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BIRMINGHAM — For the last three decades, outdoor dining in Birmingham has greatly evolved. There are currently 48 food and drink establishments with a permitted outdoor dining area in the city, 15 of which are on outdoor dining platforms.
The outdoor platforms currently in Birmingham are wholly or partially located on about 25 on-street parking spaces. Additionally, three more outdoor dining platforms are in the process of site plan approval, taking up three parking spaces.
This was a topic of discussion at the June 16 joint City Commission/Planning Board meeting.
Planning Director Nicholas Dupuis said there has been a growing interest in businesses opening outdoor dining platforms. He presented a map to demonstrate the locations of the platforms, showing that the outdoor dining platforms are located in what is considered the “core” downtown.
“The vast majority of what we get are very well done, beautiful, engaging outdoor dining facilities. We’re lucky to have as many as we do,” Dupuis said at the meeting.
Dupuis posed the questions, “Does the City Commission wish to direct the Planning Board to study the number, density and locations of outdoor dining platforms downtown?” and “If so, what are some major considerations that the City Commission feels should be taken into account?” — as stated in the agenda packet.
Discussion on outdoor dining platforms
Mayor Therese Longe brought up the variable of adjacency. In some high-density zones, she noticed that it feels constraining for traffic.
She also brought up a business that wanted an outdoor dining platform, but it would take up a handicap parking spot. Throughout the meeting, multiple commission members stated that they are against displacing a handicap spot for an outdoor dining platform. A suggested solution was informing businesses about factors that restrain them from having outdoor dining platforms — such as having a handicap spot in front — so they can make an informed decision about where they want to rent.
Members of the Planning Board added that they have heard complaints from commercial businesses about the loss of parking spaces due to these platforms.
Mayor Pro Tem Clinton Baller suggested that the value of the outdoor dining platform should be considered. He said he notices many outdoor dining platforms that are not being used as much as others, stating he has even seen some not being staffed to give customers the option of outdoor dining.
Commissioner Andrew Haig said some businesses have large furnishing zones — outdoor areas where furniture, landscaping and amenities are placed — while others don’t, so he would like to “give everybody as fair a chance as possible.” He suggested having businesses with furnishing zones in high-density zones use that space first before taking up parking spaces.
“I think we need to be equitable in the amount of space people get to use,” Haig said at the meeting.
This idea of making it “equitable” was challenged by some commissioners.
Commissioner Katie Schafer suggested putting a number on the percentage of parking spaces that could be taken up by outdoor dining decks in a block.
Commissioner Anthony Long said fairness needs to be considered in the process of choosing who gets to have outdoor dining platforms.
“If you’re going to put a number on it, then you’ve got to reassess everybody and look at it fairly,” Long said at the meeting. He later added, “A fairness component of it is going to drive whether we have other restaurants coming to Birmingham or deciding to go elsewhere.”
J. Bryan Williams, an attorney and a member of the Planning Board, said at the meeting that he thinks the direction they are headed is “increased utilization of the sidewalk.”
“We’re going to try to be fair, but let’s use the space that we have that doesn’t cause as many problems,” he said.
The full joint City Commission/Planning Board meeting can be watched on the city of Birmingham’s Vimeo channel at vimeo.com.
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