Having successfully completed a months-long campaign to shutter Philly Pizza, neighbors and community leaders got a bonus gift today: a visit from Mayor Adrian Fenty, who rolled up in front of the restaurant’s former home in his Smart Car a little after 11 this morning for brief remarks about the drunk food hot-spot’s closure.

“They did a fantastic job, didn’t they?” Fenty said as he shook hands with neighbors gathered to hear him speak, in reference to Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners’ efforts to shut down Philly Pizza after its license had been revoked.

Flanked by Attorney General Peter Nickles and Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs Director Linda Argo, his podium positioned near where tipsy freshman used to sit down to enjoy their pizza with ranch, Fenty congratulated ANC Commissioners Bill Starrels and Ed Solomon for their work to “shut down a nuisance business … causing havoc in the community.”

He likened Philly Pizza’s closure to other illegal businesses that the City has targeted, like used car lots and nightclubs. Later, in his remarks, Nickles volunteered brothels and used car lots that the City had closed as a comparison.

“We listened to our Georgetown residents and it was clear this business was not being a good neighbor,” Fenty said.

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Today saw the end of a long campaign to shut down Philly Pizza’s location on Potomac Street, which has been operating illegally since its license was revoked in mid-February. Its doors closed last night, and today, they remain shut.

After a February 19 Board of Zoning Adjustment ruling that barred its continued operation and a subsequent order to vacate the premises failed to shutter the late night drunk food joint, Philly Pizza got taken to D.C. Superior Court, where a two day hearing that concluded this afternoon ordered the establishment to remain closed, or else find itself in contempt of the court.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Vice-Chair Bill Starrels said that as a result of the ruling, at today’s hearing, Philly Pizza agreed to remain closed. An e-mail from D.C. Office of Attorney General’s Michael Stern that Starrels provided to Vox reiterated the hearing’s success at shutting down the pizza joint for good:

“I am pleased to report that after a hearing for most of the day yesterday, when we returned to Court this morning Mr. Greenberg, the attorney for Philly Pizza & Grill, Inc., conceded our point to the Court and voluntarily agreed to close the establishment. We reduced that agreement to writing, and made it an Order of the Court.”

Well, almost certainly for good. Starrels said that Philly Pizza owner Mehmet Kocak has filed with the D.C. Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs for a new certificate of occupancy.

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Looks like that’s it, Philly Pizza fans. On Friday, the fast-food favorite was issued a ‘notice to discontinue illegal use of premises,’ pictured after the jump, in accordance with the BZA decision made on Tuesday to shut the establishment down.

The notice informs the owners that “Philly Pizza must immediately cease operations at 1211 Potomac Street NW, upon service of this Notice. If DCRA determines that Philly Pizza is continuing, after service of the Notice, to operate at these premises, DCRA will request that the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia seek emergency injunctive relief in the D.C. Superior Court, on or after February 22, 2010.”

Thanks to Topher Mathews of Georgetown Metropolitan for sending us the doc!

“Comments of the Week” will run tomorrow

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Yesterday, the D.C. Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs mailed letters to over 125 Georgetown University-area landlords it believes are renting properties without a valid business license. The letters issue an ultimatum: apply for a business license and have their properties inspected within 10 days, or DCRA will take “enforcement action.”

The DCRA has intensified its focus on policing university-area property owners since it launched the Collegiate Off-Campus Housing Initiative last Fall. When the school year began in 2009, it launched a website for student renters in the District, ThisShouldBeIllegal.com, a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page all aimed at helping students determine whether their landlords were properly licensed to rent to them.

Voice News will have more information on Thursday.

Photo from the Collegiate Off-Campus Housing Initiative’s Facebook.

As The Hoya reported earlier today, the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs recently revoked Philly Pizza and Grille’s certificate of occupancy, meaning everyone’s favorite midnight pizza place could be shut down.

Today, the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment held a hearing on whether to grant DCRA a temporary restraining order, which would force the restaurant to close pending a January 12 hearing on the agency’s allegations of zoning violations.  The BZA granted Philly Pizza a stay, meaning they will be able to remain open at least until the January hearing.

According to GUSA Vice President Jason Kluger (MSB ‘11), who attended today’s hearing, the conflict stems from the fact that Philly Pizza is zoned as a sit-down restaurant.  DCRA is alleging that they are actually primarily a take-out operation, and are thus violating their zoning restrictions.

Kluger and GUSA Communications Director Molly Breen (MSB ‘11), who also attended the meeting, said that Philly Pizza will be trying to focus more on delivery in the next few months, and is encouraging students to call in their orders instead of coming by the store.  According to Breen, Philly Pizza is encouraging students who do go down to Potomac Street to be mindful of the restaurant’s neighbors.

What a wild night at the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, with neighbors turning out for proposals about developing Georgetown’s post office (above) into apartments and shoring up the foundations on O and P Streets. First, though, University business.

Science Building Construction: About two years ago, the Office of Zoning granted Georgetown the right to build the new science building and an athletic training facility, as well as make alterations to the multi-sports facility. Then the recession happened.

With Georgetown’s construction on all projects stalled for lack of money, Assistant Vice President for External Relations Linda Greenan asked the ANC to approve the University’s application to the Office of Zoning to extend the amount of time it has to do the constructions by two years, until November 23rd, 2011.

The ANC unanimously approved a resolution drafted by Chairman Ron Lewis and student representative Aaron Golds (COL ‘11) to support Georgetown’s plan. Still, Greenan said, there are no plans on when to start construction on any of the buildings.

“It awaits money,” she said. She added that Georgetown has applied for federal stimulus money to construct the new science building.

This issue also gave Golds a chance to shine as student commissioner, and he took it. You might think plans put on hold by the economic crisis that had not been changed at all wouldn’t receive much opposition, but you have not met the neighbors. Golds pre-empted public complaints by explaining how terrible Georgetown’s facilities can be, and how desperately they need to be updated.

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Last Thursday, the Burleith Citizens’ Association held its annual meeting.  Yes, annual.

“One per year? I love it!” exclaimed guest of honor Mayor Adrian Fenty (D). “That’s unprecedented, at least in D.C.”

With only one meeting per year, the agenda was pretty packed, with Burleithers (Burleithians?) discussing everything from 61-D citations to the University’s ten-year plan, parking changes, D.C. Public Schools and cracking down on neglectful landlords.

MPD and 61-Ds: Lieutenant John Hedgecock, who has been in charge of West Georgetown and Burleith since early August, talked about the neighborhood’s crime stats and how the Metropolitan Police Department has been using 61-D citations.

When Hedgecock announced that issuing 61-Ds has been “very effective in quelling parties,” the crowd broke out in applause.  According to Hedgecock, once MPD receives a call, they assume that there’s been a breach of the peace.  If they observe a party and the noise “is too much for a residential area,” they will issue a 61-D citation to the person on the lease of the house or in charge of the party.

Hedgecock says while last year there were six “problem houses” in the area (four in West Georgetown and two in Burleith), this year there is only one.

“When we see a party starting, we put an end to it or advise them what will happen,” Hedgecock said.

One neighbor voiced concerns about the citations saddling students with a criminal record; Hedgecock replied that those who receive 61-Ds can contest them in court.

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