Bellingham, WA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

14, adopted by Ordinance 2019-05-012 and amended by Ordinance 2025-01-002, governs sidewalk cafes and streateries as temporary right-of-way uses. 020(L) defines a "sidewalk cafe" as tables, seating and amenities such as umbrellas, landscaping or fencing adjacent to a lawfully operating business, maintained by the business owner for patrons' use in the public right-of-way. 020(N) defines a "streatery" as an outdoor dining area occupying one or more on-street parking stalls that extends a dining establishment on the adjacent private property. 030(B)(6). 040) must include the applicant's contact information, a description of the intended use with proposed location and hours of operation, written permission from the abutting property or business owner if the applicant does not control that property, a detailed site plan showing pedestrian clearance and accessibility, and the administrative fee.

050 for unreasonable interference with other approved uses, disruption of safe traffic circulation, conflicts with the city's maintenance of infrastructure, and consistency with the underlying zoning district, and may attach conditions covering insurance, operating hours, noise, storage and pedestrian accommodation. 070(B). 100 requires commercial general liability insurance naming the city as additional insured, with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and in the aggregate, primary and noncontributory.