16 JUNE 27-JULY 3, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Soak up the Sun WITH OUR NEW SUMMER MENU FEATURING CHILLED HERB SHRIMP GREEN GODDESS SHRIMP BOWL SHRIMP BLT SALAD Visit modernmarket.com for all 18 Front Range locations and to order. Nothing in Common BY KRISTIN PAZUL SKI Summer has offi cially arrived, and local bar rooftops and patios are buzzing — but imbib- ers aren’t free to roam around with drinks in hand, even though Denver launched a permit for common consumption areas in 2021. Three years into the fi ve-year pilot pro- gram, no one has submitted a complete ap- plication for the permit, which would allow customers of drinking age to walk through a designated area with an open beverage. The city anticipated a swell of applications, but it has received only one initial fi ling — from a collection of businesses in Five Points that included Spangalang Brewery as well as Coffee at the Point and Agave Shore, which are both defunct. These businesses intended to serve guests on a small, closed section of Clarkson Street dubbed Soul Street. Neighborhood volun- teers painted the asphalt and set up tables and planters, but the soul of Soul Street was lost when the permit was never completed; the street is now open to vehicular traffi c. Other businesses have reached out about the program, notes Eric Escudero, spokes- person for Denver’s Department of Excise & Licenses, but none have offi cially started the process. Escudero attributes the lack of appli- cants to several factors. When Denver’s pro- gram for common consumption launched not long after pandemic restrictions were lifted, restaurants and bars were still fo- cused on staying afl oat, he notes. Plus, many already had new outdoor spaces approved under the temporary outdoor dining pro- gram created specifi cally to counter COVID restrictions. This allowed restaurants and bars to expand onto sidewalks, streets and other spaces; at the time, more than 300 businesses participated. The temporary outdoor places program has become permanent under the city’s Department of Community Planning & De- velopment. To date, at least 134 businesses have applied to keep or open new patio spaces through the program; Larimer Square remains closed to vehicular traffi c, as does Larimer Street in two blocks of RiNo. The difference between the outdoor places program and the common consump- tion permit is that the latter creates a more fl exible space for restaurants to serve cus- tomers, allowing patrons to carry beverages from place to place within a certain area. “This isn’t Las Vegas, where you can walk around anywhere with your drink,” Escudero explains. The method for desig- nating the common consumption area is not dictated by the permit, he adds, but there has to be some type of well-marked barrier for a permit to be approved. “The ordinance and state statute do not list specifi c parameters, so applicants can fi nd the solution that works best for their space to achieve the goal.” Another reason the common consump- tion program hasn’t taken off, Escudero says, is that restaurants can also fi le for an outdoor communal dining permit, which allows a collection of businesses to collaboratively apply for a shared outdoor dining space. Un- der the outdoor communal license, several restaurants may share a set outdoor space, but customers must stay in their seats and can only order from one restaurant — and they cannot wander with a drink in hand. The outdoor places and communal dining permits have shorter, less involved approval processes, Escudero notes, while the com- mon consumption process takes signifi cantly more time and collaboration. To get approval, bars and restaurants must form a “promotional association” — there have to be at least two liquor license holders involved — and the association must be approved by the city. After that, the group outlines a physical area to be approved as an “entertainment district” by Denver City Council. Once that district is approved, the group can then apply for the common con- sumption license. Requirements include an area map, which must outline the space that will be closed off to vehicles, plus sanitation, transportation and security plans. The permitting department is willing to guide people through the process, but it’s a heavy lift. “We think it’s still a good idea,” Escudero concludes. “We are eager to work with anyone who wants to do this.” Email the author at [email protected]. CAFE FIND MORE FOOD & DRINK COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/RESTAURANTS Soul Street hit a dead end. MOLLY MARTIN
