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Council weighs Nitro Bar sidewalk-cafe renewal amid complaints of disability access problems
Summary
Neighbors and disability advocates told council Nitro Bar's sidewalk seating can block wheelchair access; the owners said they will comply with a six-foot clearance and offered to meet advocates. Council debated continuing the item but proceeded to discuss conditions for approval and requested further outreach with disability representatives.
The City Council reviewed a sidewalk cafe license renewal for Nitro Bar at Pond Avenue after neighbors and a disability advocate raised concerns that sidewalk seating and temporary stanchions impeded wheelchair access and daily travel for nearby residents.
A letter from disability advocate Annette Bouvenir was read into the record documenting repeated complaints that sidewalk obstructions force wheelchair users to cross the street and that enforcement actions had previously been required. Bouvenir wrote, “If they have not been able to comply with giving appropriate space to people with disabilities up until now, what difference would such a permit make?”
Owners of Nitro Bar responded that the sidewalk seating has been in place for more than six years, that they have maintained a six-foot clearance around the tables and that recent changes (including removal of a service cart after city direction) addressed some concerns. Supporters from the neighborhood told the council the outdoor seating has boosted business and that the line of customers forms on Broadway while the seating is on Pond Avenue. The owners said they would meet with the disability advocate and residents and remove stanchions or adjust layout; one owner said they would "go and do that tonight."
Councilors debated whether to continue the item to allow further meetings and technical verification; a motion to continue was discussed and ultimately failed after multiple points of order. Several councilors encouraged direct outreach and asked administration to help mediate. The record shows a mix of resident support for the business and concern for mobility access; council directed staff and the owners to work with the disability advocate and affected residents as a condition of moving forward.
