Arvada, CO Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Sidewalk extension
- Olde Town only, via revocable right-of-way license
- Setback elsewhere
- Same as required for the principal building
- Residential buffer
- 100 feet from any RA or RN zoning district
- Governing section
- LDC Section 5-1-6-3, Outdoor Dining Areas
- Max fine
- $2,650 per day of violation, Section 1-5
Summary
Arvada allows sidewalk cafes only in Olde Town, where outdoor dining can spill onto the public sidewalk or plaza under a revocable right-of-way license the City must approve. Everywhere else, LDC Section 5-1-6-3 confines outdoor dining to the same setback as the building itself and keeps it at least 100 feet from any RA or RN residential zoning district.
5-1-6-3. - Outdoor storage, retail display, and outdoor dining areas. ... B.Location. ... 3.Outdoor retail display and outdoor dining areas shall not be located within 100 feet of a RA or RN zoning district.4.No outdoor retail display may be located on a required parking area except for approved temporary outdoor sales.5.No outdoor retail may be located on a required landscape area.C.Setbacks.1.Outdoor Retail Display and Outdoor Dining. Outdoor retail display and outdoor dining areas are allowed and shall be set back as required for the principal building, except that within the Olde Town zoning district, such areas may be extended onto the adjacent sidewalk or plaza if the City approves such extension using a revocable right-of-way license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Council Policy Manual: Supplement 1 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-1-6-3 groups outdoor storage, outdoor retail display, and outdoor dining under one set of standards. " That license requirement is what actually authorizes a restaurant to place tables in the public right-of-way in Olde Town; outside Olde Town, dining areas stay on private property behind the building setback line. Location restrictions in Subsection B further limit where a cafe can sit: outdoor dining and retail display "shall not be located within 100 feet of a RA or RN zoning district," and no outdoor retail display may occupy a required parking area (except approved temporary sales) or a required landscape area.
These standards apply on top of the City's separate special-event and health permitting requirements for food service, and they sit within Division 5-1-6, Supplemental Standards for Nonresidential and Multifamily Land Uses, so a sidewalk cafe must also satisfy the underlying zoning district's other nonresidential standards, including building design and parking counts.
Violations & Fines
Placing tables, chairs, or a cafe enclosure in the public right-of-way without an approved revocable license, or locating outdoor dining within the 100-foot residential buffer, is a violation of the LDC under Section 10-1-2-1. A person who fails to correct the violation after notice is guilty of a misdemeanor under Section 10-1-2-2, facing a fine up to $2,650 or up to 180 days in jail per Section 1-5, with each day of the encroachment counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any Arvada restaurant put tables on the public sidewalk?
How close can an outdoor dining patio be to a house?
Can a restaurant put its patio in required parking spaces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arvada
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