Are Park Ave Cafe Tables Giving Drivers Enough Room?

By Mark Baratelli 

EDITED 12/21/17
Winter Park Park Ave restaurants are allowed to place outside sidewalk cafe tables all the way to the curb according to Sec. 90-160 - Standards, criteria and conditions for sidewalk cafe permits. The code includes language about how the curbside tables must interact with the cars and passengers exiting and entering their cars parked curbside:
  1. The sidewalk cafe (must) demonstrate the cafe seating will not obstruct vehicle passengers from exiting their cars with the placement of their curbside tables, The term "public right-of-way" is also intended to include that portion of public property between a sidewalk and a curb.
  2. Curbside tables must be two-seater tables no larger than 28 inches wide with an orientation parallel to the sidewalk so no chairs will be...backing up to the exiting passenger from a parked vehicle. Areas where no on-street parking exists, given an approved site plan by the director or designee may be exempt from this parameter. 
However, the language in the code does not include the exact distance the curbside table must be from the actual curb. Neither a restaurant nor a citizen knows when a restaurant is not up to code due to this lack of information.

You can view the City-approved layout and sidewalk cafe permit of any restaurant on Park Ave because they're required display them "in a conspicuous, easily accessed location."

Below are screenshots from Google Maps showing the curbside seating situation. Some show a direct interaction between cars and tables. Some do not.