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Committee reviews multiple sidewalk‑cafe and encroachment requests; Streets and Planning raise no objections
Summary
The committee heard testimony from Streets and City Planning supporting a series of encroachment ordinances that would permit sidewalk cafes, fences, dumpster enclosures and a streetery at multiple addresses across the city, with specific clear‑walkway dimensions noted for each location.
The Streets and Services Committee received testimony from Department of Streets and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission on a batch of encroachment and sidewalk‑cafe bills. Department witnesses consistently said they do not oppose the proposals provided the minimum clear sidewalk widths are preserved; the Planning Commission reported meetings recommending approval for each item listed.
Bills covered in this group included (excerpted from the transcript): 240872 (Tito Pepe, 6618 Castor Avenue), 250576 (La Casillas, 426–428 West Gerard Avenue), 250724 (Grama Juana Cafe, 1000‑52 Frankford Avenue), 250725 (sidewalk café at 1313–17 South 3rd Street), 250653/250652/250653 and others authorizing sidewalk cafes, a dumpster enclosure, building access ramps and a streetery at 782–84 South 3rd Street, and 250772 (sidewalk café at 3423 Kensington Avenue). Testimony included the proposed number of tables and seats and the minimum clear unobstructed footway remaining after installation for each site. Examples: the Frankford Avenue proposal would leave 7 feet 11 inches of clear footway in one location and 11 feet 1 inch in another; the Castor Avenue proposal left a minimum of six feet clear on one frontage and ten feet on another; the Gerard Avenue cafe would leave 8 feet clear on Gerard and 5–8 feet on adjacent frontages.
The Department of Streets witness Noelle Marconi told the committee that where the minimum unobstructed footway is maintained the Department does not oppose the encroachments. Sarah Chiu said the Planning Commission recommended approval of the listed bills at recent commission meetings. No formal committee action or vote appears in the transcript.
