DC Council passes emergency bill to roll back 'streatery' permitting rules

DC Council approves emergency legislation to boost streateries

The DC Council approved emergency legislation aimed at boosting the District’s streateries Tuesday. It comes after complaints that recent changes to the program were too restrictive and too expensive for restaurants.

WASHINGTON - An emergency bill to scale back new permitting rules for "streatery" areas at D.C. restaurants was passed overwhelmingly by the Council. 

Business owners say new rules that took effect Monday went too far and cost too much.   

While the legislation approved on Tuesday rolled back some of the permitting requirements, it’s not as much as many restaurant owners would have liked. 

The backstory:

The new streatery rules, which went into effect on Monday, forced restaurants to pay rent for the street space they use and pay for expensive permitting fees. There were also new rules on designs.  

Now, D.C. is pulling back some of those rules in response to feedback from business owners and the public.

Restaurant owners have said the costs under the rules could run between $15,000 and $24,000 a year — a price they can’t afford.  

By the numbers:

D.C. councilmembers Kenyan McDuffie and Charles Allen teamed up on this emergency legislation that will reduce but not eliminate the road rent from $20 sq ft. to $15. 

"They’ve survived the COVID pandemic because they’ve been they’ve really become part of the fabric of the businesses, and communities and their operations and revenue," councilmember McDuffie said. 

It also allows more flexibility for streatery design.

 "A significant number of restaurants, ANC’s the general public all expressed concerns about their ability to comply with these new guidelines," Allen added. 

So far, only 67 of nearly 140 businesses applied for the new steateriy permits. D.C. officials say another 38 businesses have asked for help to tear them down for good. 
 

What they're saying:

As Monday morning’s deadline for new permits loomed, some told FOX 5 that the streateries are a big revenue stream, while others say they’ve run their course.

"It would be bad for sales would be bad for staff. This also generates about $100,000 a year in tax revenue for the city, so nobody wins from this," said Chris Francke, owner of The Green Zone restaurant. 

"The city’s going to charge us for them a lot, so frankly, they should be taken out," Iason Demos, manager of The Diner, told FOX 5.

The emergency streatery changes will last 225 days – that will take us into the middle of July. 

Councilmember Allen told FOX 4 that he hopes the council will make the changes permanent.