DC Council Hearing on Legislation to Help Restaurants Obtain Liquor Licenses, 6/23

From Alex Padro, Executive Director of Shaw Main Streets:

There is finally legislative movement that would allow Vegetate to get its liquor license. This legislation, Bill 16-0696, would amend the current law that restricts any establishment that is within 400 feet of a school from getting a liquor license. Specifically, it would allow the ABC Board to consider liquor license applications for restaurants and taverns that are within 400 feet of schools, whether or not a license of the same type is already in the area.

This is city-wide legislation, not legislation just for Vegetate or just for the Shaw neighborhood--though clearly we will benefit if it passes. Next Friday, June 23rd at 10am in the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Councilmember Jim Graham, chair of the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs committee, is holding a public hearing to discuss and hear testimony regarding this Bill.

We are asking that all of you who are interested in this issue attend the hearing. The more people who simply show their faces in support of this Bill, the better.

We are also asking everyone to wear a white shirt or blouse, so that the council members know that you are there to support restaurants. We will have white ribbons for those who aren't wearing white. If you are so inclined, you may testify as well. If you plan to testify, you should call John Adams at 202-724-8198 before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21st. You will then have three minutes to speak at the hearing on the 23rd.

Finally, if you can't make the hearing, you can submit written testimony to all the council members on the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs committee.
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I am unable to attend, but this is what I submitted (based a bit on the sample letter that you can get from Alex). The members of the committee are CM Jim Graham (chair), Sharon Ambrose, Kwame Brown, David Catania, and Adrian Fenty.

Dear Councilmember Graham and fellow members of the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs:

I am writing to ask you to support Bill 16-696, introduced by Councilmember Jack Evans. While I am a strong advocate of protecting children from underage drinking, I also support mixed use, thriving neighborhood commercial districts.

One of the unintended consequences of mixing uses, in particular public functions such as schools, as well as churches and other nonprofit organizations in our commercial districts, is that current laws provide these institutions with extra-normal power to prevent restaurants and taverns, which primarily operate in hours when schools and churches are not open, from selling liquor.

Because these institutions operate at different times of day (the whole point of "mixed primary uses" that was made by Jane Jacobs in Death and Life of Great American Cities when first published in 1961), the fear that underage drinking will be fostered by restaurants in commercial districts abutting schools and/or churches is misplaced.

Our city's commercial districts have experienced decades of disinvestment. Restaurants are key levers in commercial district revitalization because such establishments provide "third places" for neighbors to gather, and the opportunity for residents and other market segments to re-sample and to begin to "re-populate" the commercial district.

Furthermore, people need places to refresh, including restrooms, if we want them to linger in our commercial districts. Patrons cannot do so if there is no place to eat or drink or go to the restroom.

And, like it or not, the profit margins from alcoholic beverages are often necessary to provide the revenue streams to make restaurants successful.

The Law as it stands now does a disservice to the entire city. The law as written allows more Class A and B establishments to be opened when extant licensees exist. These are the types of establishments that tend to contribute to disorder in the public spaces, which occurs often and usually during the day. Such establishments contribute mightily to the negative perceptions that we face in our neighborhoods and for our city.

Meanwhile, these businesses have few if any restrictions, yet sit-down, fine and casual dining restaurants find it extremely difficult to get licenses or open. Such investments should be supported, not discouraged.

Please make it possible for new restaurant and tavern establishments to succeed in and contribute to revitalizing neighborhoods and commercial districts.

Unless the issues covered by this Bill are addressed, there will continue to be obstacles to the kind of neighborhood commercial district development that all of us--residents, business owners, and visitors--want and need. And our commercial districts will continue to suffer the kind of disinvestment that the city has experienced for more than 40 years.

Thank you.

Index Keywords: retail