City Council hearings have now been scheduled for October 31 for three Near Southeast alley closing bills (Monument's Square 700/west side and Square 701 requests, and William C. Smith's Square 737/739 request). I've added them to my busy Neighborhood Events Calendar; I've also (belatedly) added the DC Register announcement of the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration hearing on the license request for a new liquor store at 156 L Street (the old Star Market) scheduled for Nov. 8. Note that the Square 701/east side alley closing bill had its hearing on Oct. 10. UPDATE, 10/20: The starting times of the three alley closing hearings on Oct. 31 have been revised, and an additional council roundtable has been scheduled for the same day on the Capper alley closings and new streets bill. All the hearing notices are available in this file, which also includes the notices on the Oct. 23 hearing on the Capper PILOT funding bill and also an Oct. 26 roundtable on LSDBE participation in the baseball stadium. My Neighborhood Events Calendar has been updated as well. Also, the Square 701/east side alley closing bill has been placed on the council's Nov. 14 consent agenda.

A quick roundup of Near Southeast-related doings at Monday night's ANC 6D meeting. After a plea from 6D07 commissioner Robert Siegel, the ANC voted to support the previously-voted-down alley closing request on the east side of Square 701 (between Cushing and 1st streets), saying in effect that a $95,000 community amenities proffer is not something that should be turned down. Monument Realty came before the commission to request support for it's two alley closing bills (in Squares 700 and 701 in the Ballpark District), and the request was referred to the ANC's Development Subcommittee for further discussions about Monument's community amenities package, which includes a pledge of up to 20% affordable housing in the residential project at Half and N, LSDBE participation, LEED standards, and an offer to spend approximately $500,000 to upgrade the electrical/HVAC systems at Amidon Elementary School (but there's some question as to whether Amidon will be open past 2007). Finally, the ANC voted not to support the request for a liquor license to open a liquor store at the old Star Market site at 2nd and L (the license hearing is Nov. 8). I'll link to the Hill Rag/Voice of the Hill reports on these meetings when available for additional details since it must be admitted that I bailed before the meeting was over and am relying on a vast network of informants and stringers to provide the few meager details I included here.

Just one week before they were scheduled to permanently close, the gay nightclubs Wet and Edge at Half and L Streets got hit with a suspension of their liquor license. Capitol Hill Cabaret (the owners of Wet/Edge) were the subjects of a Show Cause Hearing on Wednesday Sept. 13 in front of the ABC Control Board, and I guess the assumption can be made that the proceeding didn't go well. The suspension sign says that it is in effect until Oct. 29, but I don't know whether this is something that can be rectified in time for the clubs to open for what would have been their final nights (Sept. 22 and 23), so the end for these bars might have already arrived.

The little red building at the corner of 2nd and L, the old Star Market, has been a favorite of mine since January 2003, when it was one of my first pictures taken in Near Southeast (a photo that landed on A1 of the Post back in August 2005, accompanying a story that includes the tale of how owner refused to sell to Valhal Corp. when they were putting together the plans for the Capitol Hill Tower project, so the little building remained in place while 14 stories of hotel and coop sprang up around it. The most recent owner even tried earlier this year to sell it on Craigslist for $950k (after buying it 8 months earlier for $580k). And now? Someone ("Wine Cellar Spirits") has applied for a liquor license to open a liquor store there, according to a sign posted on the building's wall today. The store would be open from 9 am to 10 pm Monday through Saturday, closed on Sunday. The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8. So you can't get groceries in Near Southeast just yet, but all your liquor needs may soon be met.... (hat tip to the CHT blog for beating me to the keyboard. Damn dinner date!)

The Washington Blade reports in "Gay groups debate future of O Street gay night clubs" on responses within the gay community to a bill introduced by Jim Graham that "amends the Alcohol Beverage Control Board's licensing regulations to allow nude-dancing permit holders in the stadium's wake a one-time zoning transfer to any commercial zone. Current zoning laws allow the permit-holders only to move to the central business district." The bill will be the subject of a council roundtable on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

ANC 6D has released the agenda for its December 12 meeting. Items of Near Southeast interest include: an update from DDOT on traffic and parking and the new baseball stadium; an Office of Planning presentation on the proposed text amendment to the Capitol Gateway Overlay; a Public Space Permit Application for an emergency generator at Capper/Carrollsburg; and a ABC License Renewal for the 3rd and K Market. The meeting is at 65 I Street SW, at 7 pm. UPDATE: Agenda now posted. UPDATE II: You can read a report on ANC 6D's November meeting (with discussions of Capper/Carrollsburg, the stadium, and Florida Rock) in December's Hill Rag (page 5 of this PDF).