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Anyone living in or visiting Southwest, knows that there are many restaurants along the waterfront that support a very active night life. All sorts of food and entertainment are available for anyone looking for dining, dancing or après theater experiences. Unfortunately for the residents, there is also the concomitant noise, trash, congestion, and too much bad behavior from intoxicated patrons who stay until closing and then carry their merrymaking or feuds into the local streets. The establishments that generate most of the problems have done little to help preserve the quality of life for residents in the area, leaving the neighbors to deal with things as best they can. Interested residents, working through their ANC, have kept a watchful eye on happenings that threaten the peace and calm of their neighborhood and have voiced their opposition when liquor licenses have come up for renewal. Such vigilance has been successful in achieving a voluntary agreement whereby an establishment arranged to take responsibility for curtailing some of the trash and noise it generates. Zanzibar has now come up for its license renewal and is requesting a “substantial change” from its present license as a restaurant to a nightclub license. The restaurant license is more restrictive, requiring that the establishment “derive at least 45% of its gross annual receipts from the sale of food or have annual gross food sales of $2,000 per occupant . . . [and] keep its kitchen facilities open until two (2) hours prior to closing”; whereas the nightclub license has no such restrictions. As you can see it would be much more profitable for Zanzibar to sell liquor without having to keep a kitchen open late or spend money on buffets and other food. Also important, no other establishment presently on the waterfront has a nightclub license. The area is already lively and saturated with options for food and entertainment and is expecting even more people, more cars and more congestion as planned development will bring thousands of new people to live and work near the waterfront. Given this predicted increase in activity, the waterfront makes an attractive destination for nightclubs looking to settle in a densely populated area. If Zanzibar were to receive a nightclub license, a dangerous precedent would be set in Southwest encouraging other restaurants to follow suit and inviting more nightclubs into the area. The neighbors have passionately indicated that they do not want the Southwest waterfront to become a nightclub district. Councilmember Wells supports the residents and their ANC in their quest to maintain the residential character of their neighborhood and sent a letter to the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) opposing Zanzibar’s nightclub license. This week, negotiations between the community and Zanzibar failed and a protest hearing has been set for March 26, 2008. Anyone interested in being heard on the subject should contact ANC6D01 Commissioner Max Skolnik at
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prior to the protest hearing.
One person has commented on this article. (1) Untitled
2008-02-11 17:42:38 Way to go Council Member Wells! I have been a resident in Southeast (7th generation Washingtonian from Capitol Hill) for over 20 years and my neighbors and I face similar challenges as those in Southwest resulting from the unprecedented growth in the area. I applaud Council Member Wells and his efforts to help these communities maintain their residential character and rich history!! |
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