D.C. Council Member Jim Graham could be looking at a showdown with Council Member Harry “Tommy” Thomas Jr., who Wednesday vowed to fight a bill that would allow at least four nude dance clubs to move to Ward 5.
Graham’s bill, which unanimously passed the Committee on Public Works and the Environment on Tuesday, would allow for the one-time relocation of the businesses, which were largely frequented by gay clientele. Some of the club owners sold their properties to the city, while others were taken by eminent domain to make way for the new Washington Nationals stadium in Southeast.
Thomas, D-Ward 5, said he plans to challenge the bill’s validity because it seeks to “usurp” the Zoning Commission’s authority by waiving a requirement that the businesses locate at least 600 feet from each other.
“It’s just about the proliferation of one type of business [in one area]. … If you’re willing to go so far as to write legislation to do it, legislate it for your ward,” Thomas said.
The bill would let the owners, whose zoning licenses allow them to locate in areas zoned for middle-bulk industrial businesses, move to less-restrictive zones that often serve as buffers near residential areas.
Graham, D-Ward 1, said the businesses have identified new locations throughout Ward 5 and are not planning to cluster together. None of the clubs contributed to increases in crime in the past, he said.
Ward 5 includes several gentrifying areas, including Brookland and Gallaudet, but is also home to industrial zones and includes the Capitol City Market.
News that the clubs were seeking to move to Ward 5 lit up a neighborhood electronic mailing list. One person wrote that the clubs could bring a desirable increase in police patrols to their new location.
But Brookland resident J.A. Young would not welcome the clubs.
“I just don’t like people taking their clothes off in public. I don’t care if it’s gay or straight,” Young said. “Ward 5 has to stop being a dumping ground.”
