Guidelines for Permitted Use of the Sidewalk
in the Downtown Activity Zone (“DAZ”)
A downtown business adjacent to a sidewalk within the DAZ can obtain a permit to use the
sidewalk for the following purposes:
• Signs. Placing a sign that is no larger than nine square feet in total area on any side.
• Café Seating. Placing café seating parallel to the restaurant’s storefront.
• Merchandise Displays. Placing merchandise for display or sale that is of the same type
sold in the abutting store.
A permit issued to a downtown business for one of the above-three listed activities:
• Is a grant of permission to the business owner to place authorized items related to the
adjacent business in the portion of the sidewalk identified in the permit.
• If a café seating permit, is permission to limit use of the café seating to customers.
• Is applicable only to the portion of the sidewalk physically taken up by the items
authorized in the permit, but does not include a minimum five-foot pedestrian pathway.
• Is a DAZ permit authorizing a specific activity with which a person cannot interfere. Use
of an area that has been reserved through issuance of a DAZ permit for a purpose other
than in accordance with the authorized use interferes with the permitted activity and is a
violation of EC 4.872.
• Is not a lease granting the abutting business owner exclusive use of the sidewalk
surrounding the business.
• Is not the only means of making downtown businesses customer-friendly.
o EC 4.872 prohibits people from:
 Impeding access to any public pedestrian area or to any public or private
building adjacent to the public pedestrian area.
 Leaving a dog or other animal unattended, whether leashed or unleased.
 Entering in a landscaped planting area or acting in a manner harmful to
any plant life, including walking, lying or sitting in a landscaped area.
 Setting up any temporary structure or enclosure, including but not limited
to canopies, tents or tables, or restricting access to any portion of the
public pedestrian area so that others may not freely enter such area.
o EC 4.707(1) prohibits people from blocking or interfering with, or attempting to
block or interfere with, any person along a public sidewalk by any means,
including but not limited to standing on that part of the sidewalk used for
pedestrian travel or placing any object or vehicle in such an area, with the intent
to interfere with free passage.