NYC Council Proposes Permanent Outdoor Dining Structures

The New York City Council has released the bill that will regulate and make permanent outdoor, street-side dining. The Department of Transportation will oversee the program, and sidewalk and street-dining arrangements will be licensed separately. The bill refers to a street-dining shed as a “roadway café.” The physical requirements are still up in the air, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission has to approve sidewalk-dining sheds in historic districts. The bill generally seems to have been designed with a deep grace period before it takes effect, to help businesses adjust.