The ruling after a Board of Adjustments hearing on July 25th was that Art Bar must reduce its closing time from 2:30 to 1:00 in the morning, effective immediately.
According to a representative of the Division of Planning, the hearing on July 25th was a six-month review in which the board wanted to be sure the business was not having an adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood. It took place in the Council Chambers on the second floor of the Government Center Building.
The hearing came just a couple of weeks after a shooting occurred in the parking lot of Art Bar. Shots were fired between 2-3 a.m., during the initial hours of July 13th. No injuries were reported.
“I think there’s just been neighborhood concern about the amount of residual trash from the building, and the amount of violence,” said Councilmember Bill Farmer Jr., who also owns Farmer’s Jewelry in Chevy Chase. “There’s been several businesses in there of similar nature, with none of them leaving this many marks on the neighborhood.”
John Sensenig, owner of John’s Run/Walk shop, was one of the people who testified at the Board of Adjustments hearing. “These last few months, it’s just been a disaster,” he said. “Huge numbers of people, and a lot more aggression, a lot more broken class, cursing, and just tasteless stuff.”
Sensenig commented that most of the people who testified on July 25th brought up similar concerns about the trash found in their yards the next morning, and the overall rowdiness and violence at such early hours of the morning.
“I think the gunshot was just the icing on the cake,” said Sensenig.
Art Bar is scheduled for a revocation hearing on September 26th, where officials will determine if the location should be closed down. Should the revocation not take place, there will be another six-month review in January.