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Seattle requires permits for flowers, flags

BY Jillian Raftery  on February 13, 2013 @ 11:09 am (Updated: 4:02 pm - 2/13/13 )

two tartes cafe flower barrells seattle street use fee
The owners of a Georgetown cafe were shocked to get a $172 "street use" bill this month for the flowers they'd had outside their cafe for the last six years. (Photo courtesy of Two Tartes Cafe & Catering)
A small business owner was shocked when she got a notice from the City of Seattle this month saying that she needed a permit for flowers in front her cafe.

Sue Benyak decided to call the Dori Monson Show to highlight the issue.

Sue and her business partner have run the Two Tartes Cafe in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood for over five years. They wanted to make their store front more cheerful, so they planted flowers in whiskey barrel planters on the sidewalk in front of their cafe.

For five years they've had their festive flowers at their store on Airport way. But this month they got a notice that they had to apply for a $175 "Street Use" permit.

The notice says they have to pay the fee and a submit a "site use plan" to qualify for the permit.

Sue says she already pays a $140 to have a small flag hanging on the building with their cafe's name on it. She thinks that this extra charge, after six years, is excessive and an undue hardship.

Sue and Dori see the planters as a service to the neighborhood.

"Airport way isn't exactly the most attractive road in town," said Sue. "Tons of dust. We're pretty much the only people that have anything remotely attractive in front of our building."

She also says her landlord has seen the planters, and has never asked her to move them.

Dori tried to see the situation from the City's perspective.

"The sidewalk is city property," said Dori. "Why shouldn't they have the right to control what's on their property, and say hey, we'll let you use a little slice of our property and basically make you pay rent for it?"

But Georgetown, said Sue, is more industrial than areas downtown where big groups of pedestrians and cyclists mob the streets and sidewalks.

It was clear to Sue that the planters have never been an obstruction; it seemed like the city just wanted her to pay for the privilege of using the space.

"I just think that it's insane that we're just picking, picking, picking at small business owners," said Dori. "It's like government treats you guys like an adversary, instead of a provider of everything they're able to do as a government."

The Dori Monson Show's calls and emails to the Department of Transportation's Street Use Division and the representative who issued the ticket did not immediately get a response.

Read Sue's email to Dori and tell us what you think:

Hi Dori - Knowing that you are as annoyed with the City of Seattle and their ridiculous fees and charges as I am, I thought you would be interested in this one. I own a small business down in Georgetown, which, as you probably know, is not the cleanest neighborhood in town. My partner and I have had whiskey barrel planters outside our place for the last 6 years. Within the last month we received a "Street Warning Use" violation from the city, stating that if we want to have the planters out there, we need to obtain a $172 permit. Seriously? Pardon me for wanting our dusty street beautified a bit by flowers that WE pay for . . . .but really? They also charge us for a small flag attached to the side of the building with our business name on it. . . .another fee of $140 per year. This city does everything it can to nickel and dime small businesses into the ground. Thought you'd want to know. MEH!

If you have a Dang it, Dori! story for us to check out, you can send us a message.

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (28)


  • Add A Comment

  • vern ivan wrote...
    Anger:
    February 13, 2013 1:01 pm
    In an instant comes a flash. I would not have walked to the house to get a gun. I am a small guy but at the moment I would have pulled the drunk killer from his car and ended his career. Boots or fists.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Uh, Dude ???????
    February 13, 2013 1:24 pm
    I think you're posting on the wrong blog.

    But, someone SHOULD let us comment in the guy who killed the drunk driver who killed 2 of his sins before his eyes.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • m1gunr wrote...
    amazing....
    February 13, 2013 1:41 pm
    the city requires you to pay for the sidewalk if it gets broken and has to be replaced. The sign is above 8 feet and is out of pedestrian harm (what if there was a sign already in place? must you still pay?) Time to look into "adverse possession" if you take care of a piece of property for X number of years you can legally take hold of it....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Publius wrote...
    A Sad Confirmation
    February 13, 2013 2:00 pm
    of my long held view that Seattle is run by a bunch of moneygrubbing bureaucrats. $175 a year to put flowerpots in front of your business? The war on small business continues. Don't you mindless paper pushers have anything better to do?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vanderleun wrote...
    Actually
    February 14, 2013 7:10 am
    they don't.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    As a builder I am well aware of the costs
    February 13, 2013 3:57 pm
    It goes on and on and on
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Why would anyone want to;
    February 13, 2013 4:40 pm
    live, work, open a business, visit, drive through etc...etc...etc...SEATTLE?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Saltchucker wrote...
    Same thing in Lynnwood.
    February 13, 2013 4:41 pm
    Found out a couple of years ago that our sidewalk sale permit does not allow us to tie helium balloons to the corner fence post. Balloon permits ARE extra in Lynnwood!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Anything
    February 13, 2013 5:33 pm
    To continue to extract as much money as possible from its citizens. What a bunch of chickenshits!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Concerned US Citizen wrote...
    Goodbye flowers
    February 14, 2013 6:03 am
    At $175 a year those flowers would be gone so fast it would make the city's headspin. Think of the cost savings in labor to plant and maintain the pots. The seeds or purchased flowers from another local business, the cost of the water to maintain them. I see the business saving money. The neighborhod though will be more ghetto.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    This wouldn't be an issue IF..........
    February 14, 2013 6:44 am
    It was a rainbow flag hanging over the public right-of-way or if it was an A-board sign advertising free needle exchanges...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • vanderleun wrote...
    Yup
    February 14, 2013 7:11 am
    You got that right.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • po_guy wrote...
    Maybe if they planted
    February 14, 2013 8:23 am
    POT IN THEIR POTS?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • irony wrote...
    someone in a wheel chair has to manever around so...
    February 14, 2013 6:44 am
    move the plants inside or get approval for hanging baskets above head height. the sidewalk is not your property to use as you wish, it is for pedestrians only.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Then what is that stupid bike in the picture
    February 14, 2013 8:25 am
    doing on the sidewalk ???????
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Raymong wrote...
    wheel chair
    February 14, 2013 10:08 am
    Looks to me as if a wheel chair can maneuver around those flowers, and they look tall enough to stop and have a smell if the operator of the wheel chair was so inclined. just sayin...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }