Alexandria, VA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Placing tables, chairs, or a dining enclosure on a public sidewalk is legally an encroachment into the public right-of-way, and City Code Sec. 5-2-16 makes it unlawful to occupy a sidewalk with merchandise or foodstuffs except under a permit issued through Sec. 7-2400 of the zoning ordinance and Sec. 5-2-29(g) of the city code. Sec. 5-2-29(a) requires that permit to come from the director of transportation and environmental services, who reviews the application for undue obstruction of the right-of-way, nuisance or safety hazard potential, and, in a historic district, compatibility with the streetscape and board of architectural review design guidelines.

Sec. 5-2-29(b)(1)(d) then sets the substantive standard for outdoor dining specifically: it may be placed on the sidewalk or in a parklet only if it complies with the City of Alexandria Outdoor Dining Design Guidelines, and the directors of transportation and environmental services and planning and zoning review each request and may approve it at their discretion. m. m. every night. No live entertainment is permitted in the outdoor seating area, the area must be cleared and washed at the close of each business day it is used, and furniture must leave at least five feet of clear sidewalk for pedestrians. Processing fees for the encroachment permit and an annual encroachment charge are set by council resolution under Sec. 3-2-82 and Sec. 3-2-85.