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Local board approves limited outdoor seating for Coffee Unique at 69 Palm Field
Summary
A local board approved two sidewalk tables (three chairs each) for Coffee Unique at 69 Palm Field, subject to conditions in staff memo and specified table/chair dimensions after concerns about pedestrian flow and precedent.
A local board approved a limited outdoor seating plan for Coffee Unique at 69 Palm Field, authorizing two tables with three chairs each on either side of the storefront door, subject to conditions in staff memos and specified furniture dimensions.
The approval came after the applicant — Jose Ramirez, an architect with Puro Studio, and Adrian Camberry, owner of Coffee Unique — presented a plan that originally proposed four tables and 16 chairs in front of the small storefront. Ramirez said, “we have 4 tables ... and then we have 16 chairs,” and described removing existing planters to make the seating area available.
Board members and staff pressed the applicants on sidewalk width, pedestrian flow and precedent from other nearby cafés. A staff member and board members noted the measured sidewalk width of about 8 feet 10 inches from the building face to the tree pit and said the village expects at least 5 feet of unobstructed pedestrian passage. Mike (staff member) provided technical measurements during the discussion. Board members repeatedly cautioned that the originally proposed four tables would likely encroach on neighbors and create congestion; one board member said the four-seat configuration “is immensely crowded.”
After discussion, a board member moved to approve “two tables with three chairs each, on either side of the door,” with the motion explicitly conditioned on compliance with items in the staff memo prepared by Kevin and on specifying 24-inch tables and 18-inch chairs. The motion was seconded and approved by verbal “Aye” votes; no opposition was recorded in the meeting minutes. The board also confirmed operating hours as stated by the owner: “It’s 8 to 10.”
Board members referenced other local sidewalk dining patterns — including Pete’s and Urban Hamlet — and emphasized that temporary COVID-era outdoor seating had not all been permitted permanently; the board said it wanted a balanced, consistent post‑COVID approach that avoided setting a broad precedent for larger encroachments. The board discussed accessibility: the tree pit area and its near‑level surface were noted, and members highlighted potential difficulty for strollers, wheelchairs or people using canes if pedestrian space were further reduced.
The approval is subject to the conditions identified in the staff memo (referred to repeatedly in the meeting as Kevin’s memo), the specified furniture dimensions, and any permitting steps required by the town. Board members indicated staff will verify the final layout and furniture dimensions before issuing final permission.
No formal roll-call vote with named tallies was recorded in the transcript; the motion passed on verbal approval. The board closed the meeting shortly after the vote and wished the owners well.
