sc brochure final 3a - ddot for enclosed and unenclosed sidewalk cafés permit requirements no...
TRANSCRIPT
PhotobyMVJantzen
Muriel C. Bowser, Mayor
S I D E W A L K C A F ÉSAn overview of the regulations governing sidewalk cafés and of the review process for obtaining a sidewalk café permit.
ThewidesidewalksfoundinWashington,DC,commercialareasarewellsuitedforsidewalkcafés.Cafésareoneofthebestwaystoactivatecitystreetsandenhancethecharacterofneighborhoods.Sidewalkcafésarewhereresidentsandvisitorcanenjoygoodfoodandgoodweather,whileenjoyingourbeautifulcity.TheDistrictencouragesrestaurantsandotherqualify‐ingbusinessesto,whereverfeasible,opensidewalkcafés.Sincesidewalksarepri‐marilyintendedforpedestriansandregu‐latedbytheDistrictDepartmentofTransportation(DDOT)aspartofthecity’stransportationnetwork,theDistrictreviewseachsidewalkcaféapplicationtomakesureminimumrequirementsforclearsidewalksandseatingarefollowed.Thisguaranteesthatcafésareawelcom‐ingandsafeadditiontocitystreets.
Regulations for Enclosed and Unenclosed Sidewalk Cafés
Permit Requirements Nopersoncanoperateasidewalkcafé
inpublicspaceuntiltheyareissuedaSidewalkCaféPermitandaCertificateofUseforacafé(DCMR24‐301.2).Sidewalkcafépermitsareissuedtopropertyown‐ersonly,andeachapplicationforacafémustbesignedandapprovedbytheownerofthepropertyabuttingthepublicspacetobeoccupiedbythecafé(DCMR24‐303.3).
Seating Capacity Sidewalkcafésmusthave15square
feetforeveryseatwithintheirseatingarea.Thenumberofseatswithinaside‐walkcaféisdeterminedbydividingthetotalsquarefeetofthecaféby15.(ThePublicSpaceCommitteeusesthestandardforindoorrestaurantseatingestablishedintheInternationalBuildingCode,Section1004.1and1004.2,Table1004.1.1)
Furnishing and Fixtures
Allfurnishingsandfixtures,suchaschairs,tables,umbrellas,andlights,mustbenon‐permanentandremovablewithin
floorceilingoftheadjoiningbuilding,whicheverisless(DCMR24‐315.2,24‐315.3,and24‐315.4).
Fences and Planters
Theheightofarailing,fence,orplanter(includingvegetation)aroundasidewalkcafécannotbehigherthan36inches(DCMR24‐315.5).
Flooring
Artificialturf,carpet,platforms,oranyothersurfacecoverinasidewalkcaféisallowedonthefloorareaonlywhenspe‐cificallyapprovedbytheFireChiefandthePublicSpaceCommittee(DCMR24‐315.6).
Approval Process
Sidewalkcafésoccupypublicspacethatistypicallysetasideforpedestrians.Tomakesuretheinterestofthepublicisprotected,applicationsarereviewedbymultipleDistrictagenciesandthelocalAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission.Theapplicationprocesstakesseveralweeks.
WhiletheDistrictstronglysupportssidewalkcafésinpublicspace,applicantsmustmeetminimumstandardsforanapplicationtobeapproved.Insomeloca‐tionspublicspaceconstraintsmakeitimpossibletoapproveasidewalkcafé.
SidewalkcafépermitsareobtainedfromtheDDOTPublicSpacePermitOfficeafterapprovalbythePublicSpaceCommittee.TobeconsideredbythePublicSpaceCommittee,allapplicantsmustsubmitacompletedpublicspaceapplicationtoDDOT’sPublicSpacePermitOffice.ThePublicSpaceCommitteemeetsonthe4thThursdayofeachmonth‐meetingdatesanddeadlinesforfilingpermitsarepostedonDDOT’swebsite.CafépermitsthatcomplywithallregulationsandhavenooutstandingissuesmaybeapprovedontheCommittee’sconsentagenda.
Somesidewalkcafésmayneedmorethanonepermit:
• PublicSpaceSidewalkCaféPermitforRental‐allapplications
• SidewalkCaféCertificateofUsefromDirectoroftheDepartmentof
ConsumerandRegulatoryAffairs(DCRA)‐allapplications
• BuildingPermit(enclosedcafésonly‐seeDCMR12:314.3)
• ElectricPermit(caféswithlightingorelectricalfixtures–DCElectricalCode110‐50,410,430)
• ABClicense(sidewalkcafésservingalcohol)
For More Information…
ContactDDOT’sPublicSpacePermitOfficeat202.442.4670tolearnmoreaboutsidewalkcaféapplicationrequirementsandthePublicSpaceCommitteereviewprocess.ContacttheDCOfficeofPlanning’sPublicSpaceProgramat202.442.7600tolearnmoreabouturbandesignoptionstoconsiderwhendevelopingplansforthelocationandlayoutofsidewalkcafés.
Enclosed cafés must have transparentwalls.
24hours.Furnishingsandfixturesshouldbearrangedsotheydonotobstructres‐taurantdoorsandprovideexitaislesforeachdoor(DCMR24‐210.1,24‐312.2,and24‐312.3).Outdoorseatingmustbecountedin
satisfyingrestroomrequirements,includ‐ing,butnotlimitedto,quantity,access,andlocation(DCMR24‐314.7).Trashcansandotherrefusestoragecon‐
tainersmaynotbelocatednearsidewalkcafés(DCMR24‐314.9and24‐314.10).Thefloorofasidewalkcafémustbeatthe
sameelevationastheexistingsurfacespace.Inorderforthefloorofthesidewalkcafétobeatgrade,afloormaybeconstructedifitislessthan18inchesabovewherethecafémeetswiththeadjoiningclearsidewalkspace(DCMR24‐312.5and24‐312.6).Clear Sidewalk Space and Location
Sidewalkcafésmusthaveanadjacentclearandunobstructedpassagewaynotlessthan10feetinwidthatallpoints.However,thePublicSpaceCommitteehastheauthoritytoapproveanadjacentpas‐sagewaynolessthan6feet(DCMR24‐204.1,204.2,and316.9).Iflocatedatstreetintersectionscafésmustprovideclearanceof10feettothecorner.Nosidewalkcafésshallbewithin15feetofabusstop,abusshelter,oraMetrorailstationentrance(24‐311.6and24‐311.7.7).
Theclearsidewalkspaceismeasuredfromthefarthestextendedportionofthesidewalkcaféfrontagetothecurblineorthenearestobstruction,whicheverisnearesttothesidewalkcafé.Forthepur‐poseofdeterminingclearsidewalkspace,trees,streetlightpoles,signpoles,firehydrants,andotherobjectslocatedonthesurfacespaceareconsideredobstruc‐tions;treeboxeswithtreegratesflushwiththesidewalkarenotconsideredobstructions(24‐311.1and24‐311.5).
Food and Serving Standards
Foodcannotbestoredorpreparedinthesidewalkcafé(DCMR24‐314.3).
Display of Permit Thepermitforacafémustbedis‐
playedinaconspicuouslocationonthefrontoftheassociatedbusinesswhereitcanbeseenfromthesidewalkandvisibleinsuchawaythatitislegibletoapersononthepublicspaceinfrontofthebusi‐ness(DCMR24‐207.13). Additional Regulations for Enclosed Sidewalk Cafés
Dates and Conditions for Enclosures Exceptfordaysthatareunseasonably
cold,unseasonablywarm,orrainy,side‐walkcafésmaybeenclosedfromOctober15throughMay15only.
AsidewalkcafémaybeenclosedonanydaywhentheNationalWeatherServicepredictsat8:00a.m.attheReaganNationalAirportweatherstationthat,withinthenext24hours,thetemperaturemaygoabove90degreesFahrenheitorbelow60degreesFahrenheit,orifthechanceofrainis50percentormore,orintheeventofrain(DCMR24‐210.6and24‐210.7).Weatherinformationisavailableatwww.weather.gov/washington.
Enclosing Structure Anenclosedsidewalkcafémayutilizea
basewallofopaquematerialuptoamaximumheightof36inchesfromthesidewalklevel.Allenclosingwalls,doors,andwindows(butnotstructuralmem‐bers)abovethebasewallmustbeatrans‐parentmaterial.Tofurthermaximizetransparency,boththehorizontalandver‐ticalstructuralmembersmustbenomorethan10incheswide(DCMR24‐210.2,24‐210.3,and24‐210.4).
Wallsandothermaterialsofanen‐closedsidewalkcafémustbeofnon‐combustibleorfire‐resistantmaterials.Awningsorcanopiesmustbeflame‐retardant.Theflooringmustalsobefire‐resistant(DCMR24‐316.2and24‐316.5).Thesupportingstructureofanyenclosedcafémustbeconstructedtosupportatleast30poundspersquarefootliveload(DCMR24‐316.6).
Whenrequiredtobeunenclosed,anenclosedsidewalkcafémustbeoperatedwithallofitswindowsopenedandsothattheenclosedsidewalkcaféisnotenclosedfromthe36inchbaseto8feetabovethesidewalk.Theonlyitemsallowedbetween
thefence/wallandtheceilingarethemembersholdingorframinganywindows(DCMR24‐316.10).Fixtures
Noplumbingfixturesareallowedtoin‐stalledinanenclosedsidewalkcafé.Heat‐ing,air‐conditioning,ventilation,andelec‐tricallightingmaybeinstalled,whenauthorizedaspartofthesidewalkcafépermit,inaccordancewiththeapplicableDistrictcodesandregulations(DCMR24‐210.5).
Location and Configuration
Noenclosedsidewalkcafécanprojectmorethan20feetfromthebuildingline,oroccupymorethan60percentofavailablesurfacespace.(DCMR24‐210.8).
Whenthecombinedoccupanciesoftheenclosedsidewalkcaféandtheadja‐centrestaurantexceed75people,twoexitsshallbeprovidedfromtheenclosedsidewalkcafé:oneisrequiredtoopendirectlyfromthesidewalk,publicalley,orpublicspaceabuttingtheenclosedside‐walkcaféandonemayopenintotheabuttingrestaurant.Iftwoexitsarere‐quiredfortheadjacentbusinessproperty,twoexitsarealsorequiredfortheen‐closedsidewalkcafé(DCMR24‐316.7and24‐316.8).
Additional Regulations for Unenclosed Cafés Only
Awnings and Umbrellas Theawning,canopy,orumbrellasofan
unenclosedsidewalkcafémustbeade‐quatelysecured,retractable,orremovable.Framingmustbemadeorconstructedofnon‐combustibleorfire‐resistantmateri‐als.Thematerialusedtocovertheframingmustbeflame‐retardantandapprovedbytheFireChief.Theheightoftheawningofanunenclosedsidewalkcafémustnotbelowerthan8feetfromthefloorofthesidewalkcafé.Thevalanceoftheawningcannotexceed12feetandnotexceedahorizontalplaneextendingfromthefirst
Unenclosedcafésareopentotheskyandallsides.
Sidewalkcafésneedtoallowadequatespaceforpedestrians.
24hours.Furnishingsandfixturesshouldbearrangedsotheydonotobstructres‐taurantdoorsandprovideexitaislesforeachdoor(DCMR24‐210.1,24‐312.2,and24‐312.3).Outdoorseatingmustbecountedin
satisfyingrestroomrequirements,includ‐ing,butnotlimitedto,quantity,access,andlocation(DCMR24‐314.7).Trashcansandotherrefusestoragecon‐
tainersmaynotbelocatednearsidewalkcafés(DCMR24‐314.9and24‐314.10).Thefloorofasidewalkcafémustbeatthe
sameelevationastheexistingsurfacespace.Inorderforthefloorofthesidewalkcafétobeatgrade,afloormaybeconstructedifitislessthan18inchesabovewherethecafémeetswiththeadjoiningclearsidewalkspace(DCMR24‐312.5and24‐312.6).Clear Sidewalk Space and Location
Sidewalkcafésmusthaveanadjacentclearandunobstructedpassagewaynotlessthan10feetinwidthatallpoints.However,thePublicSpaceCommitteehastheauthoritytoapproveanadjacentpas‐sagewaynolessthan6feet(DCMR24‐204.1,204.2,and316.9).Iflocatedatstreetintersectionscafésmustprovideclearanceof10feettothecorner.Nosidewalkcafésshallbewithin15feetofabusstop,abusshelter,oraMetrorailstationentrance(24‐311.6and24‐311.7.7).
Theclearsidewalkspaceismeasuredfromthefarthestextendedportionofthesidewalkcaféfrontagetothecurblineorthenearestobstruction,whicheverisnearesttothesidewalkcafé.Forthepur‐poseofdeterminingclearsidewalkspace,trees,streetlightpoles,signpoles,firehydrants,andotherobjectslocatedonthesurfacespaceareconsideredobstruc‐tions;treeboxeswithtreegratesflushwiththesidewalkarenotconsideredobstructions(24‐311.1and24‐311.5).
Food and Serving Standards
Foodcannotbestoredorpreparedinthesidewalkcafé(DCMR24‐314.3).
Display of Permit Thepermitforacafémustbedis‐
playedinaconspicuouslocationonthefrontoftheassociatedbusinesswhereitcanbeseenfromthesidewalkandvisibleinsuchawaythatitislegibletoapersononthepublicspaceinfrontofthebusi‐ness(DCMR24‐207.13). Additional Regulations for Enclosed Sidewalk Cafés
Dates and Conditions for Enclosures Exceptfordaysthatareunseasonably
cold,unseasonablywarm,orrainy,side‐walkcafésmaybeenclosedfromOctober15throughMay15only.
AsidewalkcafémaybeenclosedonanydaywhentheNationalWeatherServicepredictsat8:00a.m.attheReaganNationalAirportweatherstationthat,withinthenext24hours,thetemperaturemaygoabove90degreesFahrenheitorbelow60degreesFahrenheit,orifthechanceofrainis50percentormore,orintheeventofrain(DCMR24‐210.6and24‐210.7).Weatherinformationisavailableatwww.weather.gov/washington.
Enclosing Structure Anenclosedsidewalkcafémayutilizea
basewallofopaquematerialuptoamaximumheightof36inchesfromthesidewalklevel.Allenclosingwalls,doors,andwindows(butnotstructuralmem‐bers)abovethebasewallmustbeatrans‐parentmaterial.Tofurthermaximizetransparency,boththehorizontalandver‐ticalstructuralmembersmustbenomorethan10incheswide(DCMR24‐210.2,24‐210.3,and24‐210.4).
Wallsandothermaterialsofanen‐closedsidewalkcafémustbeofnon‐combustibleorfire‐resistantmaterials.Awningsorcanopiesmustbeflame‐retardant.Theflooringmustalsobefire‐resistant(DCMR24‐316.2and24‐316.5).Thesupportingstructureofanyenclosedcafémustbeconstructedtosupportatleast30poundspersquarefootliveload(DCMR24‐316.6).
Whenrequiredtobeunenclosed,anenclosedsidewalkcafémustbeoperatedwithallofitswindowsopenedandsothattheenclosedsidewalkcaféisnotenclosedfromthe36inchbaseto8feetabovethesidewalk.Theonlyitemsallowedbetween
thefence/wallandtheceilingarethemembersholdingorframinganywindows(DCMR24‐316.10).Fixtures
Noplumbingfixturesareallowedtoin‐stalledinanenclosedsidewalkcafé.Heat‐ing,air‐conditioning,ventilation,andelec‐tricallightingmaybeinstalled,whenauthorizedaspartofthesidewalkcafépermit,inaccordancewiththeapplicableDistrictcodesandregulations(DCMR24‐210.5).
Location and Configuration
Noenclosedsidewalkcafécanprojectmorethan20feetfromthebuildingline,oroccupymorethan60percentofavailablesurfacespace.(DCMR24‐210.8).
Whenthecombinedoccupanciesoftheenclosedsidewalkcaféandtheadja‐centrestaurantexceed75people,twoexitsshallbeprovidedfromtheenclosedsidewalkcafé:oneisrequiredtoopendirectlyfromthesidewalk,publicalley,orpublicspaceabuttingtheenclosedside‐walkcaféandonemayopenintotheabuttingrestaurant.Iftwoexitsarere‐quiredfortheadjacentbusinessproperty,twoexitsarealsorequiredfortheen‐closedsidewalkcafé(DCMR24‐316.7and24‐316.8).
Additional Regulations for Unenclosed Cafés Only
Awnings and Umbrellas Theawning,canopy,orumbrellasofan
unenclosedsidewalkcafémustbeade‐quatelysecured,retractable,orremovable.Framingmustbemadeorconstructedofnon‐combustibleorfire‐resistantmateri‐als.Thematerialusedtocovertheframingmustbeflame‐retardantandapprovedbytheFireChief.Theheightoftheawningofanunenclosedsidewalkcafémustnotbelowerthan8feetfromthefloorofthesidewalkcafé.Thevalanceoftheawningcannotexceed12feetandnotexceedahorizontalplaneextendingfromthefirst
Unenclosedcafésareopentotheskyandallsides.
Sidewalkcafésneedtoallowadequatespaceforpedestrians.
PhotobyMVJantzen
Vincent C. Gray, Mayor
S I D E W A L K C A F ÉS An overview of the regulations governing sidewalk cafés and of the review process for obtaining a sidewalk café permit.
ThewidesidewalksfoundinWashington,DC,commercialareasarewellsuitedforsidewalkcafés.Cafésareoneofthebestwaystoactivatecitystreetsandenhancethecharacterofneighborhoods.Sidewalkcafésarewhereresidentsandvisitorcanenjoygoodfoodandgoodweather,whileenjoyingourbeautifulcity.TheDistrictencouragesrestaurantsandotherqualify‐ingbusinessesto,whereverfeasible,opensidewalkcafés.Sincesidewalksarepri‐marilyintendedforpedestriansandregu‐latedbytheDistrictDepartmentofTransportation(DDOT)aspartofthecity’stransportationnetwork,theDistrictreviewseachsidewalkcaféapplicationtomakesureminimumrequirementsforclearsidewalksandseatingarefollowed.Thisguaranteesthatcafésareawelcom‐ingandsafeadditiontocitystreets.
Regulations for Enclosed and Unenclosed Sidewalk Cafés
Permit Requirements Nopersoncanoperateasidewalkcafé
inpublicspaceuntiltheyareissuedaSidewalkCaféPermitandaCertificateofUseforacafé(DCMR24‐301.2).Sidewalkcafépermitsareissuedtopropertyown‐ersonly,andeachapplicationforacafémustbesignedandapprovedbytheownerofthepropertyabuttingthepublicspacetobeoccupiedbythecafé(DCMR24‐303.3).
Seating Capacity Sidewalkcafésmusthave15square
feetforeveryseatwithintheirseatingarea.Thenumberofseatswithinaside‐walkcaféisdeterminedbydividingthetotalsquarefeetofthecaféby15.(ThePublicSpaceCommitteeusesthestandardforindoorrestaurantseatingestablishedintheInternationalBuildingCode,Section1004.1and1004.2,Table1004.1.1)
Furnishing and Fixtures
Allfurnishingsandfixtures,suchaschairs,tables,umbrellas,andlights,mustbenon‐permanentandremovablewithin
floorceilingoftheadjoiningbuilding,whicheverisless(DCMR24‐315.2,24‐315.3,and24‐315.4).
Fences and Planters
Theheightofarailing,fence,orplanter(includingvegetation)aroundasidewalkcafécannotbehigherthan36inches(DCMR24‐315.5).
Flooring
Artificialturf,carpet,platforms,oranyothersurfacecoverinasidewalkcaféisallowedonthefloorareaonlywhenspe‐cificallyapprovedbytheFireChiefandthePublicSpaceCommittee(DCMR24‐315.6).
Approval Process
Sidewalkcafésoccupypublicspacethatistypicallysetasideforpedestrians.Tomakesuretheinterestofthepublicisprotected,applicationsarereviewedbymultipleDistrictagenciesandthelocalAdvisoryNeighborhoodCommission.Theapplicationprocesstakesseveralweeks.
WhiletheDistrictstronglysupportssidewalkcafésinpublicspace,applicantsmustmeetminimumstandardsforanapplicationtobeapproved.Insomeloca‐tionspublicspaceconstraintsmakeitimpossibletoapproveasidewalkcafé.
SidewalkcafépermitsareobtainedfromtheDDOTPublicSpacePermitOfficeafterapprovalbythePublicSpaceCommittee.TobeconsideredbythePublicSpaceCommittee,allapplicantsmustsubmitacompletedpublicspaceapplicationtoDDOT’sPublicSpacePermitOffice.ThePublicSpaceCommitteemeetsonthe4thThursdayofeachmonth‐meetingdatesanddeadlinesforfilingpermitsarepostedonDDOT’swebsite.CafépermitsthatcomplywithallregulationsandhavenooutstandingissuesmaybeapprovedontheCommittee’sconsentagenda.
Somesidewalkcafésmayneedmorethanonepermit:
• PublicSpaceSidewalkCaféPermitforRental‐allapplications
• SidewalkCaféCertificateofUsefromDirectoroftheDepartmentof
ConsumerandRegulatoryAffairs(DCRA)‐allapplications
• BuildingPermit(enclosedcafésonly‐seeDCMR12:314.3)
• ElectricPermit(caféswithlightingorelectricalfixtures–DCElectricalCode110‐50,410,430)
• ABClicense(sidewalkcafésservingalcohol)
For More Information…
ContactDDOT’sPublicSpacePermitOfficeat202.442.4670tolearnmoreaboutsidewalkcaféapplicationrequirementsandthePublicSpaceCommitteereviewprocess.ContacttheDCOfficeofPlanning’sPublicSpaceProgramat202.442.7600tolearnmoreabouturbandesignoptionstoconsiderwhendevelopingplansforthelocationandlayoutofsidewalkcafés.
Enclosed cafés must have transparent walls.