PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city could see more streeteries popping up, under a City Council bill that passed committee last week, and with a new streamlined process that includes the creation of “navigators” to help businesses cut through the red tape required to open and operate in the city.
Councilmember Rue Landau introduced the bill to allow outdoor seating to extend past a restaurant’s boundaries, with the written permission of a neighboring business.
It’s something Old City District Executive Director Job Itzkowitz would be a game-changer in his area.
“It’s geometry. In Old City, as in many Philadelphia neighborhoods and commercial corridors, our storefronts are no more than 20 feet wide.”
The bill is the first to come out of a hearing Landau called last month to study ways to encourage more streeteries. An estimated 250 opened during the pandemic, but that dropped to fewer than 200 when the city enacted a permanent streeterie program that imposed stricter rules and fees.
Deputy Commerce director Karen Fegely testified that the city has already taken a number of steps to ease the process, including creating “navigators” for restaurants, a position she said would also be extended to other types of businesses.
“They’re going to be a specialized unit within that team that are really going to do the problem solving,” Fegely said.
“Our business navigators are going to now stay with that restaurant every step of the way, joining them in the meeting with Street Department engineers and ensuring that issues are resolved to accelerate approval times.”
Fegely said it’s part of the city’s effort to keep and attract businesses.
Landau praised the new assistance the city is providing.
“And I know the restaurants — I’ve talked to so many of them — they already appreciate it.”