Sidewalk Obstruction Or Not

[Mary_Krupa]

I can't believe anyone would criticize and not welcome something like this! The city should be helping the restaurant to do things like this. This creates instant appeal. This is what makes a downtown attractive. Yes, the planter should be moved.

Geez, hasn't anyone traveled to other places and seen this?

[kenneyjoe330]

I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS ! ! !

Next thing you know they will be able to take their trash and dump it right straight into the Mahoning River because they are 'A BUISNESS' ! ! ! Lets wait and see if they call "Patio Enclosures" make it a sunroom dining area - what the HAYYYY It would be GOOD FOR BUISNESS - fine dinning right in you space 
Yea Man if Columbus can DO IT then why not Youngstown   
As Marie Antoinette may have said "Let THEM walk in the street"! ! ! 

[Elmo-Ytown]

Does the city charge a monthly or yearly fee?

[jay]

Thanks for the link Westsider.

I believe one of the posts mentioned a "cafe-table lease"  having to be paid to the city of Columbus for outdoor dining.

Questions
If these are public sidewalks, did the city of Youngstown give permission to anchor the fence to the sidewalk?

Was a zoning permit issued?  (I believe you need a permit to erect a fence on your Youngstown residential property)

Does the city of Youngstown have a policy for outdoor sidewalk dining spaces?  If so, what is it?

Can anyone just come downtown and set up chairs on the sidewalk?

[northside lurker]

Check these out from Columbus.  Now, some of these are problems...
http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,15985.0.html

[ytowner]

Jay, you may think so, but it looks fine to me. This is Youngstown, not New York City. It's very rare to see more than 3 people next to each other walking in downtown at a given time. Mostly just people working down there going to lunch and stuff. This will be fine!

[northside lurker]

I think, as long as there's 34" between the fence and the tree, it should be fine.  That's the minimum clearance required for an ADA compliant opening.

[Towntalk]

Heavens no, I should think that it looks rather nice, like many of the quaint cafes in Europe.

If I'm enjoying a meal at an outdoor table, I'm sure that I want some distence between myself and passers by.

Obviously the city approved the fence or the restaurant could not have put it there.

And their food is fantastic.

[Rick Rowlands]

Looks to me like the planter is the obstruction.  Maybe move it back a few feet.   

[jay]

A fence was recently installed on the sidewalk in front of the Rosetta Stone Cafe in downtown Youngstown.  The fence extends along the entire front of the building and occupies over one half of the entire sidewalk (building to curb) and almost 2/3 of the walkable sidewalk.

Question

Is the fence an obstruction to pedestrians walking on the sidewalk?