Residents of a D.C. neighborhood are seeking a three-year moratorium on new bars or nightclubs as they say the area has been overrun with crime and noise.
The Westminster Neighborhood Association, a community organization, filed a petition with D.C. requesting that no more liquor licenses be approved for the 1900 block of Ninth Street NW, a popular nightlife corridor just off U Street. More than 20 businesses on the block have liquor licenses.
“The neighborhoods surrounding the 1900 block are the scene of violence, noise, trash, property destruction that's caused by hordes of clubgoers who descend by the thousands on this one tiny block every weekend,” said Kerry Verdi, the attorney representing the neighbors.
Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau wrote a letter supporting the moratorium.
Minya’s Pizza owner Yosef Aradom watched a hearing Thursday on whether businesses like his will be allowed to serve alcohol.
“Like this neighborhood. I've been here for 10 years, so this is my passion that I, my plan to open a pizza,” he said. “Finally, I open it. So, it will affect us, of course.”
“Regrettably, in recent years this community has been overtaken by poorly run bars and nightclubs, which have contributed to the rapid decline of peace, order and safety in our neighborhood,” resident Amanda Toles testified. “Residents have for years endured intolerable noise and light pollution from their operations, resulting in seriously detrimental impacts to our quality of life.”
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Bill Spieler, who has owned DC 9 Nightclub on Ninth Street for almost 20 years, suggested the problems can be fixed in other ways, pointing to illegal street vendors selling alcohol at night as part of the problem.
“A multipronged approach dealing with the crowds that just hang out on the street, taking care of the vendors, and then for places that are deemed not to operate appropriately, work with them to say what are good practices, and if they continue on, take a much harder approach of threatening to remove their license,” he said.
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board has to vote on the proposal, which could take some time.
News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.
