Oak Edmore Street LLC asked the Board of Zoning Adjustment on May 20 for special‑exception and variance relief to convert the second floor of 405–407 Morse Street NE into an entertainment, assembly and performing‑arts venue. The proposal would join two existing two‑story attached buildings into a single Second Floor event space while maintaining retail uses on the First Floor.

Office of Planning recommended approval of both the special exception and an area variance from the requirement that an entertainment use be more than 1,000 feet from another establishment with live performances. The applicant told the board the venue would be fully enclosed: sound‑attenuation measures, a floating floor and double‑glazed windows, and an interior DJ booth located away from exterior walls would limit noise transmission; outdoor amplified sound would not be allowed. The applicant said primary access for the venue would be from the alley and proposed security, lighting and video camera plans to address public‑safety and alley‑cleaning concerns raised by the ANC.

During the hearing the board noted a competing application (a separate, recently filed live‑performance restaurant within roughly the same market area) that had been accepted into the record after the applicant had sought guidance from the Office of Zoning. OP advised the applicant that its earlier inquiry to the zoning administrator had indicated only special‑exception relief was necessary, but a subsequently filed case changed the proximity calculation and required the variance.

Given outstanding record items the board left the record open for: (1) architect‑stamped floor plans and layouts that match the presentation slides; (2) any formal ANC resolution (ANC 5D zoning committee voted in favor with conditions and the full ANC expressed conditional support during the hearing); and (3) documentation of Historic Preservation Office input on the proposed glazing and rooftop treatments. The board set a decision date and asked the applicant to submit the requested materials in advance of the June 4 decision. The Office of Planning indicated the proposed venue would likely not cause substantial impairment to the zoning plan if the sound‑mitigation and operational conditions are met.