Commission approves two outdoor dining requests with conditions amid neighborhood concerns

The Planning Commission approved two conditional use authorizations that permit small outdoor dining areas for neighborhood restaurants, while attaching conditions intended to reduce neighborhood impacts.

Case 2007.0428C (1224 Ninth Avenue, Bistro 9) requested a rear-yard outdoor seating area of roughly 12 seats. Department staff reported the project complies with applicable plan policies and had received no opposition; the commission approved the conditional authorization with the hours and conditions set out in the staff recommendation.

Case 2007.0338C (2263 Chestnut Street, Squat & Gobble) drew more public attention. Staff reported that the poster notice had been posted between two adjacent properties and that the public petition included some errors. Project sponsor Ahmad Laresa presented renderings and proposed hours (8:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.) with restrictions on cleanup and a heating system for evening use. A neighbor who lives adjacent to the backyard raised concerns about noise from cleanup activity and increased parking demand; another commenter said the poster on the public notice board misidentified the restaurant. Commissioners clarified that the project poster did correctly identify Squat & Gobble as the applicant and asked the sponsor to confirm details of the service station shown on plans; staff and the sponsor confirmed the service station is for clean utensils (not a bussing station for dirty dishes). The commission added a condition specifying no bussing stations or dish staging in the outdoor dining area and approved the project with that amendment. Both approvals passed on unanimous recorded votes.