Last November we wrote about a brewing development fight in Shaw, where the Shiloh Baptist Church was exercising considerable influence against the applications for liquor licenses for two restaurants, Queen of Sheba and Vegetate.

Recently DCist’s own Rob Goodspeed reported on the continuing struggle, writing that Vegetate was lobbying Council-member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) to act upon a clause in District law that would finally allow the vegetarian restaurant to get its liquor license. According to an email sent to members of the community by Vegetate, the city measured the distance from the restaurant to the nearest school, keeping in with a law that states that no liquor license can be issued for an establishment within 400 feet of a school. Three measurements were taken from different spots along the restaurant’s property and the school, and a city inspector found that when measured from different points, Vegetate was 334 feet, 434 feet, or 900 feet away from Seaton Elementary School. The problem was that the lowest of those measurements — from property line to property line — stood, thus putting the restaurant within the 400 foot no-alcohol zone.

Vegetate did discover, though, that businesses in commercial zones have been offered exemptions from this regulation in the past, and has asked that supporters of the restaurant contact Evans’ office to encourage him to push one for Vegetate.

Of course, we don’t expect that Shiloh will go down without a fight. But if Vegetate does finally get its license, we’re guessing its owners and fans will sit back and savor a cool drink in victory.