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Committee flags sidewalk width and parking equity as barriers to widespread outdoor dining
Summary
Members said many downtown sidewalks are too narrow for safe outdoor dining under ADA rules and debated fairness if only some businesses (by location) could offer street dining; they discussed districting and possible impacts on parking supply.
Committee members emphasized that sidewalk width and existing parking patterns limit where outdoor dining could be feasible. One member raised equity concerns about allowing spill-out dining only for businesses with wider sidewalks or for those that could afford to retrofit properties, asking, "How is that pecking order, you know, equity issue addressed with all that?"
The group discussed creating a limited outdoor-dining district to concentrate changes in places that meet safety and accessibility standards and noted that some existing private porches and decks (on private property) are treated differently than street-facing dining. Staff will include sidewalk width, required buffers and potential parking changes in their research for draft ordinance options.
