The City of Spokane has established a Restaurant + Retail Program to ensure businesses have the greatest ability to operate successfully during the COVID-19 economic recovery. The program entails leveraging available private and public space to be used as expanded areas for restaurant and retail activity while maintaining public safety requirements. The City of Spokane is temporarily allowing variances from City Code and permit application requirements for restaurants and retail businesses to expand operating space in designated portions of the public rights-of-way. The City of Spokane is also temporarily waiving fees for sidewalk cafés and streateries.
Sidewalk cafe
To install a new cafe, complete an application with the City of Spokane, Development Services Center, located on the Third Floor of City Hall, 808 West Spokane Falls Boulevard. For existing patios, complete the renewal form.
Application
Applications can be submitted to permitteam@spokanecity.org.
Site plan
Include an 8-1/2x11 inch plan of the proposed sidewalk café with your application. The site plan will need to illustrate: building frontage dimensions, sidewalk dimensions, café dimensions, street tree locations (distance to café), street furniture locations (e.g. benches, newspaper boxes), size and placement of tables, loading zones, and alleys. If an enclosure is proposed, identify the type and profile of the barriers to be used to enclose the sidewalk café and any other obstructions in the area. Placement of Sidewalk Café must leave a minimum of six (6) feet of unobstructed sidewalk. In the case of tree wells adjacent to site, a minimum of four (4) feet of clearance shall be maintained from the edge of the tree grate/well.
Fee
Sidewalk Cafe: Include a $350 (non-refundable) filing fee with your application, payable to the City of Spokane. (New sidewalk café application fee: $50.00. Review fee: $300.00)
General requirements
The café will need to maintain table and chair seating for not less than 15 square feet per person per seat. Awnings, lighting and other construction will need to conform with applicable provisions of the Uniform Building Codes and applicable City codes. The area will need to be cleared when not in use as a sidewalk café or as required by the appropriate City official, and as may be necessary to accommodate deliveries to adjacent or other nearby properties.
Parklet and Streatery
“Parklet” means a small public gathering space, occupying up to two parking stalls or a loading zone, as applicable, on a public street, and treated in all respects as a public sidewalk, but the facilities of which are privately owned and maintained.
“Streatery” means up to two parking stalls or a loading zone, as applicable, used either as an extension of, or a stand-alone sidewalk café, connected visually to, and for use by patrons of, a nearby restaurant or bar and service at which is subject to all the terms and conditions of the nearby restaurant or bar’s food service permits and alcohol licenses.
Application
Applications can be submitted to permitteam@spokanecity.org.
- Parklet and Streatery Application (PDF 361 KB)
Please provide one or two paragraphs that describe your Parklet or Streatery to help reviewers understand what you are planning for the space. Consider some of the following questions:
- Why do you want to host a parklet or a streatery?
- What do you hope your parklet or a streatery will do for your neighborhood?
- What types of activities will your parklet support? Or your streatery during non-service hours?
- What will the hours of operation be for your streatery? Will alcohol be served?
- Are there any features that you specifically want to include?
General requirements
- Outdoor seating and retail operations within public rights of way shall maintain:
- Adequate pedestrian flow of at least 6 feet;
- Access to public utilities, building entrances, crosswalks, bus stops and transient
entrances; - Pedestrian and traffic safety; and
- Utilize the Parklet and Streatery Design Standards for basic safety requirements.
Review and approval
Once a complete application is submitted, the City of Spokane will review the proposal for consistency with adopted City regulations. Copies of the application and plan will then be sent to all concerned City departments. Surrounding property owners will be notified and public notices will be posted.
After receiving approval from all applicable departments, an administrative hearing will be set, at which you and the public may offer testimony on the permit application.
Insurance and liability
In order to operate on the public City sidewalk the applicant will need to sign a hold harmless agreement with the City.
In addition, the applicant will need to maintain commercial general liability coverage in the amount of $500,000 and name the City as an additional insured.
Temporary permit
A permit is temporary, valid for one calendar year (January 1 to January 1), and vests no permanent right. A renewal application will need to be submitted every year after the initial application and accompanied by a $300 renewal fee.
The City retains the right to revoke the permit with 30 days notice, posted on the premises, or without notice, in case the permitted use becomes dangerous or unsafe