Washington, D.C., bars and restaurants will stay open around the clock between Jan. 17 and Jan. 21, just in time for the potential millions in town to celebrate the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
The legislation passed by the D.C. Council on Tuesday night excludes nightclubs and institutes a liquor hiatus between 5 a.m. and the establishment’s regular opening hour. Nightclubs hosting inaugural balls or parties may be able to apply for a special exception.
Speaking on behalf of the 12 council members in support of the bill, Jim Graham of the bar-hopping Adams Morgan neighborhood said it would ensure restaurants and bars could meet the demand of inaugural visitors “who wish to be involved in various convivial activities during their visit to Washington.”
The bill received backing from Mayor Adrian Fenty, who requested the nightclub exclusion, as well as from the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.
Councilman Phil Mendelson voiced the one vote opposed to the legislation, citing public safety concerns.
“There are few people that I know of who are out partying at five in the morning who aren’t getting drunk,” Mendelson said. “And I think there will be consequences to that.”
Mendelson added that the Metropolitan Police Department “was not consulted in the drafting of the legislation” and that extra police may not be available in the early hours of the morning.
Makan Shirafkan, a spokesman for Northeast’s Love nightclub and Northwest’s Park at Fourteenth, said an extension of hours could help promote safety on the streets.
“We’d actually be helping the police by not putting 4 million people on the street to be controlled, but keeping them inside till 5 a.m., when they’re tired and ready to go home,” Shirafkan said, adding his clubs employ security and on-staff emergency medical technicians.
“People are coming to celebrate and it’s going to be a great opportunity for D.C. to replenish the economy,” Shirafkan said.
Anthony Amerson, who lives around the corner from bars lining H Street Northeast, said the bill seems like a “reasonable response” to the projected number of visitors needing places to eat and be entertained.
“And those who don’t know how to behave themselves maturely will find themselves spending a night in jail,” Amerson said.
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