Image Credit: CityLand
A flower shop in the Flower District obstructed a sidewalk with its plants. Holiday Flower & Plant shop, located on 118 West 28th Street, Manhattan, placed some of its plants outside the storefront with the intent of moving the plants inside after the store closed. The plants obstructed more than eight feet of sidewalk and reached the curb. An NYPD officer issued a summon to the flower shop for violating § 19-136 of the Administrative Code, which prohibits “any person to hang or place any goods, wares or merchandise . . . at a greater distance than three feet in front of his or her . . . store or other building. . . .” (more…)
Edward’s unenclosed sidewalk café restaurant located at 136 W Broadway in Manhattan. Image credit: CityLand.
Operating a sidewalk café requires a public review process and approval from the city. Summer is here and many restaurants open sidewalk cafés to give people a breath of fresh air while enjoying a meal. To operate a sidewalk café, the business must have a food service establishment permit and each year the business must pay consent fees, which are essentially a “lease” for use of the sidewalk space.
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Avella not convinced that application errors were inadvertent, calls for investigation of architect. The owner of the Delano Cafe Lounge at 29-02 Francis Lewis Boulevard applied to the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs for an unenclosed sidewalk cafe permit. The original application called for 36 tables and 72 chairs fronting on 29th Avenue and Francis Lewis Boulevard. After meeting with Community Board 7, the applicant agreed to reduce the application to 11 tables and 22 chairs fronting only on Francis Lewis Boulevard.
Before DCA’s public hearing, the applicant submitted plans to DCA that reflected the CB7 agreement, but when the matter was scheduled to go before the Council’s Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee, the applicant’s attorney realized that the Subcommittee had been sent the original plans instead of the revised version. The attorney mailed a letter to Chair Tony Avella to withdraw the application; the letter stated that new plans would be submitted shortly. (more…)
Roadway dining in Bay Ridge. Image Credit: NYC DOT
Over 11,000 restaurants are currently participating in the Open Restaurant Program. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced four citywide zoning amendment proposals to support small businesses, create more grocery stores and improve accessibility in transit. One of the proposals, the permanent open restaurant zoning text amendment, seeks to establish a permanent open restaurant program by removing the geographic restrictions on where sidewalk cafes can be located. (more…)
Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand
The newly announced program and its guidelines will allow artists and performers of all kinds to return to work safely. On February 8, 2021, Mayor de Blasio released guidelines for the upcoming Open Culture Program. The program will open up city streets for outdoor cultural performances and events throughout the five boroughs. The new program is modeled after a prior successful initiative lead by the city, the Open Streets Program. For CityLand’s prior coverage about the Open Culture Program, click here. (more…)
