Serendipity faces challenge from ANC, OGB

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Serendipity, the New York chain concept set to open where Nathan's once stood at Wisconsin and M Street, hit a snag Thursday when the Old Georgetown Board, a committee of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, had questions about proposed awnings for the historic building.

Serendipity owner Britt Swan, who also owns Sign of the Whale and Rhino Bar & Pump House and hopes to open the new restaurant within weeks, was encouraged by a 6-0 vote by ANC 2E Monday which supported the "concept" of the awnings modeled after those that adorned the building for many years.

But the ANC resolution, as conveyed by Commissioner Tom Birch, was apparently not the slam-dunk for Serendipity that the restaurateurs thought.  "ANC 2E appreciates the concept of the awnings," the resolution said.  "ANC 2E does want OGB to take a look at the awnings on the smaller windows to ensure that it does not mask historic fabric.  ANC 2E has no objection to the awnings over the doors."

"When we went out doing our survey, we recorded what's already in the neighborhood. There are numerous examples of the same design, which was on the building for 40 years," Swan told The Georgetown Dish. "We didn't introduce anything that should have caused any surprises."

ANC2E Chairman Ron Lewis rescued himself from the matter as his wife Anne Lewis, an architect, sits on the Old Georgetown Board.