Scaled-Back Hops N Shine Proposal Heads To Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Amid resident complaints, a proposal to expand the outdoor area of Arlandria's Hops N Shine was gutted by the Alexandria Planning Commission before it heads to Alexandria City Council Saturday.

Hops N Shine had submitted a special use permit application to double outdoor patio seating from 60 to 120, allow limited live entertainment outdoors, increase outdoor hours and allow outdoor cooking. According to the city, outdoor dining on private property is a by-right use, but the city requested a review due to noise complaints and city citations.

On June 6, the Planning Commission did not recommend approval of the outdoor live entertainment and cooking. Proposed outdoor cooking would have included cooking classes, s’mores for fire pits and a BBQ grill. Proposed live entertainment would include live acoustic outdoor music between 12 p.m. and 11 p.m. as well as events like trivia night and paint night with a speaker or microphone.

Existing outdoor hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. While the restaurant requested to stay open until 11 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday and 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, the Planning Commission recommended only expanding outdoor hours until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Outdoor seating expansion was not recommended, and the Planning Commission asked the restaurant to comply with the statewide building and fire codes.

There have been 11 city citations or warning citations at Hops N Shine since it received a 2020 permit for expanded outdoor seating from 30 to 60, outdoor hours until 10 p.m. beyond Friday and Saturday, and outdoor amplified music. The permit did not include live entertainment or outdoor cooking.

The restaurant had three complaints noted in August 2021 related to live entertainment. One led to a citation that was successfully challenged in court by the business due to the sound coming from inside. Two other warnings were given in 2021.

Five other citations related to noise were issued in 2022. In 2023, there have been two citations related to noise, one warning for outdoor cooking, and one warning for customers entering through the back entrance.

The owner, Abe Hadjiesmaeiloo, told the Planning Commission some violations are not valid and are being challenged in Alexandria Circuit Court. He noted the restaurant has been involved in community fundraising and philanthropic work and that complaints primarily came from two residents. He added that the restaurant had stopped its outdoor live entertainment once they learned it was not permitted.

Several residents in homes on Sanborn Place behind the restaurant spoke in opposition to the Hops N Shine proposal.

Stephen Harris, a resident who is also president of the Mount Vernon Court Community Association, noted continued attempts to address noise have not been resolved. Harris asked the Planning Commission to consider limiting the restaurant's hours.

Al Havinga, another Sanborn Place resident, questioned why the city would give additional privileges to the restaurant given violations.

In the proposal heading to City council, the Planning Commission recommended against outdoor cooking and outdoor games. In addition, outdoor amplified music is not recommended except when the restaurant secures a noise permit. Other conditions include designating a restaurant staff liaison to address residents' noise complaints, barring the use of portable music players when the outdoor dining area is cleaned and removing speakers from the outdoor dining area.

The city's planning and zoning director would also review the restaurant's application in three and nine months. A review of the special use permit will also be scheduled in one year.

The special use permit application for Hops N Shine is part of City Council's Saturday, June 17 meeting starting at 9:30 a.m.