AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. — A metro Atlanta city is making changes to how businesses and restaurants serve their customers, at least outdoors.
At the Avondale Estates City Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to require permits for businesses to host sidewalk diners.
That means, going forward, no cafes, restaurants, bars or other types of confectionary establishments can have outdoor seating for customers without city approval.
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The ordinance for the permitting requirement says the commission and mayor have decided that sidewalk dining will provide economic benefits to the city while still leaving space to walk along the sidewalks.
To best facilitate the benefits for residents and businesses, the Avondale Estates commissioners are creating a permitting process and enforcement procedures to let businesses apply for sidewalk dining tables, chairs and food and drink service.
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The ordinance said that without a permit, it would be illegal for anyone to “place tables or chairs upon, or to offer food or drink for consumption upon” any right of way in the city.
A business with the proper license to sell food or drinks in the Avondale Estates entertainment district will be allowed to request a permit from the city manager to place tables and chairs outside and to serve food or drink from the sidewalk areas “immediately adjacent to the licensed business.”
The ordinance said there is a fee for administrative costs of reviewing applications and inspecting the sidewalk dining areas that would be covered by each permit, with the amount to be set by the city manager.
Applications will also have to pay the administrative fee regardless of approval, and the fee will be non-refundable.
The ordinance says applications will not be considered until after fees are paid to the city manager’s office for review.
Permit applications must include design, spacing and safety information and the city manager will set a maximum occupancy limit for each one, if a permit is approved.
Sidewalk dining activity permits will also allow businesses to exclude non-customers from their sidewalk locations.
If a business is already licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, it will be allowed to do so on its sidewalk dining area, if permits are approved.
However, smoking of any type will not be allowed in sidewalk dining areas or within five feet of their boundaries, the ordinance says.
Now approved by the commission and signed by Mayor Jonathan Elmore, the sidewalk dining ordinance is in effect.
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