Apple Valley, MN Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 155.383 of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances (Ord. 794, passed 8-24-06) governs outdoor dining in the City of Apple Valley, Minnesota (Dakota County). Outdoor dining areas are permitted accessory uses in conjunction with a Class I, Class II, or Class III restaurant, provided the listed requirements are met. Under subsection (A), the use and proposed site plan are reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council, pursuant to § 155.402(B). That cross-referenced section has the petitioner supply a detailed and dimensioned site plan, drainage and utility plans, and a landscape plan, and the City Council takes the final action.

The most important limit for a sidewalk cafe is (B)(1): no portion of the outdoor dining area can be located or occur within any public right-of-way, including sidewalks and trails, boulevard areas, or streets. Tables belong on the restaurant's own private property, and (B)(2) keeps them at least two feet from any property line. If the area is proposed within a city drainage and utility easement, the owner must execute a license agreement prepared by the City Attorney. Where the area sits on a private sidewalk abutting the restaurant or within a parking area, it cannot interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic on the site, and a minimum five-foot wide area of sidewalk must remain clear for pedestrian travel.

Size and operation are controlled as well. The area must be subordinate to the principal restaurant building and cannot exceed 40% in area of the square footage of that building. It must be handicap accessible, kept clean and orderly, and cannot store food or beverages outdoors unless the city has approved a suitable means. The City Council can restrict days, hours, nature, and volume of entertainment, including a prohibition against music, radio, and television, and can restrict hours of operation based on proximity to residential dwelling units. A surrounding fence must suit the use, with a fencing plan submitted alongside the site plan. Exits must conform to fire and building codes, and the Planning Commission or City Council can require notification of property owners if the area is closer than 600 feet from residential properties. Parking and maximum impervious surface requirements of the chapter still apply.