HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmailed Comments from Lisa Woodruff1
Gloria Harper
From:Lisa <lisaswoodruff@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, April 9, 2024 8:23 AM
To:Thomas Moore; Schelly Sustarsic; Joe Kalmick; Lisa Landau; Nathan Steele; Alexa Smittle;
Jill Ingram; Gloria Harper; Shaun Temple; Megan Coats; Samuel Funes; Joshua
Hernandez; Community Development
Subject:NO to restaurants tables/chairs on sidewalks
I am writing to you because I have issues with the “Main Street Outdoor Uses” program,
with the proposed idea of allowing some restaurants to have tables and chairs on the
sidewalks. Allowing A frame signs, greenery/potted plants, may be allowed but not retail
merchandise. How is that even fair? If you are going to allow some of these things to be
on the side walk as long as they don’t encroach the sidewalk and the people with disability
act, (which is 5 feet) then why not merchandise? To me this feels like just another way to
allow restaurants to have tables on Main St. while “gift wrapping” it with the grouping of
the allowance of signs & potted plants. Again, we are going through the same issue as we
did after Covid, when the city finally got rid of the dirty, not maintained, eye sore parklets.
The restaurants tried to get their tables to remain on Main Street’s streets and sidewalks,
ignoring the fact that they were hurting other businesses by being in front of them and
drunk people saying crude things to some employees and customers of these other
businesses. Those tables slowly took over more and more space, with the city doing
nothing about it. I don’t know how many of the city council and staff walked on Main street
to witness this. I witnessed it every day. (I am a business owner and property owner on
Main Street.) I talked to complaining victims who felt like they could do nothing about it. I
don’t think even having a neighboring business sign a “consent form” allowing a restaurant
to put tables in front of their business is fair, as they may feel pressured to do so. I
strongly disagree with that being allowed. I know, it’s happened.
Retail is still hurting everywhere, especially on Main street. To not allow them to put
merchandise out, but let restaurants put tables out will hurt them even more. Look at how
many empty store fronts are on Main St. Never before have we seen this.
If the items that are allowed on Main street are regulated, and neatly maintained, I think
it’s a positive thing. But I am strongly against restaurants being able to have tables out on
the sidewalks. It’s also not fair for the restaurants that won’t be allowed to because they
don’t have enough room to do so because of trees, etc. Another reason is I’ve seen cars
not be able to park correctly because of tables near the curbs. That’s an accident waiting
to happen.
If you do decide to allow tables and chairs on Main Street’s sidewalks, you must not
allow alcohol to be served at these tables and make sure they stay off the walking area
and that the restaurants do not add more tables than allowed as time goes on. The table
and chairs must go inside when the restaurant is closed, as it would be an eye sore and
unsavory people would use them. It has to be strictly regulated. Also that if the restaurant
already has outdoor /patio dining, they should not be allowed to have additional tables and
chairs on the sidewalk.
2
Thank you for taking the time to read my petition to not allow restaurants' tables and
chairs on Main Street’s sidewalks. Please forward this to whomever it may concern.
Lisa Woodruff
562-235-5245