NAPLES, Fla. — On Wednesday, the City of Naples looked at removing outdoor seating space from businesses on Fifth Avenue South.
Currently, the city requires businesses to maintain a five-foot path for people to walk and the proposed change would increase that requirement to eight feet, meaning tables would have to move back an additional three feet.
People walking along Fifth Avenue South spoke with Fox 4 about what some said is a concern focused on congestion.
“Restaurants try to go further out, all the time,” said one person.
“I understand in the evening we get a lot more traffic for people walking by,” said another person.
A recommendation from the city’s Planning Advisory Board back on April 12, 2023, recommended approval of the following revisions:
- Do not prohibit outdoor dining on public property Citywide; allow City Council to review each outdoor dining application on a case-by-case basis.
- Amend the criteria for approval of an outdoor dining permit in Section 56-126(d)(2)k to add the words “…outdoor dining or…”.
- Add to the criteria for approval of an outdoor dining permit in Section 56-126(d)(2)d that no peddling, hawking, or vending is allowed in the outdoor dining area.
Some people in Naples told Fox 4 the restrictions will only hurt their local businesses.
"I think there is plenty of space and that's going to hurt these businesses,” said one person visiting from Iowa for the week.
Others said limiting seating outside limits the reason they came to Fifth Avenue South in the first place.
“You want to be outside, enjoy the weather, be with your family, and be surrounded by everything that you can look at,” said one person.
“When we come to visit, obviously we want to sit outside and enjoy the 90-degree weather,” said another person.
The Naples City Council was looking at the proposed changes during a first reading, which will then come back to the council for a second reading on June 21, 2023.
The proposed changes would only impact the area of Fifth Avenue South called the “Fifth Avenue South Special Overlay District.
Inside that area, city council members said a total of 15 businesses have permits that allow for outdoor seating, a number council members have said is concerning.
On Wednesday, some people said the number of businesses that have outdoor seating permits can create congested sidewalks during the winter months.
“I don't blame them it's their livelihood but in season it gets pretty crowded here,” said one person.
A problem others who we saw enjoying the outdoor seating say can be easily fixed.
“If everyone would just understand that someone is passing by you can walk behind or move over ..there wouldn't be an issue now would there?" said one person.
