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Planning board approves Taveri outdoor seating but removes curb‑side tables
Summary
The Bronxville Planning Board approved expanded outdoor seating for the Taveri restaurant with the condition that three curb‑side tables be removed and noncompliance could revert the restaurant to its prior approved configuration. The board weighed pedestrian clearance, police recommendations for a 10‑foot setback, and the proprietor’s plea about summer revenue.
Michael Goldman, a member of the Bronxville Planning Board, opened discussion of an application from the new owners of Taveri for expanded sidewalk dining and heard a presentation from Kimberly Sheld of Pratt Black Architects. Sheld said the plan proposes eight tables and 28 seats, a five‑foot clear pedestrian aisle, a five‑foot buffer from the curb, and four curb bollards for added safety. “The Village Of Bronxville renewal application for sidewalk cafe permit states … at a minimum, the outdoor seating area shall leave a 5 foot clear path,” Sheld told the board, and she noted the police chief’s recommendation for a larger setback.
The board also heard from the proprietor’s representative, who described outdoor seating as an important summer revenue source and apologized for recent noncompliance with earlier guidance. Board members and staff said Jim Palmer had asked for removal of extra curb‑side tables earlier in the season and that the tables were removed and briefly returned on two weekend nights. Kevin, a village staff member who monitors compliance, said he had spoken to staff and that the tables had been present from April through late May before briefly reappearing in June.
Members debated whether planters and parking meters count as obstructions under the code’s five‑foot rule and whether bollards would address the police chief’s safety concern that patrons sitting near the curb are vulnerable to vehicle incidents. Some members favored a layout that places more seating against the storefront (a “3 and 2” or staggered configuration) to keep patrons farther from the curb while preserving pedestrian flow and village aesthetics. One member said the current proposal risked creating a narrow “gauntlet” for pedestrians.
After discussion, a motion was made to approve the applicant’s plan but to exclude the three tables closest to the street, and to include a condition that if the board finds future noncompliance the approval would revert to the previously approved configuration. The motion carried on an oral vote. The board told the applicant it would consult further with the police chief on possible additions such as bollards and encouraged careful adherence to the approved layout.
The board’s approval included an explicit compliance condition; members noted this would allow the restaurant to reapply for additional seating in the future if it demonstrates consistent compliance.
