The city is working on loosening rules around streateries and sidewalk cafes, and they’re asking for public feedback on their plans.
The Seattle Department of Transportation is proposing sidewalk cafe code amendments, with the following goals in mind:
- Allowing cafes in more places, by removing restrictions that limit outdoor seating and giving businesses the opportunity to extend beyond the business frontage where possible.
- Formalizing successful pilot programs for streateries and fence-free sidewalk cafes. Streateries are defined as small spaces constructed in the curb space, typically where cars park or unload goods — Ballard’s Bramling Cross is one example. The pilot program for fence-free sidewalk cafes would also be formalized, allowing more cafes to create a more open-air experience.
- Fix pedestrian mobility standards by loosening restrictions over pedestrian right-of-way. Currently, the city code requires a 3- to 4-foot wide unobstructed path along the entire block face. SDOT is instead proposing a 3-foot-wide “‘pedestrian straight path’ adjacent to and extending 25 feet on either end of the café, taking into account the immediate sidewalk context and maintaining the clear ‘pedestrian straight path’ adjacent to the café.” For more details, visit this fact sheet.
The city is requesting public feedback on the Determination of Non-Significance and proposed changes. They’ll accept comments through Monday, April 22 at 5pm via email (alyse.nelson@seattle.gov), phone (206-684-5268), or mail (Seattle Department of Transportation, Street Use – Public Space Management, P.O. Box 34996, Seattle, WA 98124-4996).
Photo from Bramling Cross’ Facebook page
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A wonderful idea for Beautiful Ballard.
Hurry up while there are still sidewalks available! Tents, tents, tents!
Also abandoned bicycles.
Good for businesses and good for the community. I’d love to see more sidewalk cafes!
Losing even more parking huh?…. Great.
I like the idea but I can just see homeless people running by grabbing what they want while your eating or drinking unfortunately !
i’d be more worried about dried fecal matter in the air or some hepatitis….
Front row seats for the junkie circus? Nice!
A filthy rainbow flag flapping in your face while neurotic dogs yap incessantly?
What’s not to love, Ballard?
You sound like you’d love Alabama. I’d be glad to start a gofundme for a one way ticket for you. Just say the word.
I’ll drop the first $100!
Alabama is a really nice state filled with fellow Americans (mostly cough cough). Too bad you think so poorly of them. I’ve noticed that you Massholes love to slam the South. Are you from Cali, NYC or Mass?
Oddly, Seattle women used to be fit and while they weren’t always the prettiest, at least they tried to be presentable. Now Seattle is as “curvy” (cough cough) as Walmart country but with an added dose of blue hair manhating and pet obsessions go along with it. Monkey see monkey Facebook I suppose.
At least Southerners don’t pretend to be some kind of geniuses just because Bill Gates craps in their town. I’ve been all over the world and Seattle is definitely in the top 5 places up its own ass.
I read today that the rape victim from Carter Subaru was dismissed by our very own “woke” O’Brien when she pressed him about public safety.
Stay classy, all ye Womyn Protectors!
Better start one for yourself if you can’t handle having someone nearby with a different point of view!
Biggest complaint of Ballard, especially in the summer months, is lack of outdoor space. This idea is great, especially if it utilizes places where foot traffic isn’t as prevalent. Down near Filson, Walrus and Carpenter, (old) Loft, etc. would be a great place to see some new additions.
But to the overall sentiment here – we gotta address the homelessness issues. Us Seattleites can deal with it to a certain degree, but we should not expect our kids, pets, visitors, tourists, etc. to feel the same way.
The city is being held hostage by Far Left lunatics who think they can solve poverty by taxing the rest of us into poverty while filling up the city with junkies.
This whole “tolerance” thing is really tired.
“That isn’t a junkie, you bigots, that’s a homeless hero victim of capitalism. By the way my dog is gender nonbinary and pasta is poison. Stop Trump. Woof!”