It seemed like a match made in heaven: a temporary beer garden from some local craft brewers, wedged between the Anacostia River and Nationals Park. But, once again, the heavenly dream has been sent back at the gates of DC's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
The owners of Bardo Brewpub had already started building their riverfront bar (they tweeted that picture earlier this month) and planned to be open soon after baseball season starts, JDLand reports. Their site was to be only temporary—it's the next phase of MRP Realty's Dock 79 project, the first phase of which is set to deliver this year.
But, according to the ABC Board, concerns over noise, parking and traffic meant the beer garden should not be allowed to operate. The ruling didn't address the fact that it sits next to a baseball stadium and likely will generate significantly less noise—and definitely will generate significantly fewer parking and traffic concerns—than its large neighbor.
There will be no beer garden this summer, but the owners of Bardo have indicated that they might reapply. We'll just have to wait and see what that looks like. [JDL]
