CB7 supports permanent open restaurant proposal
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
NYC community boards
had until Sept. 28 to decide
whether to be in favor of a
permanent open restaurant
zoning text amendment that
would remove geographic restrictions
on where sidewalk
cafes can be located, a part of
a plan to make al fresco dining
permanent in all corners
of the city.
Despite contestations from
some on Community Board 7,
the board voted in support of
the permanent open restaurant
zoning text amendment
by a 17-5 margin; three board
members abstained from
casting a vote.
“Why is it that the Bronx
is missing out on these sidewalk
cafes?” said board member
Sarah Erickson. I see that
they are all over Brooklyn,
Manhattan, and Queens … I
think the geographic limitations
just doesn’t seem fair to
the Bronx.”
CB7 is comprised of the
Bedford Park, Fordham, Jerome
Park, Kingsbridge
Heights, Mosholu Parkway,
Norwood and University
Heights sections of the
Bronx. If approved, the program
will allow restaurants
to continue to use the sidewalk
adjacent to — and curbside
roadway space in front of
— the restaurant for outdoor
dining.
However, without approval,
the program — which
the city says saved an estimated
100,000 jobs at more
than 11,000 participating restaurants
— is set to expire at
the end of 2022.
Under the program, the
implementation of both sidewalk
and roadway cafes are
now administered by the
DOT. The NYC Open Restaurant
Program eliminated
the lengthy Department of
Consumer and Worker Protection
review process for
outdoor dining, which also
included potential review
by Consumer Affairs, the
City Council and community
boards.
Outdoor dining was a lifeboat
for most restaurants in
New York City since 2020,
faced with either shutting
their doors or adapting to restrictions
on indoor dining
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no fee to enter, more
than 11,000 restaurants are
currently participating in
the Open Restaurant Program,
BRONX TIMES R 16 EPORTER, OCT. 1-7, 2021 BTR
according to city offi
cials. However, just 11 of
NYC’s 1,500-recognized sidewalk
cafes through the program,
are in the Bronx.
The city designates three
types of sidewalk cafes: enclosed,
unenclosed and small
unenclosed sidewalk cafes.
All but one of the 11 sidewalk
cafes in the Bronx is
classifi ed as unenclosed cafes,
meaning they are sited on
the public sidewalk in front
of the restaurant that is constructed
predominantly of
light materials.
Some CB7 board members
expressed concerns that the
prevalence of sidewalk cafes
and roadway cafes could increase
the borough’s pollution
problem, increase noise
complaints and limit needed
pedestrian sidewalk space.
According to DOT Commissioner
Hank Gutman,
all restaurants with ground
fl oor space are eligible to apply
for year-round access to
sidewalk or roadway space.
Outdoor dining spaces must
be ADA compliant and will
be subject to clear path and
siting criteria and distance
from obstructions.
For roadway cafes, setups
will be allowed in parking
lanes except for certain prohibited
zones, and the setup
must maintain public safety
with access to hydrants and
visibility of traffi c signs.
DOT offi cials told the
Bronx Times that the project,
if approved, will be fi nalized
sometime in late 2022 or early
2023. In the interim, restaurants
are allowed to operate
their outdoor dining spaces
until winter 2022.
In contrast, at its Sept. 2
Land Use Committee meeting,
Bronx Community
Board 8 did not support the
text amendment, that “the
proposed DCP zoning text
change should be rejected as
premature and open to more
questions and concerns than
it usefully addresses.”
NYC offi cials are weighing a plan that would make al fresco dining permanent
in all corners of the city. File photo
www.prepforprep.org/admissions
JOIN A
COMMUNITY OF
YOUNG LEADERS
!
"
#$
%&'&()*'+,
ÚNETE A UNA COMUNIDAD
DE LÍDERES JÓVENES HOY
Información está disponible en
español
/admissions
/admissions