Seattle asking for public feedback on making outdoor dining areas permanent

The city of Seattle offered restaurants a permit during the pandemic that would allow them to set up outdoor dining areas to limit the spread of COVID-19.

SEATTLE – Outdoor dining exploded in Seattle during the pandemic, and now the city is moving towards making the sidewalk cafes and street amenities permanent.

City officials have been collecting feedback for months, and the public has until August 15 to consider changes that could permanently affect the look of Seattle. Citizens can access the city’s survey here.

The Safe Starts permits, which allowed eating on the sidewalk and sometimes on the street, were introduced as a way to prevent restaurants from going out of business. When people didn’t feel safe eating inside, the city helped restaurants create a way for people to eat outside.

The city has already extended the permits until next year, and officials say this could make Seattle look permanent. The city says it wants to hear from customers, restaurant owners, neighbors, and others through its online survey.

“We want to stop and listen and hear from people how it works, make sure we hear from people with disabilities how these spaces work for people with disabilities,” said Alyse Nelson of the Seattle Department of Transportation.

There seems to be widespread support among participating restaurants who believe it helped them make up some of the money they lost.

“It was really rewarding to hear from licensing companies that Safe Start Licensing was really a lifeline. It helped them stay in business during the pandemic, ”Nelson said.

More than 260 permits have been issued. The city wants to use the feedback to produce a report by the end of the year that it can send to the Seattle City Council and then use to formalize the legislation.

The current permits run until May 2022.