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Belfast council directs staff to prepare 2025 curbside-permitting documents, updates standards
Summary
Council directed staff to prepare permitting documents for the 2025 curbside summer program, endorsing higher summer fees, minimum open-day and hour requirements, safety-marking rules and a May 15 installation deadline; council emphasized accessibility and ongoing collaboration with downtown businesses.
The Belfast City Council voted March 18 to direct staff to prepare permitting documents for the 2025 curbside summer program, advancing a program that has provided weekday outdoor activation of downtown curbside spaces since 2020.
Planning staff reviewed draft documents that retain prior program elements while proposing changes, including a proposed summer-permitting fee increase to $750, minimum open-day and minimum-hours requirements, reflective markings for traffic safety, an encouragement to permit public use of curbside spaces when businesses are closed, the ability to close spaces during extreme temperatures and an installation deadline of May 15.
Councilors and PTAC representatives discussed wording tweaks (for example, adding “live” to a reference to plantings), accessibility and parking concerns for nonparticipating businesses, and the program’s benefits to downtown vibrancy. Staff said last year there were seven summer participants and two winter participants, and said they will maintain electronic records of permits.
A motion directing staff to generate the necessary permitting documents for summer 2025 was moved, seconded and approved 5–0. Council asked staff to continue outreach with participating businesses and to monitor accessibility and traffic impacts as the program expands.
