Sidewalk Cafes

Sidewalk Cafes

From a Southeast Missourian article by Erin Ragan
http://www.semissourian.com/story/2006070.html

The Cape Girardeau City Council is considering allowing sidewalk cafes "on Broadway between Water and Pacific streets, on Water Street between Broadway and Independence Street, and on Main and Spanish streets between Broadway and Merriwether Street,"  according to the Missourian article.  

Pro:  Good for business owners and people who enjoy sidewalk dining.

Con:  Bad for people whose use of public sidewalks will be choked by tables and chairs.  Too cozy a relationship between city and certain businesses whose dining areas are built and maintained by the city.  Unfair for the people on the south side of Broadway who got much less sidewalk space in the redevelopment project.  Unfair to every other business in Cape which isn't allowed use of the city sidewalks to conduct business. 

Quid pro quo:  How about this?  Allow all businesses the right to expand their trade onto the  sidewalks.  Allow street vendors the right to use parking spaces and public parking lots to ply their trades.