Dear Al Fresco Participants and Interested Stakeholders,

In May 2020, the City introduced LA Al Fresco to allow for expanded outdoor dining activities for qualifying food establishments. Through the Mayor’s local emergency powers, this temporary program offered a pathway to create outdoor dining areas in the public right-of-way and on private property without requiring most of the current regulations in the Zoning Code. This served as a lifeline for those restaurants adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the related public health restrictions.

The response to the Al Fresco program has been overwhelmingly positive, and over 2,500 establishments have taken advantage of the program since it was introduced. The success of the program resulted in direction from the City Council to establish a Permanent Al Fresco program (CF 20-1074) in March of this year.

Today, the draft Permanent Al Fresco Ordinance for outdoor dining on private property is released for public comment. In addition, a fact sheet providing a summary, background and frequently asked questions is also available for the public’s review. Lastly, in the summer of 2022, City Planning released two surveys to gather feedback from both the general public and businesses participating in the temporary LA Al Fresco program. The participant survey results are also provided and were instrumental in providing insight into the draft Ordinance.

This is the first of many steps in the public engagement and legislative process, and several key steps remain. After today’s release of the draft, City Planning will be hosting an informational webinar in early 2023 that will provide an overview of the draft proposal and will include a Q&A session. City Planning will hold a separate staff level hearing later in the year where the public can provide testimony for the public record. That information will inform a staff report and recommendation to the City Planning Commission. From there, the proposed Ordinance will be considered first by the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee, and then by the full City Council.

To sign up for updates, obtain information on the current status of the draft Ordinance, or provide feedback, please email AlFresco.Planning@lacity.org.