Outdoor cafe licensing on Champaign council's plate
CHAMPAIGN — The city council this week is scheduled to review the 14-year-old outdoor cafe licensing program and will consider making adjustments to permit requirements to address problems that have arisen during the initiative's lifespan.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil St.
City officials are quick to point out the success of the outdoor cafe program, which may be most apparent on Walnut Street where tables and chairs line the sidewalks outside businesses like Cafe Kopi and the Esquire Lounge.
Since the program's inception, 23 businesses have gotten outdoor cafe permits for about 800 extra seats along city sidewalks, according to city documents. The licenses bring in about $4,550 annually for the city.
The program has worked to "bring life back to the streets" of downtown and Campustown during the past 14 years, according to city documents. But with the congestion of tables, chairs, people and their trash, city officials are recommending changes to the requirements of business' outdoor cafe licenses.
Currently, businesses are charged a flat rate of $100 to use city sidewalks for seating and another $150 if that business serves alcohol. But based on the location of the outdoor cafe, its size may vary, even though everyone is paying the flat rate.
If the council approves, the new fee structure would be based on size: $2 per square foot. According to city documents, the annual revenue for the city would increase more than 500 percent to about $24,500 if all current permit holders renewed their licenses with the same cafe dimensions.
Permit holders would also be required to sweep and rinse the cafe areas nightly, and they would be held liable for any damage to city property. The business' wait staff would be required to bus outdoor tables to make sure debris does not escape.
The permit holder would also be required to maintain a 6-foot-wide path in plazas and a 4-foot-path along sidewalk areas to ensure access for pedestrians trying to pass through. Campustown cafes would be required to bring tables and chairs inside each night by 10 p.m.
I do recall a time when Champaign would not allow sidewalk venues because of insurance and safety; gentrification must be more important than equal access because normal walking essentially has been outcast by vomit, cigs, and urine. The era of pre-sidewalk cafe venues was far superior to what exists now.
Well, what do you expect when all the downtown growth has been bars and restaurants that serve alcohol? I agree that the amount of vomit and cigarette butts is ridiculous. The local bar owners need to clean up after their patrons. But, I guess they figure that is another externality that the community will take care of!
"The program has worked to "bring life back to the streets" of downtown..."
Except for bars and restaurants, where is this life? On the rare occasions when I drive through the central area, I do not note a lot of pedestrian activity. Rather, it appears to be a dreary, uninviting place.
So let me get this straight: a bar like Cowboy Monkey that has almost a couple hundred seats pays the same as Bacaro's handful of outdoor seats? Sounds like the Nieto bars have been getting off easy for the last 14 years. Guido's has several dozen tables, also. I guess Carlos will finally be paying his fair share to the citizens of Champaign, instead of just taking their money. I bet most of the 500% increase will be paid by him and his bars. Don't let him lobby his way out of this!!
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