Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ward 5 Single Sales Roundtable

Announcement-

Ward 5 Roundtable Discussion Announcement


On Tuesday, 27 May 2008, DC City Councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. will be holding a roundtable discussion on the sale of single containers of alcoholic beverages in Ward 5. Legislation has been introduced for Wards 4, 7, and 8 to prohibit the sale of an individual container of the package if the capacity of the individual container is 70 ounces or less, as well as prohibit the division of manufacturer’s package of more than one container of beer, malt, liquor, or ale. The meeting will be held at the Isle of Patmos Baptist Church, 12th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, NE. The contact number and e-mail address for Councilman Thomas is 202-724-8028 and hthomas@dccouncil.us . The Meeting is at 7:00 PM.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That can't be right. 70 ounces or less? That has to be a misprint.

A 70 ounce lower limit would force every single liquor or wine store in those wards to close, as it would criminalize almost all wine or hard liquor sales. A 750ml bottle -- the standard size for every hard liquor or wine sold in the U.S. and around the world -- is only 26 ounces. Even those huge 1.75 liter containers of hard liquor are only 60 ounces. If 70 ounces is correct, combined with the restriction on breaking up bottlers' packing, this legislation would make it illegal to purchase any hard liquor without spending as much as $100 or more to buy a full case of 16 (all of the same liquor), or travelling to a different ward. It would close down all liquor stores in the wards.

inked said...

Chris, that is the announcement as it was sent out. I think some of the wording is probably unclear. I also think that by manufacturer's packaging they mean the packaging as it is intended to be sold [i.e. no breaking up pre-assembled 4 packs, or 6 packs]. Because the wording is unclear, perhaps because this is still just a discussion, it's hard to know what, and in what sizes, might be subject to a ban.

Anonymous said...

This subject is a little off topic. Did anyone see that mass of people at 12 on Saturday night? I thought this was going to be a restaurant/lounge? I love right around the corner and you could hear the base from the sound system until at least 2am when I finally fell asleep.

Anyone have intel?

Anonymous said...

I've read the proposed legislation: . . . "shall not sell, give, offer, expose for sale, or deliver an individual container of beer, malt liquor, or ale with a capacity of 70 ounces or less" . . .

It doesn't mention wine, and it reads "malt liquor". The annoucement erroneously puts a comma in "malt, liquor". So wines and spirits would not fall under this moratorium.

Anonymous said...

i'm also curious about 12 on saturday. we drove by, and it was pretty much a zoo at around 1:00 a.m.

ugh. glad i don't live near that part of h street.

Anonymous said...

I drove by 12 Saturday night and honestly I saw more people standing outside the Rock and Roll Hotel. I drove by around 12am. I am not sure where the surprise is re: 12. We established quite a while ago the space is large. I would expect to see a large number of people going there. I think if the noise is an issue that should be taken up with the proper people. I have no idea who those people are...but I am sure someone can find the right office.

Anonymous said...

Since no one wants to talk about the singles ban in this thread (70 oz cap is stupid; a rule that only covers breaking down 6 packs is not enough, because Malt Liquor comes in 22 singles, not to mention Irish Rose and Mad Dog come in even smaller packages), I'll contribute something else;) I went to HT on Sunday. I was a little underwhelmed. It seemed a little small even for a city supermarket. I felt like I was in a D'agistino back home. I don't fault D'agistinos, because the buildings they're in are a million years old, but a new building should have been able to house a larger place than this. With that said, the design of the place is well thought out, and easy to navigate. I just couldn't help feeling squeezed in.

I brought a watermelon, some bananas, and Cheerios, and I thought the prices were not competitive to the Brentwood Giant where I go to now, which is little closer to me than HT. I've been seeing commercials for HTs fantastic meat department, but why would I go all the way out there when Eastern Market's a lot closer, and cheaper?

Finally, while I think it's great that there is free underground parking, I could see many, many accidents occurring, due to the range of visibility entering and exiting. It reminds me of the Whole Foods on P, and how I have to pump my brakes every time I leave there because some idiot is parked in the No Parking side of the street and can't see the incoming traffic. I like how they put the parking entrance on that side street instead of on Penn directly, but I can see the situation still causing problems during peak hours.

I just ranted negatively about HT, but I think I'm going to go there as much as I can. I really hate the huge lines every weekend at Giant, and the fact that the produce is almost always gone when I go there. I registered for a new VIC card with my current address, so that HT can see how far I'm traveling just to patronize them. Also, I called HT a while back to inquire about the new facility on M that everybody's expecting, and they had no answer for me. I don't think this deal is written in stone yet.

Anonymous said...

The new Harris Teeter may not be huge, but it's far, far better than the Safeways on the Hill. I agree the parking garage is a bit tricky, but it's not a big deal.

Overall I found the staff at HT to be terrific - obviously trying very hard to please. That, and the fact that their meat isn't mere hours from turning rancid, are prime reasons to never visit a Hill Safeway again.

monkeyrotica said...

I'll second the HT. I work nearby and had to go to Safeway for supplies. No longer. Now, I can go to Mangialardo's for my lunch and walk around the corner to Teeter for snacks and drinks. And the Teeter hot food bar looks pretty decent, as does the carryout sushi. MUCH nicer than the Safeway.