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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans on NYC Outdoor Dining Program
2:48:46
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127 sec
Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans, expresses support for outdoor dining in NYC while highlighting concerns about the current program's implementation. She emphasizes the need for year-round dining options, addressing costs and storage issues for restaurants, and ensuring equitable participation for businesses with smaller storefronts.
- Advocates for amending legislation to allow year-round roadway dining, similar to sidewalk cafes
- Suggests allowing restaurants to make agreements with neighboring businesses to extend their outdoor dining footprint
- Recommends balancing incentives between sidewalk and roadway cafes to create a more successful and accessible program
Sara Lind
2:48:46
Thank you.
2:48:47
I'm Sarah Lind, also from Open Plans co executive director.
2:48:51
Outdoor dining is a vibrant use of public space that New Yorkers and restaurants love, and we were excited to see the program codified, but we have serious concerns about flaws in the present program.
2:49:02
You've heard over and over again about the lack of a year round option, which has drastically lowered participation.
2:49:09
As you've heard, thousands in additional costs to take down store and set up structures.
2:49:13
Restaurants don't have the space to store materials over the winter months.
2:49:18
I want to address something that Jean Ryan pointed out, that so many of these structures became sort of storage over winters before.
2:49:25
I think having this permanent program and the way that restaurants are now really opting in and intentionally participating, I think we will see the restaurants that choose to use an outdoor dining option year round that will be much more intentional about that with the new design regulations.
2:49:41
We expect to see those concerns addressed.
2:49:45
Furthermore, there's no logical reason why we would allow sidewalk cafes year round, but not roadway dining.
2:49:51
New Yorkers want to eat outside on a nice day any time of the year, whether it be on the sidewalk or on the roadway.
2:49:58
And many New Yorkers, speaking of accessibility, are still dealing with health issues that they want to be able to eat outside and not inside.
2:50:07
So we encourage the council to amend the legislation to provide a year round option.
2:50:12
Cecil just mentioned the existing frontage regulations which limit participation from restaurants with smaller storefronts.
2:50:17
Again, during the temporary program, restaurants were allowed to make agreements with neighboring businesses to extend the footprint of their outdoor dining structure.
2:50:26
For small restaurants, it just doesn't make sense right now unless they can do that.
2:50:30
Finally, we believe the current program incentivizes sidewalk cafes over roadway cafes, and while sidewalk cafes are an important part of the vibrant public realm, they do create challenges on crowded sidewalks, and many restaurants also don't even have a wide enough sidewalk in front to participate in the sidewalk cafe program.
2:50:47
So the city needs to make these amendments to the program to ensure that the roadway cafe program is just as successful as the sidewalk program.