Installation of Sidewalk and Roadway Cafes – New Hearing Date

Online comments: 18

• Maxine DeSeta

  No sheds or restaurants should clog up our already finite curb space. Food in the street means more rats. Sheds are disruptve to the flow of traffick and create chaos.
  Residents with apartments above restaurants already have a diificulty living in peace.
  There should be a cap on commercial leases so restaurants can thrive.

  Comment added March 26, 2024 3:16pm

• Julia

  Outdoor dining is a wonderful way to enjoy our neighborhood with neighbors. I sincerely hope it stays forever!

  Comment added March 29, 2024 1:24pm

• elizabeth crawford

  Dining sheds are no longer needed and they have added excessive noise and congestion, loss of street/sidewalk space, are dilapidated eyesores and collect excessive garbage and food waste to increase the rat population in our city streets. They do not add to the charm of outdoor dining like sidewalk cafes do in Europe and in some of our NYC neighborhood, but are imposing and unsightly. They do nothing to add to the quality of life in NYC and need to go, Even if the restaurant with which the shed is associated has closed, the shed remains abandoned and delapidated for years as is the case in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens. The time is here now to outlaw sheds and promote sidewalk cafes.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 7:26pm

• elizabeth crawford

  Dining sheds are no longer needed and they have added excessive noise and congestion, loss of street/sidewalk space, are dilapidated eyesores and collect excessive garbage and food waste to increase the rat population in our city streets. They do not add to the charm of outdoor dining like sidewalk cafes do in Europe and in some of our NYC neighborhoods, but are imposing and unsightly. They do nothing to add to the quality of life in NYC and need to go, Even if the restaurant with which the shed is associated has closed, the shed remains abandoned and dilapidated for years as is the case in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens. The time is here now to outlaw sheds and promote sidewalk cafes.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 7:29pm

• Deborah Farley

  Dining sheds are no longer needed and they have added excessive noise and congestion, loss of street/sidewalk space. They are dilapidated eyesores and collect excessive garbage and food waste to increase the rat population in our city streets. They do not add to the charm of outdoor dining like sidewalk cafes do in Europe. Many of our NYC neighborhoods, are imposing and unsightly. They do nothing to add to the quality of life in NYC and need to go, Even if the restaurant with which the shed is associated has closed, the shed remains abandoned for years as is the case in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens. The time is here now to outlaw sheds and promote sidewalk cafes.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 8:42pm

• Keely Farley

  I understand there was a need for the dining sheds during Covid, but that need has passed. The sheds are an eyesore and essentially a land grab by restaurants /bars. Why should they take over public property? They attract vermin, cause increased traffic, and create chaos on the sidewalks as pedestrians try to navigate narrow passageways. New York City is not a charming, old-world European city where outdoor dining is attractive. Presently, NYC looks like a third-world country with a mishmash of structures. If outdoor dining can’t be eliminated, at a minimum, make everything uniform and make businesses pay the city annual fees for taking over public space

  Comment added March 30, 2024 8:48pm

• Edward Dinoski

  Outdoor dining is a disaster for older and impaired citizens of New York City—outdoor dining results in extremely dangerous situations for seniors. Outdoor tables and sheds, waiters going to and fro make formerly safe wide pavements into narrow obstacle courses. Heavy pedestrian traffic on Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues used to be accommodated by wide pavements. Now, high-volume pedestrian traffic is funneled into a narrow channel formed by tables on one side and sheds on the other. Older people must negotiate the narrow interstices complicated by the unpredictable transverse crossings of bustling wait staff. Also, people’s pets, double-wide strollers, oblivious, distracted cell phone users, unsupervised young children on scooters, and deliveries returning and exiting from their restaurants further endanger seniors and the disabled. Through this churning, congested pavement, seniors, people with impaired vision, and people using mobility devices must navigate their way through at their peril. This is unacceptable.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 9:05pm

• Mary Dinoski

  The outdoor dining sheds are a real nuisance. They should be removed immediately. Many restaurants have abused the amount of space allowed and extended their sheds beyond their property lines. Amplified music is too loud, disregarding the quiet hours’ rules, etc. Outdoor dining space should be situated on sidewalks only, as it is in other cities worldwide. Restaurants should pay a retail fee for the use of public space by a private business. Permits for outdoor dining should only be granted after careful review by the community boards. Restaurants that have violations against them should not be granted permits for outdoor dining.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 9:26pm

• Debbie George

  Eliminate all make-shift restaurant extensions that are cluttering our streets. No space past the sidewalk should be given to restaurants for outdoor dining. Many sheds linger abandoned in the streets. During the winter, these sheds are used for outdoor trash and storage. Street cleaners avoid the streets with sheds; these streets haven’t been cleaned for three years at this point. All dining should be by permit only after careful review by the community boards. All outside dining areas must be able to be fully removed by the end of the season. No outside areas should be built from cheap wood planks that create homes for vagrants, rodents, and pests.

  Comment added March 30, 2024 9:46pm

• Inga zhygalo

  I want to say NO to all sidewalks and side roads caffe sheds and ugly structures running our great City!
  Remove this ugliness and parking space takers from the streets!
  Inga

  Comment added March 31, 2024 7:21am

• MARY DINOSKI

  Dining sheds are no longer needed and they have added excessive noise and congestion, loss of street/sidewalk space, are dilapidated eyesores and collect excessive garbage and food waste to increase the rat population in our city streets. They do not add to the charm of outdoor dining like sidewalk cafes do in Europe and in some of our NYC neighborhood, but are imposing and unsightly. They do nothing to add to the quality of life in NYC and need to go, Even if the restaurant with which the shed is associated has closed, the shed remains abandoned and delapidated for years as is the case in my neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens. The time is here now to outlaw sheds and promote sidewalk cafes.

  Comment added March 31, 2024 11:22am

• Kathleen Gallagher

  Sidewalk dining is fine but sheds?! Not so much Give us back our parking spaces our quiet spaces our clean non vermin infested spaces

  Comment added March 31, 2024 3:46pm

• Mary Dinoski

  The outdoor dining sheds are a real nuisance. They should be removed immediately. Many restaurants have abused the amount of space allowed by extending their sheds beyond their property lines. Amplified music is too loud, disregarding the quiet hours’ rules, etc. Outdoor dining space should be situated on sidewalks only, as it is in other cities worldwide. Restaurants should pay a retail fee for the use of public space by a private business. Permits for outdoor dining should only be granted after careful review by the community boards. Restaurants that have violations against them should not be granted permits for outdoor dining.

  Comment added March 31, 2024 11:31pm

• Michele Bonna

  I’d like to see less sidewalk cafes since the installation of them was purely due to Covid. Some are unkempt. Some allow rats to dwell inside of them, and many block pedestrians and roadways on blocks with limited access. Some do an amazing job with upkeep and should be allowed to remain. Create a criteria that has minimum impact to roads, ppl and sanitation. Some who do it well is mamasushi on e tremont and the diner on Bruckner and e tremont (they keep it covered, reflector lights for outside street dining, real furniture).

  Comment added April 4, 2024 8:40am

• S Khan

  Why New York City still have Outdoor (On the street)? Why City is not Removing those Outdoor Dining on the street? We know that, outdoor Dining was made Only for Covid-19 but Pendamic time is Over. If New York City still want to keep those Outdoor Dining, then NYC Need to Declare that, Covid-19 still hare. I’m Living in New York City nearly three deck. I never seen a dirty New York City before Pendamic time. Trash is every where, people littering any place they want, Illegal Scooter running every where, A lot of Unlicensed Driver Driving on the street with fake License plate without Registration and Insurance and act. What happening in Our Beautiful New York City? City always saying about public safety but city never focus on Real problem. Only Enforcing the driver city will never be able to do public safety. If NYC believe “No One Is Above The LAW”, then City must have to Enforce all Violator such as Driver, Bike, E-Bike ,Scooter, texting on a crosswalk. To Start Cleaning Our Heart (New York City) City must have to start it by Removing those Unnecessary Outdoor Dining. But I don’t think City will do that for some unknown Reason. I love Our New York City and It’s hart me when I see Trash is every where, street and Sidewalk is So Dirty. Thanks.

  Comment added April 5, 2024 10:32am

• Barbara Hertel

  I like the outdoor cages. It does not bother me that they take up free parking. Also it is unfair to have restaurants take them down. Especially if they nowhere to store the materials. I saw a beautiful shed made of metal. A restaurant by me was not doing well and after the had an outdoor eating area business picked up. If they are really shabby looking and rat prone that should be addressed. Thank you.

  Comment added April 5, 2024 3:13pm

• cee

  You plan to follow the rules set by the DOT!!! An agency that can’t even deal with the other issues they are tasked with: cars parked in bicycle lanes, double parked trucks, e-bikes on the sidewalks, etc.

  And who said the DOT should be in charge of sidewalk and outdoor dining sheds? This is more of a job for Consumer Affairs.

  Aside from that, who will enforce the rules set by the DOT and the LPC. No luck so far in getting the SLA to enforce patio dining, noise, pedestrian pathways blocked.

  AND THE TRASH!!! Is this figured into the rules set out by the DOT-hence the LPC? Does the trash help the beautification of the Landmarked Districts? Does it factor into the pedestrian pathway clearance? You can put out all the diagrams and visuals you want but they lack one thing: reality. Where are the crowds in those images? Where are the dirty plastic trash bags lining the curb [even when the trash is supposed to be in rigid containers]? And will the rats be factored in when you are considering the ambiance of the area? Where are the police called to come when 311 calls are made at midnight to stop the noise?

  Okay, the LPC will say they are only interested in addressing building facade issues. Not true. You are required to address citizen safety and health issues as well, because many of the outdoor dining sheds and sidewalk cafes will impact residents and patrons are impacted by them.

  Outdoor sheds and sidewalk cafes have had their day. That day is over.

  And, certainly, when you decide to accept them [as I know you will], do not allow both dining sheds AND sidewalk cafes to exist for a single restaurant/bar.

  Comment added April 5, 2024 10:18pm

• Gabriella Dufwa

  I love the fact that New Yorkers can enjoy their meals outside during the many month we have “outdoor weather” here in the city.
  Ofcourse, if they are not kept well and clean that needs to be addressed.
  The outdoor spaces makes each neighborhood more vibrant and cozy.It also adds income to the restaurants and possibile more employments.
  There should be some regulations on fees though and how much each outdoor space should cost.

  Comment added April 10, 2024 12:52pm