Pittsburgh City Council advances outdoor dining, retail legislation

A proposal to allow Pittsburgh restaurants to continue offering outdoor dining is essential for some eateries’ survival, according to several community organizations.

Legislation before City Council would allow restaurants and retailers to apply for permits to use sidewalks and streets for dining and shopping. The practice became commonplace during the covid-19 pandemic because of restrictions on indoor gatherings and consumer fears about congregating indoors.

“We believe the continuation of outdoor dining is a vital part of restaurant recovery in the city of Pittsburgh,” said Lauren Brinjac, senior director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association.

She cited statistics showing that 93% of restaurants across the state have seen a decline in the demand for indoor dining.

“Obviously this program has been — and will continue to be — essential for our businesses, for our economy, for the livelihoods they sustain,” said Georgia Petropolis, CEO of the Oakland Business Improvement District.

She said a recent survey conducted in Oakland showed residents and business owners responded favorably to closing streets and sidewalks for outdoor restaurant seating and retail.

Maria Cohen, executive director of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, said the measure remains popular and helpful to businesses, even as pandemic restrictions relax. Many customers and restaurant workers say they feel more comfortable in outdoor settings, she said.

“We are still in a very fragile economic time,” Cohen said. “The safer consumers feel, the more apt they are to go out and dine and shop.”

More than 30 businesses in the city’s Downtown neighborhood took advantage of the opportunity to expand onto sidewalks and streets during the pandemic, said Chris Watts, vice president of district development at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

“The ability for restaurants to leverage outdoor seating has been essential for their survival,” he said. “Outdoor dining has added much-needed vibrancy to Downtown streets.”

The legislation, introduced by Councilman Bobby Wilson last week, would allow the option of allowing businesses to offer seating and retail outside to continue permanently.

Councilman Anthony Coghill, a co-sponsor on the legislation, said he anticipates the outdoor spots will become increasingly popular once again when the weather warms in the coming months.

“They add a vibrancy, they add an energy,” he said. “We see them popping up everywhere.”

Some members of council expressed concerns with specific details of the measure. Coghill said he didn’t like the stipulation that restaurants preparing food outside need to get consent from adjacent business owners.

Councilman Bruce Kraus and Kim Lucas, the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure’s acting director, said they need to hammer out details regarding the best way to construct barriers around those dining and retail spaces.

Kraus said he had concerns about permanent structures, which may block exits in the event of an emergency. Lucas, however, said that some temporary barriers, like sandbags, produce tripping hazards.

Wilson said decisions about such issues will likely be left to Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.

The proposed legislation was advanced in a preliminary vote Wednesday. It could be ready for a final vote as early as next week.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority is poised to offer $1 million in grant funding for businesses participating in the program to “buy better street furniture or better barriers,” Wilson said.

The URA board is set to vote on offering the grant funding in March, he said.