Despite some ongoing litigation, New York City took a major step this week toward making outdoor dining a permanent part of the city's infrastructure. On Monday, the City Planning Commission voted unanimously for a zoning text amendment that will create a clean slate for the city to develop and regulate a permanent program, and will ultimately allow more restaurants to set up outdoor dining structures across the city. — Gothamist
The amendment removes geographic restrictions on where outdoor dining spaces can be located in New York, making the application process for sidewalk and roadway eateries much simpler.
The City Council and mayor will now have to approve the text amendment. Confidence that it will go through is high, given that the City Council voted to make outdoor dining permanent last year and current Mayor Bill de Blasio and incoming Mayor Eric Adams have both pledged support for the move. Once approved, the city will begin developing the specifications for the program, which will include a six-month outreach program in order to receive public input on the program’s design and rules.
Opponents of the plan argue that the outdoor structures for dining add litter, create more noise at night, and take up parking spots. As reported by Gothamist, a group of 22 New York City residents recently filed a lawsuit to block the Open Restaurants Program due to these reasons.
The permanent program is expected to launch in 2023.
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