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Committee receives routine testimony on multiple sidewalk cafe, dumpster and streetery encroachment bills
Summary
The Department of Streets and the City Planning Commission testified in favor of multiple encroachment bills that would permit sidewalk cafes, dumpster enclosures, building ramps and streeteries at specific addresses across the city, subject to minimum unobstructed footway requirements and compliance with other city rules.
The Committee on Streets and Services heard a series of largely uncontested encroachment and sidewalk cafe bills. Noelle Marconi, director of legislative affairs for the Department of Streets, and Sarah Chiu (also shown as Sarah Chu in the record), city planner manager with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, testified in support of multiple bills that would authorize private owners to install and maintain sidewalk cafes, dumpster enclosures, streeteries and building access ramps at specified addresses, subject to minimum unobstructed footway clearances and applicable city rules.
Among the items discussed were: bill 250,724 to allow a sidewalk cafe at 1000‑52 Frankford Avenue (four tables and 16 seats with minimum clearances reported); bill 240,872 to allow 11 tables and 22 seats at 6618 Castor Avenue with required clearances of 10 feet on Castor and 6 feet on Fanshawe; bill 250,576 to permit a sidewalk cafe at 426‑28 West Gerard Avenue with minimum 5 to 8 feet of unobstructed sidewalk in different locations; bill 250,725 to permit sidewalk seating at 1313‑17 South Third Street with a 6‑foot clear path; bill 250,652 to permit a dumpster enclosure at 782‑84 South Third Street maintaining a 6‑foot clear walkway; bill 250,653 to allow a streetery adjacent to 782‑84 South Third that would encroach approximately 7 feet into the parking lane subject to Department of License & Inspection and Art Commission rules; and bills 250,771 and 250,772 to allow building access ramps, planters and other encroachments at 3423 Kensington Avenue, among others.
Marconi and Chiu consistently stated the Department of Streets is not opposed to the proposed encroachments because each would maintain the minimum unobstructed footway required by the City's Complete Streets policy or other applicable standards. The City Planning Commission recommended approval for the listed encroachments at its public meetings noted in testimony. Committee members asked routine clarifying questions but no members opposed the individual encroachment bills during the hearing.
Because these were technical authorizations tied to specific addresses, testimony focused on measurable clearances, number of tables/seats, footprints for fences and planters, and compliance with licensing and Art Commission requirements. No formal votes on these bills were recorded during the hearing.
