Medford, OR Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

358(1)(c) allows a sidewalk cafe as a permitted use in the Central Business (C-B) overlay only if the operator meets specific permit criteria. The application goes to the City Planning Department and must include a scaled drawing showing the cafe's frontage width, doorway locations, sidewalk width from curb face to building face, and the placement of trees, parking meters, bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles, and any other semi-permanent obstructions, plus the requested table and chair layout and any delineating features like portable planters. The permit criteria require the sidewalk segment to be at least 8 feet wide, leaving a clear, unobstructed 6-foot path for pedestrians at all times.

Before a permit issues, the applicant must submit a signed hold-harmless and indemnification statement covering the City of Medford, its officers and employees, and maintain liability insurance of not less than $200,000 per person for bodily injury, $500,000 per occurrence, and $50,000 for property damage per occurrence, naming the City and the property owner as additional insureds; the policy cannot lapse or be canceled without 30 days' written notice to the City. The permit can be suspended during a City Council-authorized "community event" that needs the sidewalk space, is limited to the exact area shown on the application, must not interfere with pedestrian passage, and requires the area be kept clean, with trash containers provided if disposable utensils or dishware are used.

Once granted, the Planning Director may deny, revoke, or suspend the permit for violations of the chapter, a suspended or revoked health permit, or lapsed insurance.