D.C. considers last-minute lifeline for streateries
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Le Diplomate's "chalet" streatery comes down as the D.C. Council weighs changing the road rules. Photo: Courtesy of an Axios D.C. reader
There's a plot twist in D.C.'s streatery saga: The D.C. Council may roll back some of the city's big changes to the program.
Why it matters: D.C. already spent a little over a year and nearly $1 million to build out its permanent streatery program — only to receive middling interest from many business owners. A late-game lifeline from the council could mean a lot more streateries live on.
Context: Many restaurants tore down their streateries in November ahead of the new program, which took effect Monday.
- Under the new rules, crafted by the District's Department of Transportation, restaurants pay road rent and permitting fees.
- Whereas the old program allowed for enclosed and creative designs, the new, stricter rules aim to improve safety but severely limit design. That made the investment hard to justify, several owners told Axios.
Driving the news: Council member Charles Allen is pushing emergency legislation that would lower the costs for restaurants and loosen design rules to allow more year-round outdoor setups.
- Lower road rent: Businesses would pay $15 per square foot, down from $20 — a price many restaurateurs said was prohibitive.
- More flexibility: The committee that approves applications could more easily grant design and placement exceptions, potentially allowing more weatherproof, stylish setups.
Friction point: Allen fretted that DDOT's proposal tended to prioritize parking over outdoor dining. "Go find any modern city; they have outdoor dining. So we want that," he told Axios.
By the numbers: Citywide, only 67 businesses (out of nearly 140) applied for new streatery permits, per DDOT. Another 38 requested help clearing their structures. Some of the city's signature streateries — including Le Diplomate's "chalets" — are already razed.
Follow the money: DDOT spent $750,000 on a pilot in Adams Morgan to road-test new streatery structures last year.
- The agency is poised to spend another $150,000 to remove and store them after just three of 33 businesses in the pilot applied for permits, the neighborhood business improvement district told Axios.
What they're saying: In response to the last-minute council bill, restaurants that already applied for permits say they're wary of shifting rules and costly redesigns.
- "Another change is already the fear," Prost owner Frank Wilson told Axios. He's spending about $54,000 on a new design and permits. The bill is a "positive direction, but we'd love better long-term guidance," he said.
What's ahead: Allen's proposal would last for 225 days via temporary legislation, and he hopes DDOT aligns with the council to make his changes permanent.
- "We're adding a lot more certainty to the process for businesses," he told Axios.
- The council votes Tuesday. The bill needs a nine-vote supermajority to pass.