Park View, D.C.

(The Petworth Safeway at Georgia and Randolph, NW)

If chatter on the Petworth Listserv is to be believed, the future Petworth Safeway is shooting for an opening date on or around June 27th. In walking past the site over the weekend, that certainly seems plausible. With the building still under construction, shelving and lighting is already being installed within the future grocery store.

In related news, Joseph Martin also reported on the Petworth Listserv that opposition to Safeway’s liquor license application — to sell beer and wine only —  has been filed. According to Martin — who does a good job monitoring liquor license applications and the DC Register for relevant Petworth area items — 16 people signed pre-printed letters to protest Safeway’s ABRA application and submitted them by the Board’s protest deadline.

Martin writes:

… the protest “appears to have been led by the convenience store across the street, 7 Round Davis Market at 3819 Georgia Avenue NW … [and] the printed letter objects ‘on the basis of peace order quiet and over concentration.’ Some of those protesting opposed on the basis of objecting to an additional alcohol license in the neighborhood. About half live within a block of the new Safeway. One letter-signer who gave a Woodbridge, Virginia street address (although attributed that street to being in DC) complained that the new Safeway “is going to cause to (sic) much traffic.”

Safeway’s Craig Muckle has asked that any community members who have not yet expressed their support (or share other concerns) for Safeway’s beer-and-wine license application to do so. Email: craig.muckle (at) safeway (dot) com.  Muckle also asked that supporters consider showing up at ANC 4C’s monthly meeting this Wednesday, April 14. ANC 4C will take up the Safeway beer-and-wine license application on Wednesday [tonight]. Please also consider letting the Commissioners know how you feel about the application: Commissioners.

ANC 4C will meet next week at 801 Shepherd Street NW, the MPD Control Services Bureau Building, instead of the usual space at the Petworth Library. The meeting starts at 6:30 pm. 

When I polled residents a year ago, there was overwhelming support for Safeway to sell beer and wine … and I certainly agree with that position. Grocery stores in other parts of Washington sell beer and wine and, practically, it is something that shoppers reasonably expect to be available in a large, new grocery store.

While my experience with ABRA suggests that Safeway will be successful with their application, I think reaching out to ANC 4C Commissioners or Safeway, as Martin suggests above, certainly would be helpful to Safeway.