>We love the out door dining in town but sometimes I feel like I am walking into someones dinner.
A reader asks how much of the sidewalk are restaurants allowed to take (from the public) for outdoor dining? Fratelli Trattoria on E. Ridgewood between Oak and Walnut has three rows of tables, leaving only about 24 inches of clearance to pass between their tables and a tree.
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>ugh – and why would anyone eat at fratelli’s in the first place.
>Valley Hospital is building a monolith across from 20+ homeowners.. our BOE is a disaster.. but lets make sure you’ve got enough room to walk by after your 2nd helping of pasta.
Yet another important issue… front and center!
>Gotta say, I have thought about this in the past as well. Kind of weird when I along with my family have to squeeze through the tables.
I think next time I’ll just stop in the middle and take a break and annoy the diners by changing my shoes. Okay, that’s the evil streak in me speaking. That’s because when I do have to walk between the tables I get the odd or dirty looks as if I was walking through their dining room in their home.
>Why would anyone want to eat outside with all the car exhaust and noisy traffic? Talk about disgusting. Is it to be seen? I could see eating outside a restaurant if it were in the back in a garden-like setting. But then who would see you.
I think the next time I go into town on a crowded Friday night I’ll bring along my two St. Bernards and meander through the tables. They’re sure to put off diners with their slobbering and swishing tails.
>Well..when we see two St. Bernards up town..we’ll know who wrote the previous statement!! DUMMY!!!!!
>I disguised my dogs as St. Bernards. They’re entitled to anonymity as well.
>How about the tables at Its Greek to Me.
Two people can’t walk side by side.
Not even with a toy poodle.
>okay, now that’s funny.
>To be in compliance with ADA (Americans Disability Act) Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG), the requirements Need be: the Minimum Clear Width for continuous passage is 36 inches. Does the clear sidewalk walkway have this Clearance at the sidewalk café’s??
>NOT ITS GREEK TO ME.
>Who’s the ADA coordinator for Ridgewood? Why aren’t they inspecting the outdoor café’s? Friday night tables at THE OFFICE left only 32” walk space,, occupied chairs to a curbpole, and you had to walk on a manhole because chairs obscured the sidewalk – like an obstacle course. At ITS GREEK TO ME, was only 33” from occupied chair to chair to pass through, And they have tables and chairs at/inbetween the CURB space, the space between the tree plantings. At FRATELLI there’s 39” space, end chair to bricked in curb tree planting. At least they have a canvas fence separating tables from pedestrian right of way sidewalk.
The ADA requires 36” clearance, wheelchair, to minimum 48” clearance for anyone with crutches, service animal, or sighted guide for easy passage.
Ridgewood’s codes and ordinances on Outdoor Cafes states a minimum of 52 inches is required. The Village needs to enforce them. From Village Ridgewood web codes:
Chapter 156: FOOD AND FOOD-HANDLING ESTABLISHMENTS
ARTICLE VIII Outdoor Cafes [Added 6-7-1993 by Ord. No. 2412]
156-69. Location. [Amended 2-13-2001 by Ord. No. 2730]
No license shall be issued hereunder unless the licensee shall demonstrate that a minimum of 52 inches of unobstructed paved surface will be available for pedestrian traffic around or through such outdoor cafe and that such outdoor cafe shall be directly in front of an eating establishment as hereinabove defined. No food or drinks served or consumed at such outdoor cafe shall be prepared or stored other than in the interior of the eating establishment. …..The minimum requirement for unobstructed paved surface on the westerly side of Prospect Street from Hudson Street to East Ridgewood Avenue shall be 52 inches. The term “directly in front of” shall confine the cafe to the area represented by an extension of each side of the store occupied by the eating establishment projected directly to the curbline immediately in front thereof.
156-74. Inspections.
Acceptance of the license by the applicant shall operate as a consent to the health, fire, police and building officials of the Village to inspect the outdoor cafe for continued compliance with the terms and conditions of this article and any federal, state, county or local law, article or regulation affecting the same.
156-83. Additional rights of Village.
In addition to the powers of suspension or revocation as set forth above, the Village reserves the right to modify, suspend or revoke any license on 10 days’ written notice if the Village determines that pedestrian traffic is, in fact, impeded or made unsafe because of the operation of the outdoor cafe or because of any other safety issue which the Village determines adversely affects the Village because of such operation
>WOW! the town could make some money if it fined every cafe violator in town.
How about watering and snow shoveling too.
Our taxes may go down and the town won’t have to charge to send an ambulance to pick up someone who tripped on a chair leg sticking out into the walkway.
>ok lets not get carried away there always some two bit lawyer trying to make money off everything ,I like the out door dinning and yes sometimes its a bit crowed on the sidewalk so I am sure it can be taken care off by moving a few tables ,Attention Ambulance chasers we know who you are and I am going to ask PJ to stop you pathetic adds on this blog !
>I have noticed allot of this post lately have a silly flair for the dramatic…
>I have noticed allot of this post lately have a silly flair for the dramatic…
YES ITS THE NO FUN ALOUD CROWD I SUGGEST YOU GO BACK TO NY
>What’s next ? CAR HOPS ? They sure were Fun. Sure, the Café’s are drawing a plus to the downtown, but they are Already out to the Curbside. As the old saying goes, Give an inch, they’ll take the whole 9 Yards. When the Ordinance was passed in 1993, Some of the council members at That time were concerned that the Café’s wouldn’t keep within the parameters and compliance of the Ordinance, and not turn the Village into becoming like a Greenwich Village – and That was said. It’s already obvious to many, there’s not the required safe passageway on the sidewalks for easy passage – It is ridiculous. God forbid if a vehicle loses control and goes over the curb at a café’. I’m Not a lawyer, not an ambulance chaser, if the law’s being broken, it needs to be fixed for safety. You can’t stop people from calling town hall or the council members.
Born and lived in Jersey all my life – lived in Ridgewood 40+ years, always loved it. It’s the newbie’s New Yorkers coming into Ridgewood wanting to make all the changes and at High expenses. Ridgewood has become what is known as the bedroom community for New York, and at High Prices for All of us.
>I sure do miss the “old” Ridgewood when we moved here 30 years ago. There was plenty of parking, a hardware store, dime store, butcher shop, Drapkins, a Friendly’s restaurant, Sealfons, Bobby Knapp’s Ski Shop … all gone now and replaced by restaurants, banks, nail salons, restaurants, banks, nail salons, etc.
You used to walk down the sidewalks and see fellow Ridgewood residents. Now you’re lucky if you can pick out a Ridgewood resident for all the New Yorkers and other out-of-towners.
The year we moved here Redbook Magazine featured an article on the safest communities in the country and Ridgewood was ranked at the top. Since then we’ve had increased crime in the downtown area not to mention a post office massacre.
But, hey, that’s progress, right?
>I agree. the OLD ridgewood was MUCH nicer…especially the people
>While I agree that the restaurants have encroached on the sidewalks over the years, the first lawsuit will be the one the Village will have to defend, by allowing the parade chairs to be set up all along the parade route a week in advance.
>The chairs have been there for over 50 years with no problems until all you shyster lawyers moved into town
>TAKE NOTE:
VILLAGE COUNCIL – REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING – JULY 18, 2007 -8:00 P.M.
ORDINANCES – PUBLIC HEARING
3071 – Amend Chapter 156, Food and Food-Handling Establishments and Chapter 190, Land Use and Development – Outdoor Cafes on Private Property
Wonder what that might be all about??? Could it be there’s an awareness of over a dozen outdoor cafe’s encroaching on the public sidewalks? The sidestreets Oak and Chestnut do Not have sufficient sidewalk clearance for tables and chairs. Some tables are on the basement lift doors!
Isn’t the space- green grass or tree plantings -sidewalk to curb – the Town? Some cafe’s have ‘decorative walls’ or fences Right Up and On the Curb. ? Did the Building Inspector Approve that? Is that allowed? Can all of Ridgewood put decorative curb walls or fences – right out on the curb at the street? interesting thoughts…