Placer extends urgency ordinance to temporarily relax rules to support retail and restaurants

Published Oct. 6, 2020

The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted today to extend for one year an urgency ordinance that temporarily relaxes allowances for outdoor retail sales and outdoor dining areas in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The board also voted to ease sign requirements and parking restrictions for restaurants with outdoor dining areas.

“With the continuation of the pandemic Placer County understands the need for alternative operational allowances,” said Community Development Resource Agency Director Steve Pedretti. “We hope these options continue to give establishments the flexibility to be more successful while physical distancing restrictions remain in place.”

Urgency ordinance provisions include:

• Outdoor retail sales – Outdoor sales are permitted to occupy an area up to 100% of the entire indoor floor area devoted to retail sales. Up to 20% of the required parking spaces can be used as permissible outdoor sales and display areas. 
• Restaurants (outdoor dining areas) - Existing restaurants can receive approval to temporarily establish outdoor eating areas including use of cordoned off parking areas. Mobile food vendors can receive approval to locate fixed-site operations at a specific   site.
• Restaurant parking for outdoor dining areas - Required parking for outdoor dining areas can be reduced by one parking space per 100 square feet of indoor eating area not in use because of physical distancing requirements.
• Signs (temporary sales and events) - The urgency ordinance temporarily suspends the 45-day maximum for the placement of banners, signs or decorative materials to advertise outdoor retail sales uses, grand openings and similar short-term sales events until Oct. 8, 2021. 

Outdoor restaurant operations are permissible with submittal and approval of an administrative approval application detail proposed outdoor dining facilities. All applications are processed free of charge. The abbreviated application and other resources are available on the Community Development Resource Agency website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/6613/Retail-Recovery.

Those restaurants proposing to establish outdoor tents may be subject to approval by the serving fire agency or the Placer County Building Services Division. The Building Services Division will process any required permits free of charge as will the North Tahoe Fire Protection District. For those locations outside the NTFPD service area boundary, the serving fire agency may require an inspection fee.