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Q&A
Challenges with roadway cafe regulations and interagency involvement
0:58:46
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109 sec
Industry representatives discuss various challenges with roadway cafe regulations and the involvement of multiple city agencies in the rulemaking process. They highlight issues with clearance requirements, seasonal restrictions, and the complexity of rules.
- Seasonality restrictions limit the viability of roadway cafes
- Clearance requirements (e.g., 50 feet from certain signs or lights) can significantly reduce usable space
- Suggestions for using daylighting or other street safety features to balance safety and space utilization
- Criticism of involvement from agencies not originally part of the statute (e.g., Fire Department, Parks Department)
- Concerns about additional problems and denials arising from multi-agency involvement
Andrew Rigie
0:58:46
Yep.
0:58:47
And roadway.
0:58:47
So I would just add on the roadway, that sidewalk, but on the roadway cafes, obviously, you know, the seasonality is the problem.
0:58:53
But there's also clearance requirements there as well that don't always make sense.
0:58:58
In certain cases, based on where a restaurant is located on a corner, they sometimes have to provide, I believe in certain cases, 50 feet.
0:59:05
Meaning that if you're located on one of these areas where you have to have 50 feet from a sign or a light before you can start your roadway cafe, you're basically cutting it in half or not having it at all.
0:59:17
I think daylighting and I know there are some folks with more of a 10 or 15 foot.
0:59:21
So I think if you're looking for safety measures, which we would support, you could still give restaurants back more of the space and keep it safe with daylighting or other street safety features as well.
0:59:34
But that's one of the things we're hearing about.
0:59:36
Also, certain no standing zones or other types of signs and obstructions are also limiting restaurants' abilities.
0:59:43
Obviously, if you need to have space for a specific reason, you need to have it.
0:59:48
But we found throughout the pandemic and now today, there are certain street signs or other obstructions that don't make much sense but are limiting the ability of a restaurant to have outdoor dining.
Rob Bookman
1:00:01
And, again, not their fault, but the administration, and they work for the administration, you know, so they had to listen, got other agencies involved that were not in the statute.
1:00:09
Fire department, parks department, everybody threw in their 2¢ when they were doing their rules, which created a a hodgepodge of of rules and regulations.
1:00:18
You know, that those agencies weren't part of the statute you passed.
1:00:21
They've insinuated themselves.
1:00:23
You know, I hope I'm not talking out of turn, you know, not with their cooperation over there, but they were told they had to cooperate.
1:00:29
And now, you know, there's all kinds of additional problems and denials and changes that have to be made.
1:00:33
That's that's not in writing anywhere.