Yuma, AZ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

01(F)(9) of the Yuma City Code, part of the Old Town (OT) District's property development standards, lets building encroachments including outdoor dining areas, planter boxes, benches, landscape features, architectural features, awnings, arcades, and columns extend into the public right-of-way. The catch is that the encroachment can only occupy right-of-way space not used for vehicular or pedestrian circulation, so a restaurant cannot block the through-path of the sidewalk with its tables. The process runs through two city offices: the business first submits detailed plans to the Zoning Administrator for administrative approval, and once approved, the City Engineer issues the actual encroachment permit before tables, planters, or awnings can go into place.

This provision, adopted by Ordinance O2010-32 on July 7, 2010, applies specifically to the Old Town District's downtown core; it sits inside the same Article 10 that requires Design and Historic Review Commission review of Old Town projects generally, so a sidewalk dining buildout can also draw DHRC scrutiny if it involves a structural or architectural feature such as a fixed awning or arcade.