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HomeMy WebLinkAbout110624-08.1 STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF REPORT 8.1 TO: Mayor and Town Council November 6, 2024 SUBJECT: Ordinance No. 2024-09, extending the expiration date of Ordinance No. 2022-05 allowing expanded outdoor restaurant seating, establishing development standards, design guidelines and fee schedule related to the establishment of parklets, allowing specific street closures and allowing the consumption of alcohol within those street closures pursuant to Danville Municipal Code Section 4-14.2b BACKGROUND In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town began issuing Temporary Land Use Permits (TLUPs) for expanded outdoor restaurant seating, allowing restaurants to operate outdoors, either within the public right-of-way or on private property. In June 2021, when restaurants were once again allowed to operate indoors, it became necessary for the Town Council to approve an ordinance to temporarily suspend provisions within the Town’s Downtown Business District Ordinance , including payment of the Town’s off-site parking in-lieu fees. The Town Council approved several additional extensions, with the most recent being found in Ordinance No. 2022-05. That ordinance expires on January 3, 2025. On October 8, 2024, the Town Council held a Study Session to discuss whether to extend the existing program. At that study session, after hearing from restaurant owners about ongoing economic concerns, the Council directed Town staff to return with an ordinance extending the provisions found in Ordinance No. 2022-05. DISCUSSION The draft ordinance would simply extend the expiration date of Ordinance No. 2022-05 without changing any of the substantive provisions of that ordinance. As a reminder, the key points of the ordinance include: • Allowing outdoor restaurant seating in the public right-of-way subject to a number of standards addressing aesthetics, size, traffic safety, building code compliance and street cleaning. • Restaurants utilizing seating in the right-of-way must pay an annual fee based on the number of on-street parking spaces being utilized. Extending Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Seating Program 2 November 6, 2024 • Restaurants using the public right-of-way for seating may serve alcohol to patrons within the permitted closure. • Restaurants are also allowed to utilize expanded outdoor seating on private property beyond that otherwise permitted. Any on-site expansion of seating is subject to building and fire code compliance as well as design guidelines. • Restaurants in the core downtown area expanding their seating, either in the public right-of-way or on private property, may do so without paying the Town’s off-site parking in-lieu fees. The draft ordinance would extend the provisions of Ordinance No. 2022-05 for an additional two years, through January 3, 2027. This term was used based on comments from the Town Council during the October 8, 2024 study session but it should be noted that no formal recommendation on the length of the extension was made. The Council can select a different term as part of a motion to introduce the ordinance. PUBLIC CONTACT Notice of this hearing was published in a newspaper of general circulation. Posting of the meeting agenda serves as notice to the general public. The potential extension of the program was discussed by the Town Council at their study session on October 8, 2024. FISCAL IMPACT Revenues received from the use of the public right-of-way are deposited in the Town’s General Fund. There are no other fiscal impacts. Extending Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Seating Program 3 November 6, 2024 RECOMMENDATION Introduce and read by title only Ordinance No. 2024-09, extending the expiration date of Ordinance No. 2022-05 allowing expanded outdoor restaurant seating, establishing development standards, design guidelines and fee schedule related to the establishment of parklets, allowing specific street closures and allowing the consumption of alcohol within those street closures pursuant to Danville Municipal Code Section 4-14.2b and return for second reading on November 19, 2024. Prepared by: David Crompton Chief of Planning Reviewed by: Diane J. Friedmann Development Services Director Attachment: Ordinance No. 2024-09 ORDINANCE NO. 2024-09 EXTENDING THE EXPIRATION DATE OF ORDINANCE NO. 2022-05 ALLOWING EXPANDED OUTDOOR RESTAURANT SEATING, ESTABLISHING DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, DESIGN GUIDELINES AND FEE SCHEDULE RELATED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PARKLETS, ALLOWING SPECIFIC STREET CLOSURES AND ALLOWING THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL WITHIN THOSE STREET CLOSURES PURUSANT TO DANVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 4-14.2B The Danville Town Council does ordain as follows: SECTION 1. FINDINGS. In enacting this ordinance, the Town Council makes the following findings: 1. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Town has adopted a series of ordinances allowing for increased outdoor seating in restaurants and the establishment of “parklets” in the public right-of-way. These ordinances have been adopted to allow restaurants to increase capacity and aid in the economic vitality of the Town. 2. The most recent such ordinance, Ordinance No. 2022-05, is set to expire on January 2, 2025. That ordinance established detailed guidelines for parklets and suspended all necessary sections of the Municipal Code to allow for this program. 3. The Town Council has determined that in light of continuing economic pressures on restaurants, it is necessary to extend the expiration date of Ordinance No. 2022-05. SECTION 2. EXTENDING THE EXPIRATION DATE OF ORDINANCE NO. 2022-05. The expiration date of Town Ordinance No. 2022-05 is hereby extended until January 2, 2027. SECTION 3. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. The Town Council finds that adoption of this Ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because the extension of the temporary suspension of outdoor seating limits for restaurants within the Town will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(2)) and it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the Ordinance will have a significant impact on the environment (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)). Docusign Envelope ID: EA046BFB-48FB-48E9-8650-021EB0A1A620 PAGE 2 OF ORDINANCE NO. 2024-09 SECTION 4. PUBLICATION AND EFFECTIVE DATE. The City Clerk shall have this ordinance published once in a newspaper of general circulation within 15 (fifteen) days after adoption. This ordinance shall become effective 30 days after adoption. The foregoing Ordinance was introduced on November 6, 2024, and approved and adopted by the Danville Town Council at a regular meeting held on November 19, 2024, by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSTAINED: ABSENT: ______________________ MAYOR APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST: _______________________ CITY ATTORNEY CITY CLERK CLERK'S CERTIFICATE I, Marie Sunseri, City Clerk of the Town of Danville, hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and accurate copy of Ordinance No. 2024-09 of said Town and that said ordinance was published according to law. Dated: __________________________ _________________________________ City Clerk of the Town of Danville Docusign Envelope ID: EA046BFB-48FB-48E9-8650-021EB0A1A620