Georgetown ANC Opposes Bowling Alley for Mall

Georgetown's Advisory Neighborhood Commission unanimously opposed the application of Pinstripes to open a bowling alley in the Georgetown Park Mall until the business and the residents of the condos in the building reach an agreement on noise and other concerns.

"The risks are simply too great that objectionable impacts will occur from the bowling operations, the intended special events for very large numbers of people and the proposed inclusion of outdoor activity space," according to the motion passed by the ANC Wednesday.

The condo board is still negotiating with the mall owner Vornado and the applicant Pinstripes over noise and vibration control from the bowling alley. The condo board has decided to hire a third-party sound consultant to review data provided by the applicant.

Pinstripes Founder and CEO Dale Schwartz told the ANC that his company will "design such and build such, that there will be no noise or vibration issue in the condominium."

But one resident said unless she receive "a 100 percent unequivocal" promise that she would hear no noise from her unit, she would continue to oppose the bowling alley. Additionally she told the ANC that Vornado, which owns the mall, "has been a horrible community partner," throughout construction.

“We need as much protection as possible for the residents. That’s all there is to it," Commissioner Bill Starrels said.

The ANC urged the bowling alley and the condominium association to formally agree to noise and vibration control measures, including an "enforceable mechanism for securing that assurance."