Dacha Beer Garden working on expansion plan to keep 14th Street neighbors happy

WASHINGTON - Dacha Beer Garden in the Shaw neighborhood of the District is looking to expand to 14th Street, but a city commission has forced the business to go back to the drawing board for plans to accommodate neighbors concerned about noise and capacity.

Last week, a community development committee told Dacha it could not use as much of the sidewalk it wanted for a planned enclosed design for the 14th Street location. The enclosure was to appease neighbors worried about excessive noise and the increased 600-person capacity at the 14th Street beer garden and restaurant.

Neighbors on S Street in Northwest D.C. have opposed the new location since learning about the much bigger plans for the parcel of land as compared to Dacha's original location in Shaw. Many have placed yellow "No Dacha" signs in their yards to protest the plans.

"We are very enthusiastic about the nightlife on this street, but we would like it be enclosed where we don't have to hear it inside of our house," said David Conklin, who has one of the "No Dacha" signs posted.

Dacha said it is still working on a compromise with neighbors. The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions influence the approval of liquor licenses in the city, so Dacha has asked citizens to support them on their website DachaDC.com.

"We live in a vibrant city," said Mark Lee, Logan Circle resident and small business advocate. "This is good for Washington, this is good for Logan Circle and it is good for our tax base."

In a statement to FOX 5, Dacha co-owner Ilya Alter wrote in part, "We continue to be engaged in discussions with those who have concerns about our liquor license application and are optimistic we will be able to resolve their worries about noise. We are committed to being a good neighbor and are working with sound engineers and architects to mitigate any noise from the new restaurant-bar we're planning."

It is unclear when the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board will issue a decision on Dacha's liquor license.