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Community Board 2 working group approves most outdoor dining applications with conditions; several denied or sent back for revisions
Summary
Community Board 2's Outdoor Dining Working Group reviewed more than 20 sidewalk and roadway café applications on May 12, 2026, approving the bulk with site‑plan corrections and operational conditions while denying a handful (including a roadway café pending an FDNY waiver) and flagging multiple items for follow‑up on ADA, utility clearances and amenity‑zone seating.
The Community Board 2 Outdoor Dining Working Group met on May 12 and considered more than 20 sidewalk and roadway café applications across Greenwich Village and surrounding blocks. Chair Valerie Delarosa opened the meeting, explained the advisory process and led hearings with applicants; the group moved into a business session where it voted on most items.
Key outcomes: the working group approved many applications with specified modifications — typically to correct site‑plan labels, mark primary building entrances, add required clearances from manholes or tree pits, confirm awning/furnishing checkboxes, or adjust the number/placement of tables so service aisles and ADA clearances are met. Notable approvals with modifications included the Corner Deli / La Eskina (114 Kenmare Associates LLC), Debbie Dosa LLC (Hampton Chutney Company), Supernatural Wines (247–249 Center Street), Little Rubies (enclosed sidewalk café), Soho Diner (320 West Broadway, subject to liquor‑licensing alterations), and several combined sidewalk/roadway proposals for other businesses.
Denials and holds: the working group denied one roadway café application because it was pending an FDNY waiver (Gam Cafe / 7 Spring Street) and issued denials‑with‑required modifications for several applications that lacked necessary clearances or showed noncompliant seating configurations. Zinc Bar (82 West Third Street) was explicitly required to remove seating from the amenity/tree‑pit zone and to resubmit accurate, scaled diagrams. The Dante (51 Bank/West 4th) location drew a recommended denial‑with‑modifications because the proposed seating would not preserve safe pedestrian clearances on narrow sidewalks.
Why it matters: the board focused on pedestrian clear paths, utility access (including 18"/1'6" clearances around valves and manholes), ADA access, the prohibition on seating in the amenity (tree‑pit) zone, service‑aisle widths for servers, and alignment between liquor‑license stipulations and outdoor seating applications. Where an application conflicted with a prior liquor‑licensing stipulation, the applicant was told to file an alteration with the SLA before outdoor alcohol service could be considered.
Next steps and follow‑ups: applicants were directed to revise and resubmit corrected site plans where needed and, in some cases, to coordinate directly with DOT (and the West Village BID on proposed corridor/master‑plan changes) and with FDNY for required waivers. The working group also flagged a City Council proposal to create a DSNY 'office of sidewalk and roadway cafe sanitation' to centralize 311 complaints and enforcement data; members noted that centralized sanitation reporting could affect future enforcement and compliance work.
The board adjourned after completing votes and scheduling follow‑ups. Applicants were advised that corrected plans can be returned quickly to avoid unnecessary delays.
