BID discusses outdoor seating issues on Circle

If Bill Carman says there’s a problem with St. Armands Circle, city staff listens.

Carman, who closed Carman’s Shoes and Handbags on the Circle after 45 years in December 2010, attended a St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District (BID) Board of Directors meeting Tuesday, May 8, to inform city staff that the mixed bag of tables and chairs is affecting “the look” of the Circle.

“I drove over here from Longboat Key and saw tables and chairs of all different colors littering the Circle in the northwest quadrant,” Carman said. “I’ve been here for 46 years, and it doesn’t even look like that section is part of the Circle anymore. It just looks like a big party.”

Director of Neighborhood Development and Services Tim Litchett told BID directors his code-enforcement staff is getting ready to make another round of inspections of restaurants soon and will make sure restaurants are in compliance with outdoor seating restrictions.

Litchett noted that inspections in August led to 15 code warnings for problems with seating and too many tables at Circle restaurants. In December, Litchett said, only five code warnings were issued to restaurants; there were no violations in January.

“We have the tools in place and are working progressively,” Litchett said. “I think things have gotten better.”
Although Rappaport suggested the city consider pulling a restaurant’s outdoor seating permit for a month as a result of a violation, Litchett said it’s doubtful the city will do anything more than follow its code-compliance procedures: code hearings and possible fines for repeat offenders.

City code does not allow for any more tables and chairs in the city’s public right of way than the city has given them permission to utilize. Restaurants are also required to post outdoor seating-requirement permits, which include a map of the outdoor seating that was approved.

Commission to review BID referenda
St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District Board of Directors Chairman Marty Rappaport told the BID board at its Tuesday meeting the referendum language for its BID extension has been crafted and will be presented to commissioners for first reading and public hearing June 18. The BID is seeking to approve a 10-year extension of the BID-taxing district.