Commission asks staff to draft outdoor-seating guidelines, discourages permanent plastic enclosures

The Planning Commission discussed downtown outdoor seating and accessory structures at its Feb. 11 meeting and asked staff to prepare design guidance and an administrative approval path for appropriately designed outdoor seating enclosures.

Staff told the commission that several local restaurants and commercial properties have added outdoor seating, seasonal covers, roll-down plastic panels and similar temporary enclosures, sometimes without explicit approvals. The code exempts small accessory structures under 400 square feet from design review but that exemption historically has primarily applied to residential properties; enclosures in commercial districts can trigger additional entitlements such as conditional use permits for outdoor seating above the by-right threshold and historic/downtown design review.

Commissioners reviewed photo examples (Perry’s, Equator, Farmshop at Larkspur Landing, Pico, and others). Most commissioners expressed support for keeping outdoor activity downtown and for a streamlined staff-level review when enclosures meet clear design guidelines. Commissioners generally favored encouraging umbrellas, low planter boxes or low-profile railings and discouraged full plastic roll-down enclosures that create a semi-permanent, boxy appearance. Several commissioners suggested incentives or administrative relief for businesses that adopt high-quality, removable enclosures rather than ad hoc plastic panels.

Staff said some enclosures already had been approved as temporary structures with explicit seasonal limits (for example, removable canvas side panels with a defined six-month winter season). Commissioners asked staff to draft objective design standards and propose a process (zoning-administrator or staff-level review) that would allow predictable approvals for compliant enclosures while reserving Planning Commission review for atypical or historically sensitive cases. Commissioners also directed staff to consider whether, when a cover or enclosure would be considered conditioned space for parking calculations, the parking and historic-review implications should be clarified in the guidance.

Why this matters: outdoor seating supports economic vitality and year-round restaurant operations, but commissioners want clear and consistent rules so businesses can plan monthly or seasonal changes without creating long-term visual clutter or unintended code noncompliance.