QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 26, 2023 Page 6
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Permanent outdoor dining rules released Al fresco cafés will be open for eight months out of the year: DOT by Naeisha Rose
guez said in a statement. “Dining Out NYC will build upon what has worked and say Mayor Adams and Department of Trans- goodbye to what has not. This public engageportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez ment period will help inform program rules announced proposed rules for a permanent and make sure the nation’s biggest outdoor eight-month outdoor dining program, which dining program is also the best.” The dates of operation for the outdoor the city hopes to get off the ground by spring 2024, but they want the public’s feedback on spaces are from April 1 to Nov. 29, the DOT the “Dining Out NYC” guidelines ahead of a said. The mayor and commissioner hope the virtual hearing scheduled for Monday, Nov. new rules will offer clear and enforceable 20 at 10 a.m. After the public comment period and hear- guidelines for outdoor setups that don’t ing, the DOT will publish the final rubric that impede on sidewalk pathways, and that are will be adopted by the end of 2023. That will safe, clean and rat-free. The city will conduct allow entrepreneurs who are interested in extensive public outreach to stakeholders to ensure it has a wide having an al fresco dinrange of feedback not ing space to sign up via just from restaurateurs, an online portal. Once eople love the ability but also trade associatheir applications are tions, community orgaapproved, restaurateurs to eat outdoors.” nizations and the public will have 30 days to get — Dirk McCall de Palomá, at large. set up, according to the executive director, To provide comment Mayor’s Office. Sunnyside Shines BID o n t h e r u le s , v i sit “Outdoor dining diningout nyc.info or saved 100,000 jobs in New York City during the pandemic and gave rules.cityofnewyork.us. To speak at the hearthe five boroughs something New Yorkers ing either by phone or online, email rules@ had been craving for a long time, and now, dot.nyc.gov. According to the DOT, all outdoor setups thanks to this program, it is here to stay,” Adams said in a statement referencing the cannot be fully enclosed; they must have temporary version of the program, which was tables and seating, ADA access, drainage and created during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our a barrier, perimeter or fence-like structure; vision for the program will be developed in and flooring is not permitted for sidewalk setclose partnership with restaurant owners, din- ups. Heating, lighting, plantings, awnings, ers, and communities, and I am confident it coverings and umbrellas are optional. Electrical connections, for example to string lights, will be a win for our entire city.” are also optional. Rodriguez shared the mayor’s sentiments. Sidewalk and roadway cafés must be 15 “Outdoor dining has made our streets more vibrant public spaces, and Dining Out NYC feet away from open-end subway entrances, will provide diners with an enjoyable experi- 10 feet from subway elevator entrances and ence while helping restaurants thrive,” Rodri- MTA or FDNY curb cuts, 5 feet from curb Associate Editor
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A rendering of an outdoor sidewalk café. cuts and subway elevators and 3 feet from elevated train infrastructure like support beams, according to the DOT. People can learn more about requirements at the agency’s website by searching for NYC Pedestrian Mobility Plan. Fee structures for the outdoor space will be based on the location and size of the setup. The costs will range from $5 to $31 per square foot for the annual rate schedule. The maximum length for a café is 40 feet and the maximum width is 8 feet, according to the dining rules. A DOT spokeswoman told the Chronicle that information regarding kit parts people
RENDERING COURTESY DOT
can use for the outdoor dining setups will be released to the public in the coming weeks and months. “We have many restaurants in Sunnyside that will be participating, and we will work to ensure a smooth transition to the new regulations and give feedback for future reforms,” said Dirk McCall de Palomá, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, in a statement. “People love the ability to eat outdoors, and this program provides opportunities for our restaurants to serve more patrons and keep our Q economy strong.”
City tackles biases in mandated reporting New training aims to remedy racial disparities in the child welfare system by Kristen Guglielmo For the latest news visit qchron.com
Associate Editor
The city Administration for Children’s Services and Department of Education and the state Office of Children and Family Services announced strategies last Thursday that aim to help reduce racial disproportionality among the families that come to the attention of the child welfare system. The strategies aim to educate mandated reporters on ways to provide support to families without making a report to the state’s child abuse hotline. According to the press release, the OCFS launched new training for mandated reporters, those who are required by state law to report suspected child abuse and maltreatment, such as teachers, social workers, child care workers, doctors and police officers. The training puts a key focus on an implicit bias component to prevent calls to the Statewide Central Register of Abuse and Maltreatment based on race and poverty. Updates also include material to explain the impact of adverse childhood experiences on children and families, and to prevent inflicting additional trauma by unnecessarily subject-
ing a family to a Child Protective Services investigation. The overall theme of the training is, according to the release, “You can support a family without having to report a family.” Furthermore, the training instills in mandated reporters that referrals to vital necessities like food, healthcare and housing can make all the difference when a family simply needs to be supported, rather than reported. OCFS’s training also helps mandated reporters develop improved skills to recognize signs of abuse and maltreatment in virtual settings, reflecting the increase in telemedicine since the pandemic. Members of more than 50 professions required to report must complete the free, online course by April 1, 2025. The ACS and DOE also revised their annual training, focusing on helping school staff understand the impact of making a report to the SCR and the need to focus on objective facts and to be aware of implicit bias when deciding whether to report. So far, over 4,500 DOE employees and Office of School Health emplyees have participated in the training. School staff and families are encouraged to contact the ACS prevention support hotline at (212) 676-7667, visit nyc.gov/fam-
ilies for access to free community-based programs, visit mycity.nyc.gov for child care assistance or contact OCF’s HEARS family line at 1 (888) 55HEARS (554-3277) for assistance. “Child welfare investigations can be traumatic, stressful, and intrusive for families, and they disproportionately impact families of color,” said Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Anne Williams Isom in the release. “In 2022 alone, a Black child in New York City was seven times more likely than a White child to be in a child protective investigation, and 1 out of every 2 Black children in New York City has been the subject of an investigation by the time they reach the age of 18. Today’s announcement is an important step to address this, while also making sure that families in need of services or support are receiving it...” “... It is essential that these caring adults are aware and equipped with the tools and resources needed to ensure the safety of our students and are trained in the proper reporting standards for suspected cases of child abuse,” said Schools Chancellor David Banks. “... It is vital that our educators and school staff work hand in hand with our families and commuQ nities to ensure the wellbeing of every child.”
