Outdoor seating on sidewalks, bike lanes and city streets have helped save restaurants and bars during the pandemic, but some say it’s making it harder to walk, bike and drive around these unconventional public dining spaces.
The city of Providence in May 2020 announced new, temporary easing of licensing requirements for outdoor seating, allowing “creative use” of public spaces such as parking lots, sidewalks and – for summer weekends on Federal Hill – a section of Atwells Avenue. Over 130 restaurant and bar owners have applied for outdoor dining since then, according to city spokesperson Andrew Grande.
Among them is James Mark, James Beard-nominated chef and owner of two Providence restaurants. When reopening his downtown eatery, north, last spring, Mark added a patio space in the middle of a bike lane on Fountain Street.
The outdoor space, adorned with string lights and shrubs, often fills up faster than tables and chairs indoors, where Mark has required customers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
But the setup, despite being approved by government traffic and licensing groups, is not ideal.
A set of orange traffic cones carve out a makeshift bike detour, but the cones are sometimes moved so cars can park in the substitute bike lane, leaving cyclists without a protected path. Mark also said he received pushback from the cycling community, which includes many of his staff, for not having signage notifying riders of the abrupt lane shift. He’s since installed better signs.
‘I feel like if it weren’t working out, I would have heard from somebody.’
CAROL MCENTEE, South Kingstown state representative
Sharon Steele, president of the Jewelry District Association, described the proliferation of outdoor dining in public rights-of-way as a “nightmare.”
The mix of residential and commercial spaces downtown means the outdoor seating that helps businesses can hurt the people who live next door. The main problem, for Steele, is noise.
Dylan Conley, chairman of the Providence Board of Licenses, said that most of the complaints the group has heard over expanded outdoor dining relate to noise late at night, rather than obstructions for cyclists and pedestrians. But violations and complaints have been relatively rare, he said, compared with the benefits for business owners who no longer have to navigate a complex regulatory process.
“If you’re a small-business owner, how difficult is it to figure out which six review agencies you need to talk to to get three tables outside,” he said.
To Liza Burkin, lead organizer of the Providence Streets Coalition, the success of the expanded outdoor dining demonstrates the benefits of giving public space to people, rather than cars. But the “kinks” created by setups that block access for cyclists and pedestrians need to be worked out, she said.
The extra outdoor seating might not stick around much longer, though.
The city’s special COVID-19 policies expire on Dec. 31, although the licensing board is considering rule changes that would allow certain parts to continue permanently.
A state law passed in the 2021 legislative session allows cities and towns to continue relaxed permitting and zoning for outdoor dining through April 2022.
Rep. Carol McEntee, D-South Kingstown, who sponsored the legislation, originally hoped to extend the relaxed rules for a longer period. Having seen the success of outdoor patios on parking lots and sidewalks across South County, she was reluctant to make business owners who invested the time and money in these setups take them down.
“I feel like if it weren’t working out, I would have heard from somebody,” McEntee said, noting her role as chair of the House Small Business Committee.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. Email her at Lavin@PBN.com.
