta Park Rec Center to ever get a license. And worse of all, based on reports I received, the pot smoke generated by the store was so bad the patrons to Los Cuates downstairs were getting up a leaving.

I should note that the orders do not command the shops to actually close. I don’t believe ABCA has that authority. But the orders tell the shops that they can’t sell cannabis anymore. Since that’s basically the whole point of these shops existing, it should lead to them actually closing. Moreover, ABCA is working closely with other agencies, like DLCP and MPD, to ramp up the pressure if the shops ignore the orders.

For the last year, whenever people have complained to me about the pot stores, I have been counseling patience. The days of the skeezy gray market pot shops will end. They will be replaced by far fewer, but much cleaner and well regulated shops. Ultimately I think there will be about 4-5 of these shops across all of Georgetown. That compares with the nearly two dozen we’ve had at some points.

But it will take time. These orders are evidence to me that ABCA is still moving forward with the plan. In that they have my strong backing.

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Free weekly dance classes at the waterfront.
• Nuisance wall no longer for sale.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Review of the new restaurant taking over the old Bangkok Joe’s space.
• Nice tribute to Jerry McCoy.

In a case of horrible timing, over the hottest weekend of the year (so far) the Volta Park Pool was closed. I heard word that the pool was closed due to a sewage issue, although I did not confirm that.

I did, however, hear word that whatever issue the pool was experiencing has been resolved and that it would reopen today as normal. So it should be open in two hours from now!

I’ll update if this turns out to be inaccurate.

This morning I linked to an article that described the writer’s perfect Georgetown staycation. It reminded me of an article I wrote back in 2018 about how to experience Georgetown like a local. I thought I would update and reprint it below:

The other day, I linked to an article that offered to list 25 places around DC for a tourist to do non-touristy things. The lone Georgetown mention on the list was of Dumbarton House, which is a fine mention (most famous for hosting my wedding). But there are many other spots around Georgetown that a tourist ought to hit to be able to say they got to see a local’s view of the neighborhood. So I decided to do it myself.

The list is structured loosely around how to spend a day taking in the sights. Starting with morning:

Morning

Hopefully you skipped the too expensive breakfast at your hotel and arrived at Georgetown hungry. That’s great because there are lots of fantastic options to satisfy that hunger. Yes you could go looking for senators or NBC talking heads at Four Seasons, or you could join the visiting college parents at Clyde’s, but you’re here to experience the neighborhood as a local. And there are several spots that you’ll find them.

The first is the local favorite, Boulangerie Christophe, at 1422 Wisconsin Ave. This French bakery offers pastries and bread and other European delights, along with the obligatory coffee. Or you could go to their more formal upstairs dining area where they serve more fancy fare. Either one will be a great way to start the day.

Staying on the French theme, you should also consider Patesserie Poupon at 1645 Wisconsin Ave. They also offer tasty breaded pastries and quiches, etc. You’ll almost certainly find yourself sitting next to some old friends meeting up for a coffee, and they’ll probably be speaking a foreign language. In fact there is probably no place in Georgetown that more feels like it’s not in America than Patesserie Poupon.

Continue reading →

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The ultimate staycation in Georgetown.
• Georgetown condo becomes priciest sale in 2024.

Hello, and welcome to your July Northwest Georgetown ANC Update!

Tavern Application

There is likely no news item more important for our district from the last month than this: a tavern is applying to open at 1660 33rd St.

Specifically, a bar to be called Creme is seeking a liquor license for this location. The building sits right where 33rd St. meets Wisconsin Ave. It most recently housed a used book store in the basement, which was an absolute warren of hardbacks and paperbacks:

Additionally, on the ground floor one of the early gray market pot shops operated until it was shut down in 2020.

The building (along with those immediately surrounding it) is zoned mixed use (which is to say: commercial). As such, the property does not need any zoning relief to host a bar or restaurant.

The license being sought is a tavern license. Tavern licenses are essentially bar licenses. Unlike restaurant licenses—which most drinking establishments in Georgetown have—tavern licenses do not require the establishment to derive a minimum portion of its revenues from food sales. Since 1994, there has been a hard cap on the number of tavern licenses issued for Georgetown. That number was six until last year, when it was raised to twelve. As of now, there are still only six tavern licenses issued.

The application requests a “summer garden”. That’s just a fancy way of saying “outdoor patio”. In this case the patio would be the rear deck. And that is the main reason this application has raised intense concerns from the nearby residents.

The deck opens up to a rear space that includes at least a dozen other properties. As the deck currently exists, someone standing on it can look clearly into at least half those dozens properties, including into the bedrooms of some along Reservoir. The noise would reach further.

While the application calls for only allowing ten patrons to use the patio at a given time, there are worries that that will still be loud and a hard rule to enforce besides.

I am currently working with the neighbors and other interested parties to move forward with a plan, including a possible settlement agreement that would aim to address these concerns. If you would like to join that group, please reach out to me at 2e02@anc.dc.gov.

Volta Park

Volta Park had a fairly eventful month. At one point the irrigation system around the ball field malfunctioned and caused so much flooding it reach down to Volta Place:

On that same day, a child of a nearby family was bitten by an off-leash dog.

Both these incidents point to the absolute necessity of the Volta Park field renovation to finally move forward. This would restore the ball field and grass. And it would repair the irrigation system, which frankly I don’t think I have ever seen operate correctly.

Further, the work would include the construction of a new fence across the northwest corner of the grass field. This proposal was controversial, especially among dog owners. But the attack on the child demonstrates the critical need for separation between the (not actually legal) off-leash dog area to the north and the playing fields to the south.

I have hesitated giving an update on when that construction will actually take place, having been proven wrong time and again. But for what it’s worth, the Department of Parks and Rec recently informed me that they are aiming for a September start. I would not bet Monopoly money on that though.

Foodie Renaissance Continues but Creates Challenges

Our particular stretch of Wisconsin Ave. continues to grow as a food destination. For instance, Yellow was recently chosen as one of the best pizza restaurants in the country by the New York Times. Additionally, the always popular Tatte is days away from opening in the former Capital One at Wisconsin and Q. Jinya ramen is still aiming to open soon in the former Officina space. And something called “Georgetown Pantry” is opening a few doors down. I have no idea what that is, but fingers crossed that the “pantry” means some sort of tasty food option.

With all this success comes challenges, of course. With all these patrons coming to our specific corner of Georgetown it means the way they get here can impact our quality of life. If they all drive and park for long period of time, that makes it more difficult for us to find parking near our homes. For that reason it is important that we take multiple steps to mitigate this impact while also welcoming these successful businesses, businesses that we enjoy as well.

These steps include facilitating and prioritizing alternatives to driving. I pushed last year for a new bikeshare station at the corner of 33rd and Wisconsin. I understand that it has already been hugely successful in terms of attracting riders. Attracting riders to Capital Bikeshare both means that they are not driving and not taking some of the private bikeshare operators, like Lime, that often result in blocked sidewalks.

But many will still use Lime, and the other vendors. To discourage these ending up in the middle of the sidewalk, I am working with the city to install more bike corrals in the street. One was installed up the block from me, near an intersection where many Limebikes were often left blocking the sidewalk. After the installation, the incidences of blocking went way down and riders used the corral instead.

And of course, many will still drive to Yellow, et al. It’s important that these patrons not exceed the time restrictions for parking. I am continuing to meet regularly with DPW to push for more parking enforcement. It is an uphill battle, but I am hoping that as the city rolls out more automated license plate readers, each ticketing officer will be able to cover much more ground and increase the effective enforcement.

Happy Summer!

And with that, I will wish you a happy summer! With the ANC taking a break in August, I will also take a break and return to monthly updates in September. But I will still be around, so if you have any issue that needs attention, please do not hesitate to reach out at 2e02@anc.dc.gov.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• L’Enfant Gallery decides to stay! I couldn’t imagine Wisconsin and P without it!
• A look at what’s now on offer at the former HRC coffee shop.
• I’m taking the rest of the week off! See you after the 4th!

The new Tatte cafe is set to open in the former Chevy Chase Bank building at Wisconsin and Q on July 3rd. But looking through the windows, you can already see what it’s going to look like.

(So basically, if you’ve ever been to another Tatte, you already knew what this one was going to look like).

Additionally, the new outdoor seating is already set up in the back (although I assume some sort of shade will also be provided):