An outdoor dining set-up at a restaurant in Seattle s Wallingford neighborhood. (MyNorthwest photo)
Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss introduced legislation Monday to extend the city’s café streets pilot program for another year.
The program has allowed Seattle restaurants and other retail storefronts to use the streets in front of their businesses for outdoor dining and displays, which has helped many of them be able to continue operating safely during the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for social distancing.
Strauss is chair of the city’s Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee. He previously sponsored a bill to help make home businesses legal, including Yonder Bar in Greenwood, by changing a few land use codes for one year.
We watched the business bring joy to the neighborhood : A Seattle shop paves the way for others Naomi Tomky, Special to the Seattle P-I
The minute the single, printed piece of paper went up, I spotted it: “Why’s there a liquor license on that garage door?” I wondered to my husband, as we passed it on the walk to drop our kids at daycare.
We watched in the coming months as Yonder Bar rolled in a commercial refrigerator, stopping to chat with the owners as they built up the shop, which faces onto one of Seattle’s pedestrian friendly “Stay Healthy” streets. When the green garage door of the residential house first rolled up to sell to customers, we stocked up on cans, but more importantly, we watched the business bring joy to the neighborhood.
Popular neighborhood business allowed to stay open after Seattle council loosens land use rules
Greenwood s Yonder Cider. (Photo courtesy of Yonder Bar)
Seattle councilmembers approved legislation Monday, loosening a series of land use rules imposed on businesses operating out of homes.
The legislation came partly in response to the forced closure of a popular Greenwood business called Yonder Bar, which had been selling cider to go in cans and growlers. Yonder operated out of Caitlin Braam’s garage for seven months before a neighbor’s frequent complaints to the Health Department and Liquor Control Board got it shut down. At the time, the neighbor pointed out that operating a business that sold alcohol out of a residence blocks away from a school violated Seattle’s existing land use codes.
Greenwood s Yonder Cider to remain open after Seattle City Council approves microbusiness bill by Callie Craighead, SeattlePI
Greenwood s Yonder Bar will get to keep their garage doors open for at least another year after the Seattle City Council approved a bill that loosened restrictions on home-based microbusinesses in the city.
The Bringing Businesses Home bill passed 8-1 on Monday with Councilmember Alex Pedersen in sole opposition.
Sponsored by Councilmembers Dan Strauss and Teresa Mosqueda as well as President Lorena Gonzalez, the bill will ease citywide restrictions for one year during the COVID-19 pandemic, suspending these regulations for home-based businesses: Customer visits are by appointment only
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