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AdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission2BAdhocCommitteeonWestDupontCircleMoratoriumFinalReportandRecommendations

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ExecutiveSummary

TheadhocWestDupontCircleMoratoriumCommittee(theCommittee),havingbeenchargedbyAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission2B(theANCorANC2B)todetermineacourseofactionontheWestDupontCircleLiquorMoratorium(theMoratorium),presentsthefollowingreportandrecommendationsinaccordancewithitsassigneddutiesandresponsibilities.Thereportidentifiesthekeyopinionsandideaspresentedbyresidents,communitygroupsandbusinessesaroundtheMoratorium.Thepurposeofobtainingpublicinputwastoestablishthebenefitsanddrawbacksofcontinuing,alteringorremovingthecurrentMoratoriumzone.ThestrengthsandweaknessesofthecurrentMoratoriumbecameapparentthroughthisprocess.TheneighborhoodremainsconcernedspecificallywiththebehaviorofoneactorwithintheMoratoriumZone.However,neighborsandbusinessleadersalikeagreethataprobleminstitutionshouldbedealtwiththroughmeansspecifictoitssituation:specifically,strongerVoluntaryAgreementsandtheprotestprocess.ResidentsalsorecognizethehardshipfacedbynearbybusinessesduringthesedifficulteconomictimesandthechallengesthathavecomewiththePStreetredevelopmentproject.Assuch,thereisastrongdesiretoseetheneighborhoodwelcomenewbusinessesthatwillmakePStreetadestinationforyearstocome.TheanalysisofpublicinputregardingthecurrentMoratoriumleadstheCommitteetorecommendthatthe

ANCcontinueaWesternDupontCircleLiquorMoratoriumZonewithalterationsthatallowforfutureneighborhoodgrowthanddevelopment.

TheANChasrecognizedthatMoratoriaarenotpermanentsolutionsandaredesignedtoprovidetemporaryrelieftoneighborhoodsaimingtoachievespecificgoals.Inthepast,theANChasactivelymodifiedtheWestDupontMoratoriumtoreflectthedesiresofthepeopleofDupontCircle.ThesepastchangeshaveincorporatedagreaternumberoflicensesandhavecarvedoutblocksfromtheMoratorium.InalteringthepresentMoratorium,itistheintentionoftheCommitteetoonceagainadapttothewishesofthebusinessesandresidentsofWesternDupontCircle.Therefore,theANCseeksashorterreviewperiodafterthesechangestakeeffecttoassesstheirefficacyandmakeanynecessarychanges.Atthenextreviewperiod,theAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommissionshoulddecideifadditionalchangesaremeritedandshouldrevisittheideaofdiscontinuingtheMoratorium.ThereforeitisrecommendedthattheANC:

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ContinueamodifiedMoratoriumforWesternDupontCircle;

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EliminatethecaponCR/DRlicensesfortheMoratoriumZonetoallowforthedevelopmentofanew“RestaurantRow;”

AdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission2BAdhocCommitteeonWestDupontCircleMoratoriumFinalReportandRecommendations

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ActimmediatelytoaltertheboundariesoftheMoratoriumtoexcludetheblockofNewHampshireAvenueNWbetweenOandPStreetsNW;

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ContinueRestrictionsonthenumberofCT/DTandCN/DNlicenses;

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AgreetorevisittheMoratoriumin3years;

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AsktheANCtoencouragemorestandardizedVoluntaryAgreementsandtakeappropriateactionagainstoffendingpartiesthatchoosetoviolatetheiragreementsattimeoflicenserenewal;

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EncouragetheANCtoasknewbusinesseswithintheMoratoriumboundariestoenterintoVoluntaryAgreementsasa“goodfaith”actfortheirneighbors.TheseVoluntaryAgreementsshouldreflectthePublicSpaceGuidelinesofANC2Bandshouldfavorclosinghoursbefore1amonweekdaysand3amonweekends;

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SuggesttotheAlcoholicBeverageRegulationAdministration(ABRA)thatfutureMoratoriabeallowedtoincludeandexcludeblocksfromaMoratoriumwithoutfollowingthecurrentprotocolofonlyallowingMoratoriatoexpandby600,1200or1800feet;

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Reassesstheeffectivenessofthesechangesevery6months,byweighing:complaintsfiledwithABRAaboutnewbusinesses,thenumberofnewbusinessesintheneighborhoodandcomplaintsregisteredwithCommissionersoftheSingle‐MemberDistrictimpactedbytheMoratorium.

History

TheWestDupontCircleMoratoriumwascreatedonJuly22,1994,tohelpguidethedevelopmentoftheneighborhood,makingtheareamoreattractivetoretailwhilelimitingtheestablishmentsthatservedliquorinPStreetandWesternDupontCircle.Theoriginalareaextended600squarefeetfromtheintersectionof21

StreetNWandPStreetNW.AlloftheareawithintheMoratoriumzoneispartoftheDupontCircleHistoricDistrict.

AdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission2BAdhocCommitteeonWestDupontCircleMoratoriumFinalReportandRecommendations

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Figure1:CurrentMoratoriumZone

TheMoratoriumhastraditionallybeenupforrenewalevery5yearsandhasbeenrenewedtodateonAugust4,2000andMarch24,2006.Throughouttherenewalcycles,AdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission2BhasofferedseveralmodificationstotheMoratoriumtoallowforadditionaldevelopmentintheneighborhood.In2006,thetotalnumberofABRAlicenseswentfrom29to30.In2008,thenumberwasincreasedtoitscurrentthresholdof34,expanding(attheANC’srequest)thenumberofDR/CRlicensesfrom17to21.TheANC,recognizingtheMoratoriumasatemporarymeasuremeanttoadapttocommunityneeds,tookdecisiveactionin2009toexemptthe1500blockofConnecticutAvenueNWfromtheMoratoriumZone.Ofthebusinessesthatmovedin,allhaveCR/DRlicenses.ThisincreaseinCR/DRlicensesin2008and2009wasconsistentwiththedesiresofANC2BandtheDupontCircleCitizensAssociationtoallowforthedevelopmentofa“RestaurantRow”inWesternDupontCircle.