Pacifica, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Article 52 of the Zoning code, Sec. , adopted by Ordinance No. effective November 9, 2022, requires any business conducting commercial activity outside an enclosed structure, including sidewalk dining, to first secure an Outdoor Commercial Permit under Sec. 5202, unless the property already holds a use permit or development plan authorizing the outdoor use. The permit is issued to a 'business sponsor' on behalf of an existing commercial business and runs one year from issuance, renewable by application filed no more than 90 days before expiration under Sec.

5203(c) and (d). For a sidewalk location specifically, Sec. 5207(a)(1) requires the business to also obtain a separate encroachment permit from the City, and Sec. 5207(c)(1) sets the physical standard: a minimum four-foot width must be maintained for pedestrian and wheelchair passage along the sidewalk, and no furniture may be placed or left in a way that inhibits that four-foot path. Sec. 5207(c)(2) bars any structure from being constructed within the sidewalk. General provisions in Sec. m. m. Friday through Sunday and federal holidays with sound capped at audibility beyond 175 feet, and smoking, vaping and internal combustion generators are prohibited in the permitted area. Alcohol service requires a separate ABC license, since the outdoor commercial permit alone does not authorize it.