The Los Angeles City Council has taken a significant step by moving forward to establish a permit process that would allow permanent al fresco restaurant dining in both private property and public right-of-way areas within the city’s coastal zone. This decision was made in a unanimous 12-0 vote, with councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Heather Hutt, and Monica Rodriguez absent during the vote. The council has instructed the city’s Planning Department and other relevant departments to prepare a report within 60 days, including recommendations for creating a Coastal Development Permit plan.
If implemented, this plan would grant permanent status to the 154 temporary al fresco permits that were issued during the pandemic and also enable other restaurants to apply for outdoor dining. Council members Traci Park and Tim McOsker, who represent the coastal areas, introduced this motion with the aim of providing a crucial lifeline to small businesses and ensuring that restaurants can stay open.
In her address to her colleagues, Councilmember Park emphasized the importance of this decision for more than 150 restaurants in the coastal zone. She highlighted the challenges and unique rules and regulations faced by businesses in this area and stressed the need for a permanent al fresco program to support them. Park also pointed out that despite the economy recovering from the worst impacts of the pandemic, many small businesses are still struggling due to factors like inflation, rising rents, and vacant commercial centers.
The councilwoman further explained that by approving this plan, the Planning Department would have the necessary tools to maintain outdoor dining in the city’s coastal zone. Failing to do so would create a risk and put restaurants in a difficult position, where they would have to secure a costly coastal development permit to continue operating outdoor dining areas. This regulatory process can often take several months and cost businesses around $20,000.
Typically, restaurants in the coastal zone need a Coastal Development Permit to add or expand outdoor dining space. However, there are temporary pathways provided by various state laws, such as AB 61, which suspends local parking requirements for al fresco purposes until the end of this year. The Coastal Commission has also granted temporary waivers to allow al fresco dining during the pandemic. Nonetheless, with AB 61 expiring at the end of this year, restaurants in the coastal zone will need a Coastal Development Permit to continue offering al fresco dining.
If restaurants fail to obtain a Coastal Development Permit, the 154 establishments currently operating al fresco dining under temporary authorization would be in violation of the Coastal Act starting on January 1, 2024. The council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee has already approved this motion in their previous meeting. It is now crucial to prepare the Coastal Development Permit plan within the specified timeframe to support businesses and enhance the dining options available in the city’s coastal zone.
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