Next week, the Seattle City Council will vote on new legislation that would pave the way for more sidewalk cafes in the city by simplifying the application process for businesses looking to construct outdoor seating, which, some worry, could reduce the opportunity for public input.

The sidewalk caf/ bill reduces fees for outdoor seating, speeds up the processing time for applications and shifts the permitting process from the Department of Planning and Development to the Department of Transportation.

But, the bill removes much of the public oversight now required for sidewalk caf/ permits and could have a negative impact on pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, said Chris Leman, chair of the City Neighborhood Council.

Leman said the bill lacked public input when it was created and voted on.

The council transportation committee approved the bill August 19 and put it on the agenda for the next available council meeting, Sept. 8, after a public hearing where no one from the public weighed in.

Katherine Fountain, legislative aide to council member and bill sponsor Jan Drago, said the legislation had been up for public comment for a number of weeks, but was surprised at how few comments they received.

Fountain said the council did receive input from the city's Pedestrian Advisory Board, but it appeared the input consisted of only one member of the board's opinion.

Leman, who said he is acting as an individual citizen and not as a member of any group, said he is worried because the bill itself could also create a lack of public oversight.

As part of the legislation, the city would no longer be required to post notices announcing a business's application for a sidewalk caf/ permit.

Fountain said the reason for this is the city very rarely received public feedback regarding these notices, with months having gone by since the last comment.

The assertion that the public notices failed to elicit a response is beside the point, Leman said. With the increase in sidewalk cafes hoped for by the city under the new legislation, it can be expected that more citizens will feel compelled to give feedback and it is right to give them the avenue to do so, he said.

According to the bill, the city contends that sidewalk cafes add to a neighborhood's character and increase public safety by putting additional "eyes on the street" in the form of customers outside, and the bill would aid pedestrians by increasing the minimum space requirement for them on sidewalks from 5 to 6 feet.

Leman said the added public safety is negligible when compared to the trouble the bill can cause for pedestrians.

Sidewalk cafes will either be unused or kept enclosed for most of the year, taking away the "eyes on the street," but will still force pedestrians to walk closer to traffic and each other, he said.

Leman is also concerned the encroachment of the tavern environment, especially smoking and drinking, that comes along with outdoor seating could have a detrimental effect to public safety, both in terms of the health hazards of second-hand smoke and the potential for verbal and physical abuse that alcohol can occasionally cause.

Leman said the increase in the minimum space requirement could serve to distract the public from the rest of the bill and won't help pedestrians, especially seniors or those with disabilities, navigate the city's sidewalks.

"There is a lot of stuff in the legislation that is detrimental to the public and pedestrians and one foot isn't enough to correct that," he said.

Lisa Quinn, executive director of Feet First, a pedestrian advocacy group in Seattle, said sidewalk cafes are generally great for neighborhoods because they get people out walking around and create a safer neighborhood.

But, she said it is important the city take the time to get the public's input in order to allow them to see the benefits that sidewalk cafes can bring.

Michael Harthorne can be reached at 783-1244 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com.