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Council allows Uptown outdoor dining along NCDOT-maintained stretch of Dickinson Avenue with DOT standards
Summary
City Council amended the Uptown outdoor dining rules to allow outdoor dining on the NCDOT-maintained portion of Dickinson Avenue by aligning city standards with DOT sidewalk dining requirements (including a 5-foot unobstructed path), and adopted the changes 6-0.
Greenville City Council on Jan. 9 approved amendments to the Uptown outdoor dining ordinance to permit sidewalk dining along the North Carolina Department of Transportation-maintained portion of Dickinson Avenue by adopting DOT sidewalk standards.
Chantay Goobie, chief planner, explained that the city's existing downtown outdoor dining rules had excluded the stretch of Dickinson Avenue that is state-maintained. Because NCDOT allows local governments to administer sidewalk dining under DOT standards, the proposed amendment aligns the city standards with DOT requirements so restaurants on that section can offer outdoor seating.
Key differences are modest but consequential: the city's existing sidewalk clearance requirement is 48 inches (4 feet) while DOT requires a minimum five-foot unobstructed path. DOT standards also require that furnishings be set back six feet from the travel lane and that outdoor dining not be allowed along streets with speed limits higher than 45 mph. Goobie said the stretch of Dickinson considered for change is 20 mph and therefore qualifies.
The council discussed practical constraints downtown, including narrow sidewalks, trees, grates and fixtures that can limit the number of restaurants that can safely accommodate sidewalk dining. Goobie said staff will process applications with multi-department review (police, fire, engineering, planning) and issue permits where standards are met.
Council approved the amendment 6-0.
