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Pinellas Park OKs rules allowing dogs in designated outdoor dining areas, sets $100 permit fee
Summary
Council approved on first reading Ordinance No. 2025-30 to add a land-development code subsection regulating dogs in designated outdoor dining areas, including a $100 one-time permit, permit expiration on sale, revocation criteria and fines up to $500.
Pinellas Park City Council on Oct. 9 approved Ordinance No. 2025-30 on first reading to establish rules allowing dogs in designated outdoor dining areas of public food-service establishments subject to a city permit and state requirements.
Megan Montesino, the citydevelopment review manager, told the council the ordinance corrects a scriveners error from 2024 by creating subsection 18-15-30.31 of the land development code. She said the ordinance incorporates requirements of Florida law for public food-service establishments and sets application requirements and conditions for a dog-dining permit.
Megan said permit requirements include a one-time $100 application fee, a diagram and description of the designated outdoor dog-dining area, posted hours when dogs are allowed, and that permits expire automatically when the establishment is sold and cannot be transferred. She also said permits may be revoked after notice if an establishment fails to comply with conditions of approval, the approved diagram, or required licenses, and that violations may be cited as local ordinance violations punishable by fines up to $500.
Megan summarized that definitions added include "outdoor dining area" and "public food service establishment" (restaurants, taverns, lounges, breweries, microbreweries, microwineries and microdistilleries as defined in the ordinance) and that the rules apply in zoning districts that allow those uses.
Council member Cadell moved approval on first reading; the motion carried unanimously.
The ordinance will be added to the city code and is intended to align local permitting with Florida statutory requirements referenced in the ordinance.
