Seattle council member introduces legislation to make street cafes permanent
Seattle City Council member Dan Strauss has introduced legislation that represents the final step toward outdoor dining structures becoming permanent in Seattle.
The Safe Starts Legislation creates permanent regulations for outdoor dining, including fee structures, structural standards and design goals.
Strauss and the Seattle Department of Transportation said the legislation has four key aspects:
“Equity – these changes must work across Seattle, not just in a few successful neighborhoods.
Safety – structures must be safe for people dining and people walking, rolling and driving.
Access – SDOT is working to maintain proper access, including ensuring plenty of room for business deliveries and pickup and drop-off space for ride-sharing services.
Sustainability – the program must be financially sustainable for SDOT and local businesses.”
Parts of the legislation are based on a street cafe pilot program on Ballard Avenue. Design planning in 2021 and 2022 turned temporary changes on that street into interim changes, including the formalization of one-way traffic, increased pedestrian space at intersections, the removal of unnecessary signage, and filling tree pits with permeable surfaces.
In August, a survey garnered 1,300 responses in overwhelming support of the changes to outdoor dining on Ballard Avenue.
“The years of outreach and work on Ballard Avenue have produced the right-sized permanent rules for street cafes in Seattle,” Strauss said. “Small businesses, foodies, and everyday Seattleites have embraced outdoor dining in both summer and winter. This legislation creates the permanent framework for outdoor dining to stay and ensures they remain a part of our city’s fabric.”
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to support Seattle’s business community by creating opportunities to use the public right of way in more flexible, creative ways,” said Alyse Nelson of SDOT. “Along the way, we evaluated the effectiveness of our temporary permitting programs and gathered feedback from permit holders. We’ve been delighted to work in partnership with community members whose innovative and thoughtful ideas have helped shaped the recommendations outlined in this legislation for a new permitting framework and are deeply appreciative of Councilmember Dan Strauss’ leadership on this.”
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