Outdoor dining working group clears some sidewalk cafes, denies others; enforcement concerns loom

The Manhattan Outdoor Dining Working Group on Sept. 9 reviewed 21 outdoor-dining applications and took a mix of approvals-with-modifications and denials, with the panel front-loading site-plan corrections and safety-related changes.

The committee voted to approve several sidewalk-cafe applications on the condition that applicants correct site plans and show required clearances. For example, the panel approved the application for J J W Lavo LLC, d/b/a La Lavo at 630 Hudson Street, with required changes including relabeling the corridor designation as a regional corridor, marking primary building entrances and showing 5-foot clearances from those entrances, and correcting tree-bed and sidewalk dimensions on the site plan. Vice Chair Stella Fitzgerald opened the meeting as the group began public testimony and review of applications: "This is the 09/09/2024 outdoor dining working group meeting. My name is Stella Fitzgerald. I'm vice chair of the outdoor dining working group," she said.

Other applications were approved with similar conditions to correct technical drawings and to remove obstructions or unauthorized items from the furnishing zone.

In several cases the group denied the application or recorded a denial contingent on the applicant returning a corrected plan. Notably, the group denied Automatic Slims (application no. 12) after repeated community complaints about noncompliant operation and lack of enforcement; the working group recorded the denial and asked the applicant to return with a corrected, accurately dimensioned site plan if it wished to reapply. The committee also moved to deny and send required modifications for Citizens of Soho (application no. 15), citing repeated DOT summonses and neighborhood complaints.

The meeting also produced several advisory requirements that will be sent to DOT for follow-up: measurements of tree pits, streetlights and hydrants must be precise on site plans; Siamese connection clearances must be drawn as radial 5-foot zones; furnishings and any permanent or semipermanent storage (for example, bus/bussing stations or sandwich boards) must be removed from furnishing zones; and no amplified sound, speakers or music is allowed outside unless specifically permitted.

Votes at a glance (selected items) - J J W Lavo LLC (630 Hudson St.; agenda item 1): Approved with modifications — applicant must correct corridor designation, label primary building entrances, show 5-foot clearance to entrances and 8/10-foot clearances from tree pits as required; remove unauthorized signage and speakers. - GMT (application no. 2): Approved with modifications (show Siamese connection radius, label primary entrances, confirm clearances and remove unauthorized items from furnishing zone). - Automatic Slims (application no. 12): Denied; committee cited repeated neighborhood complaints and noncompliance; applicant may return with corrected, fully dimensioned plans and evidence of remedying cited violations. - Citizens of Soho (application no. 15): Denied with modification requests following multiple DOT summons and persistent noncompliance reported by neighbors; committee requested plan corrections and documented fines. - Eighth Street Wine Cellar (application no. 18): Public hearing closed; neighbors pressed the group to require an ADA-compliant access path and a single, contained service perimeter; committee instructed applicant to show precise measurements and service flow in a revised plan.

The working group recorded detailed technical modifications for dozens of other applications (site-plan dimensions, 5-foot primary entrance clearances, tree-bed radii and exact placement of bike racks, fire hydrants and lamp posts). Where applicants did not return corrected diagrams by the committee’s deadline, the application is to be considered denied.

Why it matters: The panel’s decisions reshape which restaurants can legally place furniture on sidewalks and roadways in parts of Manhattan. The meeting underscored two linked issues: accurate site plans (including correct measurements from fixed features such as tree pits, hydrants and lamp posts) and enforcement — neighborhood groups said repeated violations have degraded pedestrian safety and access.

Provenance: The committee opened public testimony and reviewed applications during a hybrid meeting (Stella Fitzgerald, vice chair). Repeated resident comments and staff measurements informed the group’s technical modification list. Several agenda items were voted in the business session after public testimony.

Ending: Applicants denied or asked to revise plans may resubmit corrected diagrams for the committee’s next review; meanwhile, residents and board members urged DOT and other agencies to increase on-street enforcement to ensure approved layouts are followed. The working group will forward its modification list to DOT and incorporate corrected plans into future sessions.