Background

The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board (Board) considered a petition from the Westminster Neighborhood Association seeking to impose a new moratorium on certain license classes and types in the North Shaw neighborhood.

The Board adopted a rulemaking which will prohibit the following for three years:

• New Retailer’s Class CN and DN nightclub licenses
• New Retailer’s Class CX and DX multipurpose facility licenses
• New entertainment endorsements for any on-premises licensed restaurant or tavern to offer entertainment, a cover charge, or facilities for dancing
• Existing entertainment endorsements for any on-premises licensed restaurant or tavern to add entertainment, a cover charge, or facilities for dancing
• A licensed nightclub, multipurpose facility, or restaurant or tavern with an entertainment endorsement from transferring from a location outside of the moratorium area to a location inside of the moratorium area
• A license holder located within the moratorium area filing a change of license class application for a Class CN, DN, CX (multipurpose facility), or DX (multipurpose facility) retailer’s license

Boundaries

The North Shaw Moratorium Zone is more specifically described as:

• An area bounded by a line beginning at the 1900 block of 9th Street N.W.
• Continuing in a northeast direction to the south side of the 800 block of V Street N.W.
• Continuing east to a portion of the 600 block of Florida Avenue N.W.
• Continuing in a southeast direction along the east side of the 1800 block of 7th Street N.W.
• Continuing south and southwest along the north side of the 700 and 800 blocks of S Street N.W.
• Continuing in a northwest direction to the 1900 block of Vermont Avenue N.W.
• Continuing north to the 900 block of U Street N.W.

Exemptions

• Not applicable to any Retailer's Class CH or DH (Hotel) License.
• Not applicable to any license or endorsement application that was pending on the effective date of the original rulemaking.

Status

The ABC Board approved the North Shaw Moratorium Zone (NSMZ) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, by a three (3) to zero (0) vote on December 14, 2023. A transcript and video from the public hearing held on February 29, 2024, are available.