Engine Company 12's liquor license pursuit

One of the items on last night`s ANC 5C meeting agenda was "Reconsideration/Finalization of Action Re: Engine Company 12 ABRA Application/Mediation."

Applicant Abbas Fathi did not appear at last night's meeting. ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood commented that Mr. Fathi had a family emergency and could not attend.

Note that ANC 5C is on record for supporting Engine Company 12. There was discussion last night amongst the commissioners to withdraw that support, but no motion was made to withdraw support.

Diton: NCMS Art + Music Walk - grand finale featuring pig roast, craft beers, Flamenco music, pizza-eating contest

See this message from Rustik Tavern`s Diton Pashaj:

Join us this Saturday, August 6th between 12 pm and 6pm for the Third Annual Art Walk in DC`s North Capital Neighborhoods of Bloomingdale, Eckington and Truxton Circle. Featuring ``Pop-up`` art installations that will be in front lawns throughout the month of August, an Artist Village with unique crafts for sale, various venues with live music and much more, this year`s Art Walk is not to be missed. Sponsored by North Capital Main Street and the Pinkline Project, the mission is to bring the community together in an event for all ages to enjoy.

Some call it Block Party, some call it Grand Finale -- oh heck, call it whatever you want -- but we are closing the unit block of T Street NW for some lively music, a Pig Roast and craft brews. A 250 pound pig will be slowly smoked for 24 hours and served alongside roasted chicken, sausage, grilled vegetables and more in an all-inclusive buffet for $15 starting at 4pm. Great Lakes and Heavy Seas Breweries will represent with their awesome craft-brews on site with pints available for $5. A selection of red and white wines will be available for $5 a glass as well.

Come for the food and drink, stay for the entertainment. On stage there will be a lively Rumba Flamenco Band with dancer. In between sets, we`ll host a Pizza Eating Contest during which representation from Big Bear Cafe, Rustik Tavern, Boundary Stone, Solly`s Tavern and soon to open in Petworth, DC Reynolds Bar, will be in fierce competition to put down the most pizzas in our allotted time-span. Come support your local providers of food and drink as they put their skills to the test. And the best part of this, the Prince of Petworth himself will be hosting the contest wearing his ``Prince``ly attire. Oh yeah, we ordered the cape and crown. Maybe we can convince him to scarf down some pizzas as well.

If all this doesn`t sound like fun to you, we don`t know what does.

You can call this Just Another Random Day in Bloomingdale.

When: Saturday, August 6th
Art Walk 12-4 pm
Grand Finale or ``Block Party`` 4 - 6:30 pm

What: Art Walk featuring pop up art installations in lawns throughout the neighborhoods
Artist Village with unique crafts for sale
Live Music in front of Big Bear Cafe, Window`s Cafe and The Firehouse
Grand Finale in front of Rustik Tavern featuring a Pig Roast, Craft Beers, Flamenco music

...and Pizza Eating Contest

emergency ANC 5C meeting -- Thursday, 8-4-2011

Posted at the Eckington list by ANC 5C Commissioner Tim Clark:

Residents,

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5C, will be holding an emergency meeting on Thursday, August 4 at First New Hope Baptist Church. We will be reviewing grants, discussing the R Street bikelane and considering the ABRA application for the Firehouse, amongst other things. I encourage every resident that can to come out and participate in this meeting.

The meeting agenda is attached.

Thursday, August 4, 2011
7:00pm -9:00pm
First New Hope Baptist Church
1818 3rd Street NW

EMERGENCY PUBLIC MEETING

Notice & Agenda
This is to provide notice that ANC 5C will hold a Special Emergency Meeting on Thursday, August 4, 2011. The following items will be discussed:

􀁸􀀃 3rd Quarter Financial Report
o Status of Documents\Submission

􀁸􀀃 Consider Emergency Funding Request –
o Stronghold Civic Association – August 6, 2011 Event

􀁸􀀃 Consider Request for ABRA/Stipulated Liquor License…….Firehouse

􀁸􀀃 Grant Applications -The following groups have submitted applications for consideration:

􀁸􀀃 Friends of Edgewood Rec (Michael Henderson)
􀁸􀀃 Amateur Kickboxing Federation ( Michelle Hamond)
􀁸􀀃 Edgewood Farmers Market
􀁸􀀃 Perry School

􀁸􀀃 “R” Street Bike Lines………………………………………………………
􀁸􀀃 CUA South Campus Tree Planting Plan……………………….……….

PRE-EXECUTIVE MEETING – Starting at 6:00 P.M.

procedural protest of the Engine Company 12 ABRA application

See this 07/29/2011 message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

Procedural Protest of the Engine Company 12 ABRA Application

Dear Members of the Community,

The Engine Company 12 team has indicated their preference to negotiate a Voluntary Agreement with the surrounding community regarding their ABRA application under the leadership of the ABRA mediator. As such, I`ll be working with Commissioners Pinkney and Thomas and any interested members of the community to develop and submit a protest petition to ABRA in order to formally initiate the structured mediation process.

If you`d like to join the working group on the subject, please contact either me, your SMD Commissioner (if you live outside the borders of SMD 5C03), or your local Civic Association leaders.

If you`d like to show your support for the Engine Company 12 ABRA application as filed, please let me know and contact Mr. Steven May to determine how the team could best use your help.

For more information, please visit the Engine Company 12 website (http://enginecompany12.com/).

Hugh Youngblood
ANC, SMD 5C03
anc5c03@gmail.com

purchase your tickets TODAY for this Saturday's "Come on Baby, Light Your Fire" North Capitol Main Street fundraiser at Engine Company 12

See this message from Truxton Circle resident and North Capitol Main Street Executive Director Lonna Hooks:

Want to see the nice formatted version of this message? Then go here: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=tp9zhzcab&v=001ritck83OfZljf50v9N-HQ6xnk8nptDhQwh0qTelftjsm8I0ugHE4GgEVzs86oeUkalOdoZxExQm7LOZzobT65TRVF1wHUJGR_6OkpIg6q4VZh5zBIVadVYmMHeDeKadlh26YkQ64z8M%3D

Come on Baby, Light Your Fire!

Jump-start your summer. . .

Engine Co. 12 is coming . . . and for many, the wait has been just way too long. So North Capitol Main Street with permission from the owners and support from business partners, is hosting an Adult Spring-break of sorts with a sneak preview party on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

Just imagine, EC 12, at the apex of three great neighborhoods in D.C. -- Truxton Circle, Bloomingdale and Eckington -- coming soon. Wow!

Get a sneak-peek this Saturday, May 21st
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Buy your tickts online now! (http://www.ncmsinc.org/?p=398)

(Proceeds of fundraiser go to the continued support of the Green Team and NCMS projects)

ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood reports that Engine Company 12 has filed its ABRA application; he then files letter of support

See this Saturday, 5/14/2011 message from ANC 5C03 Commissioner Hugh Youngblood:

Delays in the project schedule for Engine Company 12 could be attributable to a variety of factors.

I would love to address any associated community concerns through personal discussions on my front stoop or in the venue of your choice.

Please contact me to schedule a time to meet or simply stop by and knock on the door.

Yesterday the Office of Single Member District 5C03 generated and delivered a Letter of Support for the EC12 ABRA application filed yesterday by the development team. I`ve included the text of the letter below to provide public insight.

Thank you,

Hugh Youngblood
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Single Member District 5C03
70 R St NW
240 . 925 . 1079


Letter of Support

Friday, 13 May, 2011

Ms. Martha Jenkins
Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration
2000 14th Street, NW, Suite 400S
Washington, DC 20009
abra@dc.gov

Dear Ms. Martha Jenkins:

On behalf of District of Columbia Single Member District 5C03, I am writing this letter of support for the Engine Company 12 ABRA application.

The majority of SMD 5C03 community residents support the general advancement of the Engine Company 12 project as presented at local community meetings held during 2011, and we recognize that alcohol sales comprise a critical revenue stream to ensure the economic sustainability of a restaurant of the proposed size and scope.

The Engine Company 12 project team has conducted diligent outreach efforts within the SMD 5C03 community. Despite these efforts, some outstanding concerns remain with various members of the community with regard to specific parameters of the Engine Company 12 ABRA application and other operational aspects of the proposed business.

The SMD 5C03 community provides this letter of support in advance of reviewing the parameters of the Engine Company 12 ABRA application in the spirit of good faith that the Engine Company 12 development team will voluntarily return to the negotiating table to reach an agreement with the community that both respects residential concerns and provides sufficient entrepreneurial flexibility to facilitate positive socio-economic transformation.

Sincerely,

W. Hugh Youngblood, Jr.
Commissioner, Single Member District 5C03

CC:
1626 Firestation LLC
DBA: Engine Company 12
1626 North Capitol Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

Steven Michael May, Jr.
Project & Property Manager
202 - 243 - 8754

Bloomingdale Civic Association's response to Steve May's 05/12/2011 Open Letter to the Community

See this 5/13/2011 message from Teri Janine Quinn, President, Bloomingdale Civic Association:

Bloomingdale Civic Association`s Response to Steven May`s ``Open Letter to the Community``
May 12, 2011

Neighbors,

The Bloomingdale Civic Association (``BCA``) has read Mr. Steven May`s ``Open Letter`` dated today. While the BCA looks forward to working with Mr. May as he works toward the opening of Engine Company 12, it is necessary to clarify a few things about the BCA.

First, the BCA fully supports Bloomingdale-area businesses and their efforts to serve the Bloomingdale community. This includes supporting restaurants that seek liquor licenses. Recently, we supported the applications of Big Bear Café and Boundary Stone, and we hope to support future applications from businesses that will add value to our community.

Second, our policy concerning support of liquor licenses is that we consider all requests for support during a duly noticed public meeting after the business owner has filed the license application. Big Bear Café and Boundary Stone followed this process and the BCA supported them. The principal reason for this policy is that Bloomingdale residents deserve to know what the business owner is asking them to support and the official record of that information is found in the filed and accepted application (acceptance occurs before the licensing board issues the placard for posting). In fact, Bloomingdale residents already have approached us regarding Engine Company 12`s intended use of the patio. While Mr. May has likely discussed this issue in prior meetings, the use of the patio will be governed by the request in the application and the terms of the license.

Third, the BCA is not delaying Engine Company 12`s opening. To be clear, the liquor licensing process does not require that a letter of support from a civic association (or ANC) be obtained prior to the submission of a liquor license application or at anytime thereafter. Likewise, there is no requirement that such letter must be submitted with a liquor license application. We were pleased that Mr. May sought our support and offered to consider his request once he filed the application. Any claim that the BCA is the cause of Engine Company 12`s failure to open for business on July 1, 2011 is disingenuous – at best. Even if the liquor license application was filed today, in a best case scenario, the application could not be approved and issued before July 1, 2011. Further, I have found no support in the District`s regulations and through a call to the licensing board for Mr. May`s claim that not acquiring a letter of support prior to the submission of an application would cause a delay in application process. Therefore, assuming that the lack of a liquor license is the only reason Engine Company 12 is unable to open on July 1, 2011, the blame for not opening on time would seem to fall at the feet of the person(s) responsible for filing the application in a timely fashion.

Mr. May`s letter this morning was the first time we have heard Mr. May suggest that the BCA is preventing the opening of Engine Company 12. Mr. May first requested an opportunity to request a letter of support via an email sent Thursday, April 14, 2011, three days before our April meeting. In my response I asked if the application had been filed and indicated that there would not be enough time before the April meeting to alert neighbors that the issue would be discussed and that a vote may be taken. Mr. May said the application had not been filed and that he would ``move ahead without the letter at this point....`` Perhaps if the person(s) responsible for filing the application had in fact moved ahead without the letter and submitted the application there would not be a delay in Engine Company 12`s opening date, again, that assumes liquor licensing is the sole reason for the delay – but I digress. During the April meeting, Mr. May stated that the BCA would not consider a letter of support until the application was filed and indicated that he would file the application shortly thereafter. On Wednesday, May 4, 2011, in preparation for the May BCA meeting, I emailed Mr. May to find out whether the application had been filed and his response was ``I am dropping it off on Friday``, which I took to mean last Friday, May 6, 2011. The application was not filed last Friday. Yesterday, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Hugh Youngblood informed me that the application would be filed this Friday. Even if the application is filed this Friday, it will have to be reviewed and accepted before the placard is issued. At no point have I or any other Bloomingdale Civic Association board member indicated that the BCA will not support Engine Company 12`s application for a liquor license. The fact is that there is currently no application for us to support.

We at the BCA are pleased to represent Bloomingdale and to assist Bloomingdale business owners with their entrepreneurial dreams. Despite Mr. May`s ``Open Letter,`` our offer to him still stands; we would be pleased to consider his request once the application is on file.

Best regards,

Teri Janine Quinn
President, Bloomingdale Civic Association

an open letter to the community from Engine Company 12`s Steve May Jr.

See this letter from Steve May Jr.

Engine Company 12™
1626 Fire Station LLC
1626 North Capitol Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

May 11, 2011

An Open Letter to the Community
Re: Scheduled Opening of Engine Company 12

To all local residents,

Due to the lack of open support from community leaders and local civic associations, it has become necessary to delay the opening of Engine Company 12 from July 1, 2011 to September 1, 2011. We have tried for the past several months to garner letters of support from local area civic associations and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission without success. Without these letters the process to obtain an alcohol license from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration is drastically slower. Operating a restaurant of this size without an active ABRA license would be financially unfeasible.

Representatives from Engine Company 12 have been attending and presenting at local area civic association meetings and hosting meet and greets off and on for the past four months. It is unfortunate that this philosophy of open communication with local residents and civic leaders has not garnered the support necessary to yield letters of support from local groups.

If we are unable to obtain letters of support from the local civic associations and the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in the next 30-45 days the opening date will need to be delayed until after the start of the New Year. I apologize for this and we are still working diligently to get this project up and running as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Steven M. May Jr.
General Manager
Engine Company 12