P Street Pictures in Perspective_101711

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April 28, 2012

To: Tom Birch, ANC and Charles Eason, Jr., ANC

My name is Bob Enzel and I’m the primary Trustee for the building that houses P Street Pictures

and 7-11. Permit me to provide a short introduction of myself and some basic facts that may be of

assistance in understanding why P Street Pictures was given notice to vacate

I am a native of Georgetown. Our family has lived in this area for 80 years. I went to Corcoran Public

School, Gordon Jr. High and Western Sr. High. I can show you where every little store was located and in many

cases identify who owned them. The block that housed P Street Pictures and 7-11 had a barber shop, shoe shine

parlor and Reed’s Electric Company before Reed’s moved to Wisconsin Avenue. Around the corner on Twenty-

Seventh Street, The Diamond Cab Company operated its taxi cabs. In days past, Georgetown housed the Ledo and

Dumbarton movie houses, Murphy’s Five & Dime, Galliher & Huguely Lumber Yard, Ladd Mills Esso and the original

Georgetown Boys Club… I’ve mentioned only a few of the more well-known businesses that moved or gone

out of business to show that change is normal. Not one business situated on either side of P Street

between 26th and 27th was there in the sixties, except the 7-11.

The corner of 27th

& P Street was a vacant lot that housed a mulberry tree and was used as a

parking lot until the lower half of the building was erected in 1949. The upper half of the structure was

added by Russell Eldridge in 1965. The first stores that opened were Russ Pharmacy and Kay’s Food

Mart. Doc Russ passed away and the business was sold to Doc Schreibstein, who emptied the store one

night and walked out on the note and the rent, never to be heard from again. With the advent of the

chain groceries Kay’s Food Mart went bankrupt in the early sixties. Both stores sat vacant for months,

partially over-lapping.

The Junior League opened The Thrift Shop in the former drug store in May, 1968 and the 7-11

became a tenant in September, 1964. The Thrift Shop bought and eventually moved into the buildingacross the street (currently vacant). The store was then rented as an office to Potomac Development

Company who had an inexpensive long-term lease. They subsequently sub-leased it to P Street Pictures

at a much higher rent and pocketed the difference. As the saying, goes, that’s business. When Potomac

Development’s lease expired the Trust leased it to P Street Pictures for 3-years, with a 3-year option.

When the option expired in 1998, P Street Pictures was offered a new lease, refused and opted to stay

on as a month-to-month tenant. Several times between 1998 and 2010, P Street Pictures was offered a

permanent long term lease. Judy Schlosser, their president opted not to sign a new lease, but preferred

to keep her options open and we were able to accommodate her. A month-to-month lease permitted

her to give a 60-day notice to vacate at any time and she preferred this option. The 7-11 remained as a

viable tenant, a good neighbor and continues to serve the community as the only grocery store within 4blocks in any direction.

This building is in a Trust and a Trustee’s duty is to administer the Trust and protect the Trust’s

assets. The Trust accommodated Mrs. Schlosser’s financial situation for a number of years, but as P

Street Pictures became a financial burden the Trustees felt it incumbent upon them to make a change.

This is what brought about the Trust’s decision to terminate the month-to-month situation.



1. Mrs. Schlosser complained that her business was down 25% and she could not pay the rent.

2. The Lease was always kept at below-market rent to accommodate her financial situation.

3. Mrs. Schlosser paid the rent late every month for the past 2 years

4 Mrs. Schlosser claimed her business was in dire financial condition, so the Trust allowed her to pay

the rent in installments.

5. The Lease called for a 10% late fee. This was never assessed even though it could and should have

been assessed every month.

6. The Lease specifically stated that the rent would increase annually based on the CPI-U Index. This

was never enforced.

7. The P Street Picture Lease called for a proportionate amount for Real Estate Tax. Once again this was

annually waived.

8. The store’s air conditioner which was mentioned in a smarmy and totally erroneously article blamed

the owner. This was totally false. The Lease specifically stated that the air conditioner was her

responsibility. Once again she pleaded financially poor and the Trust bought her a new air conditioner.

9. P Street Pictures was on a month-to-month lease (her choice) with a lease stated option byeither

party with 60-days written notice to vacate.

10. In consideration for her upcoming religious holiday which would have fallen on the 58th

day she was

given an additional month to vacate.

11. She was also informed that any time during this 90-day period she wished to move she could withno financial penalty of any kind. It was her choice to stay to the last day.

12. The last month’s rent for P Street Pictures was waived to help pay for her moving expenses. She did

not have to pay the October rent.

13. As representative of the Trust I personally offered to help her move and find a new location. This

offer was disdained.

14. Mr. Hailu, the manager of the 7-11 stopped by to commiserate and offer support. She verbally

berated him, his wife and his kids, telling him that she would do all she could to have him fail and his

family starve. She misdirected her nasty comments against a very nice person.

So, let’s see. We have P Street Pictures in the form of Mrs. Schlosser constantly complaining about how

poor business is, paying her rent late every month, not paying any late fees, not paying her pro-rata

share of the real estate taxes, not paying the CPI and she’s upset because her month-to-month lease has

ended.



This nastiness started by Judy Schlosser and her assistant Susan and perpetuate by someone who calls himself the

“block captain” is total nonsense. Garden Market was not always Garden Market, the next door shoemaker is

long gone, Washington Fine Properties across the street was formally, Mrs. Smith’s Pharmacy—a black owned drug

store and Midtown Cleaners in the middle of the block was Mason’s Barber Shop—also black owned. The corner

where Jean Pierre Antiques is was formally Brockman’s Grocery and Huge Jacobson’s Architecture was Beek’s

Grocery. I’d like to wrap this up by saying; we didn’t have a block captain (whatever that is?). We knew each otherand respected each other. I am not a neauveau Georgetowner , I am a Georgetown product with a sense of

history and I trust I have put this issue in proper perspective.

The 7-11 has been a good neighbor and a credit to Georgetown. They deserve the Board’s support.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert G. Enzel

Trustee, Trust V

Documents

P Street Pictures in Perspective_101711