Seattle’s road eating is right here to remain — at the least for some time

An alfresco restaurant in a restaurant in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. (MyNorthwest Photo)

Dan Strauss, a member of Seattle City Council, passed legislation on May 10 to extend the city’s cafe street pilot program for another year.

The legislation was negotiated on May 12 in the Land Use and Neighborhood Committee, which approved an extension of the program for another year. On May 17th it went to the full council for the final vote. Seattle City Council voted to extend the free street permits for restaurants and businesses through May 2022.

The program has allowed restaurants and other retail stores in Seattle to use the streets in front of their stores for outdoor dining and exhibitions, which has helped many of them keep working safely and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Strauss is chairman of the city’s land use and neighborhood committee. He previously sponsored a bill to help legalize home business, including Yonder Bar in Greenwood, by changing some land use codes for a year.

“It offers flexibility with the land use code so that entrepreneurs can use their garage to turn their dreams into successful businesses,” said Strauss of his bill for Bringing Business Home. “So that we can get out of this pandemic, we can fill these empty shop fronts with companies that are grown on our own.”

The new legislation by Strauss was endorsed by Council Chairman Lorena Gonzalez. After learning of the success of the Café Streets program for many small businesses, the intention was to offer a permanent business program that would continue to use the outdoors and “add vibrancy to neighborhoods and business districts.” However, before a permanent solution was found, legislation was put in place to extend the existing program until May 31, 2022.

“I am very pleased to announce my legislation that creates a way to preserve street cafes and cafe streets as permanent features in our city,” said Strauss. “This bill extends the free coffee shop, exhibition and sales permits through May 31, 2022 and sets out the steps to make this important program permanent. Entrepreneurs have told me that these permits have saved their businesses by giving them the flexibility to use their entrepreneurial drive to stay open to public health while regulations change. Companies that have changed their model to use these permits will be less affected by the change in public health guidelines. “

“This path to persistence gives organizations the security they need to invest in their outdoor spaces and the flexibility to stay open as public health policies change. I want every neighborhood to be streets like Ballard Avenue in my district – full of restaurants and outdoor retail spaces. Neighborhoods that don’t have their own street also thrive when entrepreneurs use their creativity to use public space and stay open. This is how we create a livelier city, ”said Strauss.

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Creating a path to permanent rules will help local businesses that have invested in outdoors, especially when the weather is nice in spring and summer.