A.
Any person who owns or operates a street-level retail business in the City shall be permitted to sell, attempt to sell or display for sale any goods, wares or merchandise which is a regular part of the inventory of such retail business on the sidewalk directly in front of such business, provided that:
1.
Such sidewalk display and sale of merchandise does not block or impede pedestrian passage or ingress and egress to and from any building, and does not cause the area to become so congested as to create a safety hazard or impede or inconvenience the public.
a.
There shall be a presumption that pedestrian passage is being blocked or impeded if there is less than a 5' clearance for pedestrian passage on the sidewalk from the edge of the curb to the beginning of the sidewalk display and sale of merchandise.
b.
The burden of showing that the sidewalk display and sale of merchandise does not block or impede pedestrian passage or ingress and egress to and from any building and does not cause the area to become congested shall be on the person who owns or operates the retail business.
2.
The sidewalk display and sale of merchandise occurs at a time when the retail business is open for business.
3.
All fixtures used for sidewalk displays and sales of merchandise are removable and no such fixtures remain on the sidewalk when the retail business is closed.
B.
All sidewalk displays and sales of merchandise shall be at the sole risk of the retail business, and the City shall not be responsible for any injuries to persons or damage to property which result from such sidewalk displays and sales of merchandise.
C.
A violation of this section is a Class C offense.
(Prior code § 4-78)