Updated 8:38 p.m. post-Newberg City Council meeting
Newberg City Council approved a motion during the city council meeting on August 7 6-1 to continue the Street Seats program for another three years, a pilot initiative started in 2015 that allows local businesses to operate on-street outdoor dining areas in parking spaces.
This is the third continuation of the pilot programs since its inception in 2015. In that time, one local restaurant, Ruddick/Wood, has participated in the program and built an outdoor dining area. Another application from Social Goods Market is currently under review.
The vote to approve continuation of the pilot program over making the program permanent was due to Council needing more answers due to the small sample size during the test, with only one restaurant participating. Now with another application in the works, the next couple of years could determine if the Street Seats program will work in the long haul.
Council member Mike McBride was hesitate to outright approve the program for fear of Newberg experiencing significant growth and the city suddenly struggling to find adequate parking.
Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce Director of Operations Maryl Kunkel showed support for the program, saying the service industry is “an essential part of our local economy.”
“With increases to operating costs, restaurant owners benefit from more seats,” she said. “According to the National Restaurant Association, forty percent of customers prefer restaurants with outdoor seating options.”
Original Story
Street Seats allow local businesses to build “temporary platforms placed in an on-street parking space.” The pilot program initially restricted usage to six parking spaces around town to not only prove the concept’s viability but also to prevent municipal disruption. Street Seats require a permit from the city, serve as an extension of the adjacent businesses, and cannot occupy parking spaces on ODOT-managed highways, such as Hancock, 1st Street, and College Street.
Ruddick/Wood’s outdoor area accounts for two of the spaces, leaving four other parking spaces that could potentially be converted into Street Seats around the city under the pilot program.
Ruddick/Wood Owner Paul Losch approached the city about adding outside dining and worked with them to develop and implement the Street Seats program. At that time, he had tables on his 1st Street sidewalk but wanted another option for his customers.
“It’s really loud and dusty out there,” Losch said about sidewalk dining on 1st Street. “The street right next to us wasn’t being used as much, so we wanted to see if that was an option.”
What’s the difference between sidewalk seating and Street Seats?
Sidewalk seating is when a business gets a permit to operate some of their business on the sidewalk. This requires the sidewalk to have enough room for tables, chairs, and a clear walkway for people to pass. Street Seats are tables that occupy parking spaces on the actual street, and therefore do not take up any sidewalk space.
The pilot program was initially developed as a two-year experiment. It was extended in 2017 and renewed again during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The permits are restricted to eating and drinking establishments; so far, three bars and restaurants (Ruddick/Wood, Wine Valley Merchants, Social Goods) have expressed interest in or acted on the program, according to the city.
There are a few outdoor dining options around Newberg not related to Street Seats. Some restaurants set up dining in their parking lots, like Jem 100. Old Town Bar and Grill has started construction on outdoor dining next to their location in the alleyway between them and Chehalem Valley Dance Academy. Social Goods and Barley and Vine both have street seating on 1st Street. Honey Pie Pizza‘s covered patio serves as their year-round dining room.
And during the pandemic, those outdoor dining options helped local businesses stay afloat as preventative restrictions that damaged restaurants’ ability to serve customers.
“There was a big need for more outdoor seating during the pandemic,” Losch said. “It really helped our business stay afloat.”
Ruddick/Wood’s Street Seats now account for one-third of the restaurant’s available seating. In the warmer months, Losch says, Ruddick/Wood’s outdoor dining is in demand.
“Even as people are walking or driving by, they see our outdoor dining and stop in,” he said. “It’s marketing for us too. People like enjoying the outdoors if it’s nice outside and this gives them the option to do that.”
According to City Council filings, the Council’s options are to extend the pilot program, turn it into a permanent program, or let it expire as of August 17, 2023. If the program expires, any existing Street Seat permits would be revoked, although it’s unclear from council documents how quickly existing street seats would need to cease operations.
At the end of June 2023, the City of Newberg concluded its Downtown Parking Study (the results of which were presented during the same City Council meeting on August 7, 2023). Council stated they are going to consider the results of the Downtown Parking Study and overall downtown revitalization plan when deciding whether to extend, authorize, or deny the Street Seats program.
“Staff believes it would be better to adopt permanent street seat standards later to ensure that the street seat standards are coordinated with other downtown improvements,” according to a Request for Council Action from City of Newberg Planning Manager Clay Downing. “Staff would suggest that the Street Seat pilot program be extended for two years.”
Losch said there have not been many complaints about Ruddick/Wood’s outdoor seating, but he acknowledged he would not be the first to hear about them unless someone was really upset.
“Mostly, I hear through the grapevine that people think it looks unsightly or too ‘Portland’,” he said. “But for us, it provides so much — it allows a lot of flexibility in how we operate.”
Newberg residents can attend the City Council meeting in person or virtually on August 7, 2023, at 6 p.m.
For more information, the meeting agenda, and to submit a public comment, visit: https://www.newbergoregon.gov/citycouncil/page/city-council-080723
