Seattle streeteries are going to stick around town
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that will allow restaurants and other owners to set up tables on sidewalks and in parking spaces, as long as they get a long-term permit.
Councilmember Dan Strauss says the move adds to the fabric of the city.
"Small businesses and their entrepreneurial skills make our neighborhoods more vibrant," Strauss said. "The other option for some of these spaces is a place for cars to park. What we found in Ballard is that we're able to have places for cars to park and these outdoor dining opportunities."
Business owners will pay up to $1,200 a year to use those outdoor spaces under the new permitting process.
More than 300 businesses set up street cafes and other street vending operations during the pandemic. During that time, the city waived any fees for street vending. Moving forward, city officials have been reworking regulations.
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The city anticipates it could lose tens of thousands of dollars in parking meter fees, but does not yet know how much the street cafe permits will bring in.
The type of seating, dimensions, and ADA compliance are all regulated in the permit.
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Paige Browning
Newscaster
Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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