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CB2 hearing highlights clash over DOT clear-path rules as operators warn of lost outdoor seating
Summary
At a Jan. hearing, an applicant and several operators told Community Board 2 that DOT’s global pedestrian-clear-path rules could shrink usable outdoor seating and hurt summer revenue; committee members and staff explained measurement rules and urged applicants to resubmit accurate plans and pursue municipal or legislative remedies if needed.
An extended exchange at Manhattan Community Board 2’s Jan. 2026 Outdoor Dining Working Group meeting centered on how city pedestrian-clear-path rules are measured and on what operators say is an unintended economic cost.
An in-person applicant for a resubmitted sidewalk-cafe application told the committee she had been told DOT sign-off permitted a 12-foot corridor but that staff and committee members interpret some obstructions (for example, tree pits) as requiring an 8-foot radius measured in all…
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