For those of you who missed Monday's ANC2E public meeting, here are the main points covered:

Transportation News and Complications

Some new parking spaces on the north side of the 3400 block of Dent Place may open, as a result of a plan to create a left turn on 35th St. The left turn will remove up to nine parking spaces, but DDOT has tentatively agreed to add five or six parking spaces on Dent St.

Commissioner Tom Birch discussed transportation issues caused by this year's Merriment in Georgetown holiday event, on Sunday, December 5th. Blockades will be set on M and N Sts., and the family event will take place on M St. and Wisconsin Ave. Some parking on M St. will not be available, and the closure will occur from 3AM to 9PM. Last year's holiday event went very well, according to the ANC.

Even better news for the little ones: Besides listening to carolers, kids will get to take free photos with Santa Claus and free horse-drawn carriage rides. Valerie Tripp, American Girl author, will be at the "My Doll and Me" tent for autographs and to meet doll-toting crowds of girls.

One issue discussed at length was the traffic concerns for the American Heart Association's Lawyers Have a Heart 10K Run & Fun Walk on June 11, 2011. This year marks the event's 21st year, and last year, it raked in $515,000, and nearly 3,500 people attended the run. This number concerned the ANC because of congestion and many more cars being on the road. Because the Metro does not open until 7AM on Saturdays, runners coming from locations like Chevy Chase do not have enough time to get to the race via train, so a large number of them rely on cars. 

The ANC supports and commends the race and unanimously issued a resolution with a condition that Key Bridge and M St. must remain open at all times, and that there needs to be a procedure and emergency protocol if any aspect of the course is changed.

Crime Escalates in Georgetown

Commissioner Ed Solomon reviewed the police report and noted that Georgetown has experienced "a definite spike of crime in our community," and he cited nine thefts, one assault with a deadly weapon, and two other assaults that have occurred in recent weeks. Besides a major traffic jam in East Village on Saturday, Oct. 30, Halloween weekend was "pretty well secure," said Solomon.

Two arrests in the freshman dorms at Georgetown University have been made, one for a student allegedly selling drugs, and another, along with a non-student, allegedly manufacturing the drug DMT on site. The dorm was evacuated, but authorities did not notify the public initially. During the evacuation, the university discovered that some of the dorm's floors had faulty fire alarms. All of the alarms have been tested and are now in proper working order.

Liquor Licenses, New and Old

The ANC did not automatically renew Third Edition's liquor license, due to neighbors' repeated complaints. Many residential units face the street and bar, and disruptive noise has escalated throughout this year. Amplified music in the Tiki Bar, the open-air section of the establishment, is becoming a nuisance. Access to and egress from the bar is supposed to be regulated, but the bar is failing to do so.

The ANC made it clear that they do not want to put the bar out of business, but said they want change and compliance, especially since Third Edition is not honoring agreements already made. Commissioner Charles Eason said, "The overarching problem is that they are not complying with the previous agreement," and Commissioner Bill Starrels added, "Since new management has been in place, things have gotten worse."

The ANC is protesting Third Edition's liquor license renewal due to its failure to comply with a previous agreement of peace, order and quiet, but they look forward to a voluntary agreement addressing the neighbors' concerns.

David Sakai, a member of the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame, is planning on opening the restaurant "International House of Pong." The last day to petition the pending liquor license is Nov. 29, and the hearing date is Dec. 13. Commissioner Solomon stated that a restaurant/bar of this size--8,000 square feet that will hold up to 300 people--could become very problematic if it were to go sour, so he stressed keeping in mind that our police force is already stretched thin and that the establishment owners need to seriously think through their plan.

Stay tuned for next month's ANC wrap-up for your community updates.