Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 6A) met via Zoom on Sept. 5. Commissioners Mike Velasquez (6A02), Roberta Shapiro (6A03), Amber Gove (6A04, chair), Dave Wethington (6A05), Robb Dooling (6A06) and Steve Moilanen (6A07) were in attendance. Single Member District (SMD) 6A01 is currently vacant.
The commission’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis (ABC) committee has negotiated a settlement agreement over the summer with medical cannabis dispensary Luxury Soil at 771 H St. NE. The store applied for a medical dispensary license in May. Placards were posted in June and a protest deadline set for Aug. 26.
The commission discussed the license with the applicant at length at its July 2024 meeting. It voted to authorize its ABC Committee to negotiate a settlement agreement with the applicant and protest the license in its absence. The ABC Committee concluded this agreement in August during the commission’s recess.
Under the new cannabis regulations, only Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have standing to protest cannabis licenses. The Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Board’s (ABCA Board) roll call hearing to consider the license occurred on Sept. 16. The commission did not testify due to its failure to protest.
Commissioner Shapiro objected to commission’s failure to file a protest. “We are the only voice of the community on these applications,” she said. The deadline to file a protest was July 1.
Of the 18 known cannabis retailers along H Street, four have cease and desist orders, two have warnings, two have been denied and three have been awarded conditional licenses that do not specify a location, Shapiro reported. She is concerned about the “vast amount of illegal activity” and the more than 80 unoccupied storefronts along the corridor.
Commissioner Velasquez echoed Shapiro’s concerns. There is loitering at the intersection of Eighth and H Streets NE and the “open air drug market” that persists in the neighborhood, he stated. Many prospective tenants were nervous to sign leases due to the proliferation of cannabis retailers along the street, a local property owner told him, Velasquez reported.
Shapiro introduced several draft motions requesting changes in ABCA statutes, regulations or procedures. These would “put some teeth” into enforcement by the DC Council and ABCA, she claimed. “Their (ABCA) enforcement is lacking,” she said. The commission took no vote on her motions.
Other Matters
The commission voted to:
- award a $1,000 grant to Guerilla Gardeners to plant tulips bulbs at Sasha Bruce House at 1022 Maryland Ave. NE;
- award a $1,500 grant to Atlas Performing Arts Center to host a free lobby event in November;
- the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) application to construct a rooftop penthouse with a special exception from the height requirements at 1351 C St. NE;
- protest the class B retail license application of Aldi #15 at 801 H St. NE unless a settlement agreement is reached prior to the protest deadline.
ANC 6A will meet next on October 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Get details on committee meetings and how to online at anc6a.org.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at [email protected].
