Outdoor dining in some beach communities may be here to stay.
The state and city of San Diego have agreed to allow outdoor dining and public promenades, made possible during the pandemic, permanent fixtures. But the change comes with some caveats that business owners have to work out.
Four months into the pandemic, La Jolla Shores restaurateur Darren Moore said outdoor dining became the solution to his empty indoor seats. His patio brought a 20% boost to his business.
"We are probably a good $80,000 into nonpermitting fees with architects and other studies trying to make this a permanent thing," Moore said in front of his patio.
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On Wednesday, the Coastal Commission unanimously granted that wish. It comes with some strings attached, though.
Every two years businesses will have to apply for permits and pay fees for their outdoor dining space. The third requirement, which has some restaurant owners upset, is that they will need to somehow replace the parking spaces eliminated by their outdoor dining arrangement.
"In the impact area, we wanted there to be a no net loss of parking if these commercial enterprises, these restaurants wanted to use the public space," a Commission official said.
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But Moore claims he experienced more traffic, not less, during the pandemic due to the limited parking.
"The collective community thinks it’s unfounded and I also think in the day and age we're trying to get away from cars and provide other means of transportation, this fits San Diego," he said.
The Coastal Commission's goal is to encourage public access, not limit it for private interests. Both Moore and the Commission say not all restaurants will be able to replace the parking.
"There are other things like diagonal striping, there are ways to engineer the parking solution. We're just looking for an honest way to work with the city to get it done," Moore said.
Moore also said while he’s struggling with inflation and minimum wage increases, the patio space may be his only way to offset those extra costs.
Businesses from Torrey Pines to Sunset Cliffs face the same obstacles and will also need the Coastal Commission’s blessing to continue on-street dining.
The rest of San Diego County businesses that aren’t under the Coastal Commission's jurisdiction can apply for permits under the Spaces for Places Program.
