Clinton Township, MI Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Government order cutting seating capacity 25%+
- Applicant
- Written application plus fee to Township Clerk
- Review timeline
- Planning Director decides in 3 business days
- Permit term
- Up to 60 days, renewable
- Teardown deadline
- 24 hours after crisis order ends
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor plus nuisance per se
Summary
Clinton Township lets restaurants and liquor-licensed establishments add temporary outdoor tables and chairs, but only during a declared Crisis Event, when a government order has cut indoor seating capacity by at least 25%. The Township Clerk and Director of Planning and Community Development review a required site plan before any outdoor seating is approved.
828.01(a) "Crisis Event" shall mean circumstances existing which have resulted in orders issued at the State, County, or local level by a governmental entity having authority and jurisdiction which limits seating capacity inside restaurants by at least twenty-five percent (25%) from existing issued seating capacity by occupancy permit. ... 828.03 The license issued may not extend beyond any issued order in relation to the crisis event... Upon any such order ceasing, all outdoor tables and chairs permitted during the crisis event shall be removed within twenty-four (24) hours. Licenses shall be issued for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days subject to renewal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Local legislation current through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
01(a)). 01(b)-(c)). 02(a), the applicant submits a written application and fee under the Township Fee Schedule to the Township Clerk, plus a notarized owner or landlord signature and a scaled site plan showing table and chair dimensions, distances to adjoining buildings and parking, and photos of the proposed furniture. 02(b)). Approved permits can carry conditions on hours, furniture materials, lighting, and barriers. 03, the permit cannot outlast the triggering crisis order: once that order ends, all outdoor tables and chairs must come down within 24 hours, and the license term is capped at 60 days, renewable, with denials and revocations appealable to the Township Clerk, the Director, and ultimately the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 828, including unauthorized torches, tents, or amplified lighting outside, or continuing outdoor seating after a crisis order lapses, is a misdemeanor under § 828.99 and is separately declared a nuisance per se subject to equitable relief in court. Violating permit terms or conditions is independent grounds for revocation or non-renewal under § 828.04(f).
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a Clinton Township restaurant add outdoor seating under Chapter 828?
How long does a crisis-event outdoor seating permit last?
Can the Township revoke an outdoor seating permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clinton Township
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