Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Outside Dining topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning director urges clearer outdoor‑dining standards — board favors 4‑foot clear path or 50% usable sidewalk width
Summary
Allison, Glens Falls planning director, told the Board of Public Safety that local code lacks numeric standards for outdoor dining on sidewalks and recommended either a 4‑foot clear path or reserving 50% of usable sidewalk width; the board signaled support and will inform the common council.
Allison, Glens Falls’ director of planning and zoning, presented a draft memo May 13 recommending clearer, consistent standards for sidewalk dining encroachment permits and said the city’s code currently lacks a numeric minimum.
“ADA minimums set a three‑foot clear passage as the absolute minimum,” Allison said, and recommended a practical baseline of 4 feet for a clear path, or alternatively allowing up to 50% of usable sidewalk width to be used for outdoor seating where right of way constraints exist. She cautioned that some brick surfaces are not ADA‑compliant and should not be counted as clear path.
Allison described the existing review path for new outdoor‑dining applications — planning board review, a common‑council referral and annual permitting — and suggested a diagram and clearer application checklist to reduce inconsistent past decisions.
Board members agreed that a consistent standard would improve accessibility and enforcement. One member noted complaints from residents with mobility impairments who said they could not pass at some downtown locations; another suggested that 5 feet would be preferable where sidewalks allow but acknowledged downtown constraints.
The board agreed to send a favorable opinion on the draft guidance to the common council for consideration in code or permit updates.
