Outdoor Business Activity

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Introduction & History of Program

On July 25, 2022, the City Council terminated the existing Temporary Outdoor Business Activity Program, Sidewalk Café Program and Sidewalk Café Pilot Program that allowed outdoor dining opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Concurrently, the City Council established a permanent program that allowed businesses to do business outdoors within the City’s rights of way (“Program”) under City Code Chapter 29. Outdoor Business Activity Program Guidelines are codified in Volume III of the Engineering Standards, Attachment V.

For a complete history, see Quick Links - Staff Reports and Resolutions.

Make a New Application for a Parklet or Sidewalk Cafe

Please review the Outdoor Business Activity Program Guidelines and the Outdoor Business Activity Regulations prior to applying. The Outdoor Business Activity Program should be considered like any other permit process. These documents are meaty, but informative. Any business wishing to provide goods or services within the right-of-way through a Parklet and/or Sidewalk Cafe is doing an “Outdoor Business Activity.”

The application process is the same for both Parklets and Sidewalk Cafes, regardless of activity, project scope, or size.

If you have questions about the design standards or the program, please contact the Outdoor Business team at outdoordining@redwoodcity.org.

When you have all documents ready (see Section 4 in the Outdoor Business Activity Regulations), please follow the instructions for a Building Permit submittal on the Permit Submittal page to submit everything. Additional helpful documents are accessible in the Quick Links – Reference and Submittal Documents.

Fee Type

What's It For

How Much
7/1/25–6/30/26

Processing / Plan Check Fee

Reviewing your Plans for Consistency with Guidelines, Permit Processing

$2,522

Annual Fee

Using the Right-of-Way for your Private Business

$11.59 / sq ft

Approval Process

Businesses may not build a platform or place furniture in the public right-of-way without an approved Building Permit, Encroachment Permit and License Agreement.

The permitting process for Parklets and Sidewalk Cafes is similar to other permit processes in the City of Redwood City.

Submit your plans and pay the Processing Fee.
The City’s Planning Division, Building Division, Fire Department and Engineering Department will review the plans. If there is something that does not align with the Guidelines or other regulations, you will receive a letter indicating what you need to fix on the plans.
When you have modified your plans to address the issue, you may resubmit and have them reevaluated. Revised plans must be resubmitted within a maximum of 90 days from when you received the comments or the application expires. If that timeframe is exceeded, the City may terminate the Building Permit and require the Applicant to re-start the process from the beginning.
Keep doing 2 and 3 until you have approved plans.

Simultaneously, you should fill out the Encroachment Permit Application and begin working with your insurance agent to get a Certificate of Insurance. You can send your insurance agent the Insurance Requirements document as a reference.

When everything is approved – your plans, your insurance and your forms, you will receive your Encroachment Permit and sign a License Agreement with the City of Redwood City that allows you to maintain your chairs, tables, fences, plants, etc. on the right-of-way. A sample License Agreement is included in Quick Links – Reference and Submittal Documents.

Again, businesses may not build a platform or place furniture in the public right-of-way without an approved Building Permit, Encroachment Permit and License Agreement.

Outdoor Business Activity - Review and Approval Process

Inspection

When Businesses build out their Parklet or Sidewalk Cafe, they will need to call for an inspection, as for any other permit. Inspections must be passed before any permit can be renewed. Please see the Inspection Guidelines document, which also includes contact information, in Quick Links, below.

Enforcement

The City can send a Notice of Violation at any time to businesses which do not have a valid license agreement. Penalties begin at $100 and end with removal of furniture, fixtures, plants and improvements in the Licensed Area and return the Licensed Area to pre-License Agreement conditions – all at the business owner’s cost.

Renewals

60 days prior to the expiration of the License Agreement, Businesses should submit the Renewal Form to encroachment@redwoodcity.org. Businesses should be aware that if anything has changed in their Parklet or Sidewalk Cafe from the previous year, a new Building Permit will be required, and the application would be treated as new. If there are no changes to the furniture, footprint, or anything else, then Engineering will acknowledge receipt of the Renewal Form, send the Renewal Fee, and ask you to schedule an Inspection. When the Parklet or Sidewalk Cafe passes the Inspection, Engineering will prepare and process an extension of the Encroachment Permit and a new License Agreement.	Fee Type	What's It For	How Much - 7/1/2025-6/30/2026
	Renewal Fee	Permit Processing	$662
	Annual Fee	Using the Right-of-Way for your Private Business	$11.59/sq foot

Changes of Ownership / Transfer of Parklet

License Agreements may not be transferred to new ownership and any existing agreement will be void. Steps to submit a new application are provided above. Please note that the application will be evaluated against the current Guidelines and will be subject to the full amount of fees.

Quick Links

Reference and Submittal Documents

Staff Reports and Resolutions

Questions?

General questions about the program: outdoordining@redwoodcity.org

Questions about the encroachment permit, insurance requirements or license agreement: encroachment@redwoodcity.org

Questions about design standards or outdoor business activities located on private property: planning@redwoodcity.org