The outline on the map delineates the Barracks Row “overlay” created by the Zoning Board where fast food restaurants are technically banned.
Here’s Why There’s a Fast Food “Ban” on Barracks Row
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 12, 2026
DC Board of Zoning regulations ban or restrict fast food outlets on certain commercial corridors like Barracks Row, Georgetown and Ninth Street, NW near the Convention Center. The purpose is to prevent over-concentration and to limit adverse livability issues such as trash, rodents, and traffic. The regulations also provide that restaurants can apply for an exception to the ban.
The application for an exception is first considered by the appropriate ANC during which neighbors have an opportunity for input. The ANC then makes a recommendation to the Board of Zoning: the recommendation is advisory only – ANC stands for Advisory Neighborhood Commission.
The regulations state a number of criteria for the ANC to consider regarding whether the applicant is a fast food outlet and needs an exemption, including payment before eating, disposable tableware, production line food preparation, and pre-prepared food.
During consideration of the application, the ANC will often require the restaurant to agree to a “Settlement Agreement” on the outlet’s operational procedures regarding trash, rodent, and odor management as well of hours of operation, as the price of their support. The ANC can protest the exemption if a Settlement Agreement is not reached, which can result in an administrative delay, sometimes for months. In the final analysis, however, a restaurant is whatever the Board of Zoning or Board of Zoning Adjustment decides it is.
ANC6B has recently begun planning to hold a Barracks Row stakeholders’ roundtable to discuss ways to promote economic diversity. That issue has been discussed periodically on Barracks Row since at least 2012. Taco Bell recently received an exception and opened the first week of 2026 – Popeyes has received an exception to open next door – and WingStop across the street has an application pending before ANC6B. All three are on the 400 block of 8th Street, SE, Barracks Row which already hosts the fast food spot Boli Pizza and the less restricted “fast-casual” outlets like &Pizza, Ledo Pizza, Dunkin’, Chiko, Chipotle, Maman Joon’s Kitchen, and Union Kitchen.
In addition to some corridors and Zoning Board overlay areas, fast food outlets are banned in MU-4, MU-17, MU-24, MU-25, MU-26, MU-27 Zones.Here’s DC’s Zoning Map: https://maps.dcoz.dc.gov/HistoricZoning/
R.I.P. Mehmet Yalcin, owner of Woven History & Silk Road, has passed away. He was in Turkey visiting family and had a heart attack. His death was announced to the community by Judy Thomas, Executive Director, Eastern Market Main Street.
He opened Silk Road – a family-owned textile business near Eastern Market – in 1995 after a career at the World Bank. Yalcin held a Ph.D. from Harvard University and was a scholar of Inner Asian and Altaic Studies. Here’s an article from 2021 in the Hill Rag: https://bit.ly/4psmDvD
At last Tuesday’s 1st District MPD Citizens Advisory Council (CAC), District Commander Colin Hall announced that for the next ten weeks, he would be attending the FBI National Academy. The Academy is a professional course of study for U.S. and international law enforcement managers nominated by their agency heads because of demonstrated leadership qualities. Hall has served at 1st District Commander since July 23.
The CAC is an advisory panel in each police district that provides the district commander with information and recommendations from the community on the public’s safety problems and police service needs. 1st Districts CAC holds a virtual meet on the first Tuesday of the month. See here: https://1dcac.com/
During Commander Hall’s absence, the 1st District will be overseen by Commander Christopher Dorsey of the MPD’s Office of the Field Commander.
Update on CIVIC on 8th: Last Tuesday night ANC6B’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee discussed CIVIC’s on 8th’s application for a tavern license with an entertainment endorsement. Co-owner Rhonda Foxx said the business model includes live entertainment on the patio along E Street. The committee voted to recommend the full ANC approve a temporary alcohol license at its upcoming meeting January 13meeting, allowing CIVIC to open ASAP and simultaneously protest the license to allow the ANC time to get an agreement to limit the hours of the outside entertainment. Foxx says the coffee bar will oper in a few weeks – and that could quickly be followed by the cocktail bar.
Update on WingStop on Barracks Row: Last Thursday, the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee heard from high-powered Hill and Knowlton attorney Liela Batties who was there to push WingStop’s application for an exception to the ban on fast food outlets on Barracks Row and present a new request for an exemption from dumpster requirements. In the process, the community learned that Douglas Development, the owner of the building which formerly housed an illegal weed dispensary (now the proposed location for WingStop at 406 8th Street), also owns Dunkin, next door. Douglas Development seems to be bending over backward to be accommodating and has agreed to work with ANC6B Commissioner Brian Gorman to coordinate a meeting with neighbors to adress concerns.
Update on SE Library Renovation: The renovation of SE Library continues to move forward on schedule to meet a completion date of this coming June. The DC Library will need a couple of months, they say, to get the new library up and running after that.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, January 12
ANC6B Parks & Public Spaces Taskforce will hold an In Person Only Meeting at 7:00pm.
Join Information: This meeting will be held at 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
Among items on the draft agenda:
Discussion of Rumsey Aquatic Center Rebuild. There will be a public meeting re the Rumsey rebuild on Wednesday, January 14 at 6:30 in the North Hall of the Eastern Market. Concerns:
The treatment of the alley between the pool and the EM, while attractive, may not reflect actual working use of the alley by the EM.
Are the proposed spaces large enough and flexible enough to meet the community’s aspirations? (e.g. is space sufficient for the competitive swim meets that some desire? Is the proposed therapy pool adequate? Is the storage area(s) adequate? )
What is the proposed treatment of the C street side of the building? It is not clearly reflected in the drawings.
One unusual concern related to actual labeling of the meeting spaces: if they are to represent flexible design and use, does it make sense to use designations such as “Seniors” or “Makers” rooms.
St. Elizabeth Campus Development and historical preservation.
This week the DC Preservation League and the National Trust for Historic Preservation wrote the U.S. Federal Services Administration to protest plans for demolishing properties on St. Elizabeth’s West Campus – a Historic Landmark District.
Possible action for our Committee: to prepare a letter of support from ANC6B for the regarding the request for responsible agencies to meet on site to discuss the issue– with copies provided to the DC Council, pertinent ANCs, and others actors cited by the DC Preservation League– emphasizing the need for redevelopment compatible with historic preservation.
Meeting schedule for 2026 and discussion of additional agenda building issues.
Tuesday, January 13
ANC6B will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.
Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; First Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
For info on how to join the virtual meeting, go here: https://anc6b.org/
Presentation of the 2025 ANC 6B Outstanding Public Service Award
Discussion: Interim Police Chief
[LATE BREAKING] Discuss: Letter to WMATA Regarding Signage at L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station
Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee
CIVIC on Eighth – 501 8th Street SE. New Application for a Retail’s Class “C” Tavern; Protest Petition Deadline: 01/26/2026
Protests/Other Updates
Ambar – 523 8th Street SE, Ongoing negotiation regarding settlement agreement and protest hearing. Parties have requested continuance while discussions proceed
Continue Discussion for “Vision for Barracks Row”/Roundtable Planning
Finalization of Roster for Barracks Row Roundtable
Planning and Zoning Committee
BZA Application for Fast Food special exemption at 406 8th Street, SE
Technical Assistance Fund (OANC) – Owl Purchase
ANC7D will hold a virtual public meeting at 7:00pm
Adopt January 2026 meeting agenda and December 2025 meeting minutes
Updates from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
Special Guest – Thom de Boo, “Trains Are Awesome” Transportation Vlogger
Elected District Government Official Updates
Letisha Vinson, Office of Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder
Amber Wright, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services (MOCRS
Eboni-Rose Thompson, State Board of Education (SBOE), Ward 7 Representative
Kisha Anderson, District Department of Transportation (DDOT),
Ward 7 Community Engagement Specialist
Community Presentations/Discussions
Chris Dyer, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Community Engagement Manager: Updates on Summer Camp Registration, River Terrace Survey, Rosedale Pool Request
RFK Roundup
Opportunity for Commission to raise awareness around RFK Development Issues
Election of ANC Officers (Christy Kwan, official counter)
Designation of officers authorized to provide secondary signature on checks
Appointment and elections of committee members and chairs
Treasurer’s report for December
Community announcements
Commissioner announcements
DC agency informational announcements
Office of Planning’s H Street NE land use project
Other community announcements/public comment
Consent agenda
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee
218 F Street NE. BZA Application for special exceptions from lot occupancy requirements and rear addition restrictions to construct a two-story rear addition + cellar principal dwelling unit
507-509 L Street NE. BZA Application for area variances from front setback requirements and rules of measurement for front setback requirements to construct four attached three-story + cellar flats
Transportation and Public Space Committee
DDOT Strategic Bikeways Plan, ANC 6C request for support
Plenary Session
Alcohol and Cannabis Licensing Committee
OANC advice on committee chairmanship – Ad hoc rotating chair from among committee members
New Business
J.O. Wilson construction – Update, Jeremiah Foxwell
201 K Street NE, sidewalk access closed – Andrew Hayes
Community Meeting on Rumsey Redesign.
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) have scheduled a community meeting to discuss the latest concept design for the Rumsey Aquatic Center.
Meeting Details:
Location: North Hall at Eastern Market | 255 7th Street SE
Time: 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM
Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact Christopher Dyer at (202) 702-9453 or Christopher.dyer@dc.gov
Motion to elect officers: Chair – Amber Gove (6A04); -Vice Chair – Stephen Kolb (6A07); Secretary/Parliamentarian – Jeff Giertz (6A06); Treasurer – Roberta Shapiro (6A02)
Motion to elect members and leaders of the permanent Committees for 2026.
Economic Development and Zoning Committee – TBA & Mike Cushman (6A04) – Co-Chairs; Ayisha Lockett (6A06), Becca Buthe (6A03), Russ Green (6A02); Rachael Loper (6A02).
Transportation and Public Safety Committee – Patrick Bloomstine (6A01), Chair; Shaun Lynch (6A01); Caitlin Rogger (6A07); Jeff Fletcher (6A07); Mark Sussman (6A04).
Alcohol Beverage & Cannabis Committee – Jeff Giertz – Chair; Members – TBA
Community Outreach Committee: Chair and Members – TBA
Motion to adopt a schedule of monthly meetings.
Community Presentation – To be announced
Consent Agenda
Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application for renewal of a Class C tavern license with Entertainment and endorsements at The Haymaker 1015 H Street NE
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application for a retail Class B Beer and Wine by US Spirits, LLC at 50 Massachusetts Ave NE Suite M118 unless a settlement agreement is reached. ANC 6A authorizes the ANC Chair or the Chair of the ABC Committee, or their designee, to negotiate the settlement agreement
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application for the application for a new license for a Class C Restaurant by Crumb at 822 H Street NE unless a settlement agreement is reached. ANC6A authorizes the ANC Chair or the Chair of the ABC Committee, or their designee, to negotiate the settlement agreement
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application for a substantial change request to a Class C Tavern to change hours of operation and alcoholic beverage sales and service for the Summer Garden by 816 Dirty Water at 816 H Street NE
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Sign Up for FreeDC. To learn about upcoming FreeDC events, actions, and ways to get involved, go here: https://freedcproject.org/events
Note: The January meeting of the Congress Working Group was previously scheduled for January 8th, but was rescheduled to allow community members to attend the evening’s vigils in response to the shooting in Minneapolis. Those who registered for the January 8th meeting are still registered for tonight’s meeting.
Free DC’s Congress Working Group develops priorities and projects for Free DC’s advocacy to Congress.
This meeting will be hybrid, meaning there will be both in-person and remote attendance options. Please register below and let us know how you’re planning to attend!
If you are attending in person, please note that Old City Market & Oven is located about a 10-minute walk from the NoMa Metro Station (M St NE exit) on the Red Line.
The meeting room is in the basement, accessible only by stairs; attendees requiring wheelchair accessibility/elevator access should register to attend this meeting remotely. For additional accessibility information, please contact congress@freedcproject.org.
The new HQ of GraceWay Baptist Church at 228 7th Street, SE
Politically Active Church Buys $5.5 million Building at Eastern Market
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 11, 2026
(A previous version of this post stated that the purchase price was $8 million. Although the listed price was $8 million, the actual sales price was $5.5 million.)
GraceWay Baptist Church has purchased the 25,000 square foot former Health Home Care and Hospice Association building at 228 7th Street, SE, across from Eastern Market. The church was established by Pastor Brad Wells in DC in 2016.
GraceWay has been meeting at Hill Center for some 10 years while searching for its own building. Last year, the church’s website says it raised $2 million toward a down payment on a church near Dupont Circle at 1611 16th Street, NW, which was ultimately was sold to Union City Church.
GraceWay then turned its attention to the 7th Street building. The church’s fundraising website refers to having obtained a loan for the purchase of 228 7th Street in November 2025 and closing on the sale in December 2025. The reported purchase price was $5.5 million.
The church is candid about its connection to political power. From the church’s mission statement: “GraceWay has a vision of reaching Washington, D.C., for Christ. Not only do we want to reach out to the leaders in government, but we also want to connect with staffers, lobbyists, and interns on all levels of government.”
While personally avoiding political endorsements, Wells has praised U.S. House Speaker Johnson on X and has platformed X posts of members of Congress who have praised administration cabinet appointments.
The church emphasizes voting as a religious duty, and has gathered for a Saturday night prayer service in front of the Supreme Court for a decade.
According to a Bloomberg News article of May 9, 2025, Pastor Wells appears outside the US House of Representatives “nearly every day” the House is in session, sponsored by an unnamed member of Congress. His purpose, the article says, is to be available for prayer and spiritual guidance.
After graduating high school, Wells joined his parents in Papua New Guinea, where they served as missionaries. He subsequently graduated from the Treasure Valley Baptist Bible Institute in Meridian, Idaho, with a Bachelor of Divinity in Theology before returning to Papua New Guinea. After 16 years of service abroad, Wells felt called to DC to minister to officials and residents. GraceWay held its first service in its new headquarters on Sunday, January 4, on the building’s lower (basement) level. The first floor of 228 Seventh Street, SE is home to the MedStar Urgent Care Center which is reported to be in the middle of a 20 year lease. GraceWay’s plan – according to the church’s fundraising website – is to create a 250 seat auditorium on the building’s second floor and to reconfigure the third floor into classrooms and offices.
New Surveillance Camera on Eastern Market Metro Plaza
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 8, 2026
A new surveillance camera has been installed on Eastern Market Metro Plaza by the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District (BID). The device was funded by a grant from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. The 360 degree camera is registered with MPD’s Camera Connect program which can provide real-time coverage to MPD’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC).
According to a statement by the Capitol Hill BID, “the camera covers high-traffic areas of the park and supports the city’s ongoing public safety efforts along busy commercial corridors, particularly during peak evening and overnight hours, by helping detect loitering and other potentially suspicious activity.”
The city established the Safe Commercial Corridors Grant Program in 2024 to provide funds to allow BIDs to upgrade security monitoring. Other BIDs across the city have received grants to improve security, including Adams Morgan, Anacostia, Capitol Riverfront, Golden Triangle, and DuPont Circle, Georgetown, Mount Vernon Triangle, and NoMA. Other than the Golden Triangle BID, the number of other BID’s which have used funds for surveillance cameras is uncertain.
The ACLU has expressed concerns about the Real-Time Crime Center’s ability to monitor activity across the city without public oversight.
Community Meeting on New Rumsey Design Set for Wed Jan 14 – 6:30pm
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) have scheduled a community meeting to discuss the latest concept design for the Rumsey Aquatic Center.
Meeting Details:
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Location: North Hall at Eastern Market | 255 7th St SE
Time: 6:30 PM- 8:00 PM
Individuals needing special accommodations, please contact Christopher Dyer at (202) 702-9453 or Christopher.dyer@dc.gov.
Additional websites for the Rumsey Aquatic Center Community Meeting project:
Good news for PA Ave Hill East neighborhoods – Streets Market is coming soon to 15th and PA Avenue SE, with organic, conventional, local, international, and everyday essentials. All stores are open every day frem 8am – 10pm.
Elsewhere in Hill East ongoing problems apparently continue to befall DC Capitol Square at 15th and East Capitol involving an expired business license, unpaid taxes, and a series of lawsuits. It’s not clear where this is headed.
Barracks Row Taco Bell at 411 8th Street opened last week.
Open early – closes late.
Meanwhile, next door, here’s a recent photo of Popeyes’ buildout as it inches closer to opening. They’ve had issues with stop work orders for not complying with building permits. ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee will discuss Popeyes this and related issues at their monthly meeting on Thursday.
Finally, there’s a new plaque in front of Grubb’s Pharmacy at 326 East Capitol Street. It commemorates Grubb’s status as the oldest operating pharmacy in the District of Columbia, dating to 1867.
The Week Ahead….
Monday, January 6
ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
You are invited to the first ever Faith in Democracy Interfaith Concert at Lutheran Reformation DC. Come hear music based on multiple faiths and sacred scripture as we help people of ALL faith traditions counter growing partisan polarization in America. Let’s reclaim January 6 each year as a day of hope, light and unity.
Music from the Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Baha’i and Christian faiths.
Global Sounds on the Hill Featuring Qais Essar & Sonny Singh in Concert: SANGAT
Weaving together the ancient sound and haunting melodies of the rabab, a 2,500 year-old instrument from Afghanistan, with bold trumpet lines and anthemic Punjabi vocals, Qais and Sonny ground their music in ancestral wisdom and usher us into the future with their uplifting new sound. Drawing inspiration from hundreds of years old mystical poetry from the Sikh, Sufi, and radical bhakti traditions, their music centers oneness and connection in times of increasing division and hierarchy. Sangat is not only a meeting of diverse musical and spiritual traditions, but also a reflection of using art as a vehicle for connection, resistance, and healing.
Comments Off on The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week
“In Shelter from the Storm noted journalist and migration researcher Julian Hattem tells the story of the massive human displacement that is already being caused by climate change. With hard-hitting journalism from the front lines of the environmental apocalypse, Hattem takes the reader on a journey from the South Pacific to the Indian subcontinent, the Mediterranean, and beyond, offering a shocking glimpse into the human geography wrecked by a warming planet.”
Julian Hattem has been a journalist, writer, and editor focused on politics, government, and migration for more than fifteen years. He has been on staff with the Associated Press, The Hill, and The Yomiuri Shimbun, and has written for outlets including The Washington Post, The Guardian, NPR, and The Atlantic. He has reported from four continents and is currently the editor of Migration Information Source, the online magazine of the Migration Policy Institute, and founder and host of the podcast Changing Climate, Changing Migration. Shelter from the Storm (The New Press) is his first book. He lives in Washington, DC.
Comments Off on Tuesday Jan 6 – Book Talk on Migration Crisis – Capitol Hill Author Julian Hatten
The first roll out of the city’s proposed design for the new Rumsey Aquatic Center in March of 2025 produced a strong negative community reaction and especially from CM Charles Allen who had specifically found funding for a second floor which was not included in the plans.
Allen launched a petition drive, ANC6B, the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee and Barracks Row MainStreet sent letters of support for plan modifications on behalf of the community. Allen announced that in response to the pushback the Department of Parks and Recreation would be coming back to the community with a revised design.
Just before the end of the year, the concept plans for the new design became available. DC law requires the Mayor to submit plans to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for consideration before construction can begin on property within a historic district.
The proposed new building will be a destination facility for DPR, serving as a place for competitive swim events, community gatherings, and senior center activities including physical fitness amenities and a maker space. The project will provide approximately 29,000 square feet (up from 20,584) across two levels and will include the program elements outlined below.
Here are the concept renderings being submitted to HPRB – preliminary 3D visualizations showing the basic form, massing, and spatial ideas of the early-stage design.
Birds eye view of existing building.
Birds eye view of new building.
First Floor Plan.
Proposed Programming Summary for First Floor:
Full size 8-lane lap swimming pool.
A smaller therapy pool.
Locker rooms, a family changing room, and bathrooms adjacent to the pools and splash pad.
Staff office.
Tech lounge.
First aid room.
Life Guard room.
Lobby.
Storage.
Second Floor Plan.
Proposed Programming Summary for Second Floor.
Large Multipurpose/Recreation Room.
Senior center with tech lounge, and other amenities.
Small Fitness Room.
Meeting rooms.
Conference room.
Incubator / Maker Space.
Pool-overlook space.
Terrace overlooking North Carolina Avenue.
Toilets.
Storage.
View of Main Entrance from northeast Corner of the building.
View of the south side of the building from C Street.
View of the southeast corner and the Eastern Market Alley from C Street.
Next: Expect DPR is likely to announce a community meeting to present the new plan to stakeholders. The project team will continue to provide regular updates to a broad range of community stakeholders associated with the project, including Councilmember Charles Allen and his staff, ANC6B, Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee, the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, and the DC Preservation League. This will include on-going revisions to the plan up to and including final photo realistic renderings.
This out-of-state vehicle was struck multiple times for gunfire last night.
And this one was struck twice.
Here a photo of the 800 block of E Street, SE, looking toward Barracks Row
NYE Gunfire Near Barracks Row Unsettles Neighbors
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 1, 2026
Just after midnight on New Year’s Eve, residents were alarmed as gunfire erupted on the 800 block of E Street, SE. First mistaking it for fireworks, one resident commented that the shots were accompanied by the sounds of metal striking metal. As it turned out, that sound was the sounds of multiple bullets striking parked cars and it appeared that they had been fired toward 8th Street. There were no reported injuries.
Members of the National Guard who had been patrolling Barracks Row were on the scene within minutes but it is unclear what exactly they saw or how they reacted to the shots. One witness said that the Guard reportedly saw a Mercedes leaving the scene, westbound toward 8th Street.
1st District MPD showed up and recovered a dozen or so bullet casings. One vehicle on the north side of the block with an out-of-state license was struck several times. It had been removed by early Thursday morning. A vehicle parked in front of that car was hit twice, one ricocheting off the roof in the direction of 8th Street.
Residents of the block have complained to ANC6B that patrons of Café 8 on Barracks Row park on the block and after leaving Café 8 continue conversations and playing music outside of their parked cars late at night, prompting residents to sometimes call the police. Café 8 has posted signs in their windows urging departing patrons to respect the residences on nearby streets.
Here’s the proposed location of Wingstop at 406 8th Street, on Barracks Row.
Here’s the current interior of the former illegal weed shop at 406 8th Street. Wingstop hasn’t started a buildout yet, maybe waiting to make sure their application for an exception to the fast food ban on the street is granted.
Yet Another Fast-food Carryout to Open on Barracks Row
by Larry Janezich
Posted December 31, 2025
Last night, ANC6B’s Executive Committee scheduled a January 13 discussion of an application by Wingstop, the popular* fast food carryout and delivery restaurant, to open an outlet at 406 8th Street, on Barracks Row. The space was formerly occupied by Mother Blossom, an illegal weed gifting shop which was forced to close in 2024 after new regulations banned weed outlets within 400 feet of another. Up N’ Smoke is a legal weed dispensary located less than 400 feet away.
Zoning regulations currently restrict new fast food restaurants from opening on Barracks Row. Wingstop has filed application for a special exception with the Bureau of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). (Earlier yesterday, Washington Business Journal reported the opening to its subscribers, citing the application filed with the Board of Zoning Adjustment.)
Wingstop has over 2,500 outlets internationally and competes with Popeyes which is scheduled to open directly across the street. The block already suffers from an over-concentration of casual food outlets including & Pizza, Ledo Pizza, Boli Pizza, Dunkin’, Chipotle, Maman Joon Kitchen, and a soon-to-open Popeyes and Taco Bell. A Starbucks on the block closed last September and a 7-11 closed in August of 2024. An illegal weed shop on the block was closed down by ABCA last October.
ANC6B will also hear in January from nearby neighbors regarding efforts to negotiate best operating procedures with the forthcoming Barracks Row Taco Bell and Popeyes. (A report in December gave Taco Bell high marks – Popeyes not so much.) Some ANC6B commissioners are concerned about the negative impact on Barracks Row of the large number of fast food and medical weed outlets – especially the 400 block – and are promoting a business roundtable discussion of ways to broaden the economic variety of retail outlets on the street.
BZA is required to get community input on the special exemption and will or already has referred the application to ANC6B. The ANC’s Planning and Zoning Committee will consider the application – possibly as soon as its January 8 meeting – and provide an opportunity for public comment. The committee could then either vote to support the application, oppose it, recommend the ANC protest the application, or forward it to the full ANC without recommendation. The full ANC commission also has the same options of supporting, opposing, protesting, or taking no position.
ANC’s are advisory bodies which must be consulted, but city agencies are only required to give their ANC opinions “great weight.” Given how hungry the District is for revenue, it’s unlikely the BZA will let neighborhood unhappiness about too many fast food outlets – should such opposition develop – stand in the way of an exception.
Rather than go to war with Wingstop by filing a protest with BZA on behalf of the community – a protest they are likely to lose – the ANC Planning and Zoning Committee is may decide to push Wingstop to sign a Settlement Agreement governing its operation regarding hours of operation, noise and odor controls, and indoor trash storage as a condition of ANC support.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 