July 30, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel’s AB 1217 Could Help Local Restaurants Avoid Costly Permitting Fees

Legislation would preempt local ordinances and preserve regulatory flexibility for struggling neighborhood restaurants

By Sam Catanzaro

A new bill proposed by California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills) could offer relief to restaurants struggling to maintain outdoor dining amid new fees being imposed and proposed by municipalities including Santa Monica and Los Angeles. 

“Neighborhood restaurants are the backbone of communities across California, but too many are barely hanging on by a thread,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel. “Outdoor dining has been a critical lifeline that has helped these beloved establishments keep their doors open during these challenging times.”

Assembly Bill 1217 would extend the benefits of state and local programs, such as L.A. Al Fresco, which streamlined the application process and waived fees for restaurants and bars that had to move dining outside due to indoor seating restrictions. The proposed bill would supersede city and county ordinances that require new permit applications and fees for restaurants hoping to maintain their Al Fresco program setups, offering much-needed relief to the industry.

“Outdoor dining has become an important lifeline for restaurants, and it’s something that we have all come to love and enjoy,” stated Madelyn Alfano, Past Chair of the California Restaurant Association Board of Directors and owner of Maria’s Italian Kitchen, a neighborhood Italian restaurant locations across Los Angeles including in Brentwood and Westwood. “Many restaurant owners have invested lots of money to build beautiful outdoor dining spaces to increase their capacity for private events and recoup some of their losses from these difficult past few years. AB 1217 will help sustain this crucial tool and allow local restaurants such as my own to continue to provide delicious meals for our communities.”

This new bill builds on a previous measure, AB 61, authored by Gabriel and signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2021. AB 61 allowed restaurants to have more regulatory flexibility on various issues, such as outdoor food preparation and service, using their own spaces to increase outdoor dining capacity, and serving alcohol on outdoor premises.

If passed, the proposed bill would extend current temporary relief measures, such as conditional use permits for outdoor dining expansion and parklet conversion to al fresco seating, offering more permanence to the restaurant industry amid uncertainties and additional pandemic-induced operating costs.

AB 1217 comes at a crucial time as the City of Los Angeles has proposed a new ordinance that will introduce new restrictions and fees on outdoor dining, requiring restaurants to apply for expensive new permits for existing patios. Should AB 1217 be passed, it would preempt this ordinance and help local restaurants avoid costly and confusing red tape to keep their outdoor dining operations open. Similarly, restaurants in Santa Monica have been pushing back against the new permitting officials have implemented in the city.  

“It definitely feels like it’s the end of an era right now,” said Brian Bornemann, chef and founder of sustainable seafood restaurant Crudo e Nudo on Main Street an interview with the Santa Monica Mirror last month. “It’s the opposite to helping small businesses. They’re trying to penalize you at all costs.” 

Although the bill is in its nascent stages, Gabriel expects a hearing in the coming weeks. Should the bill pass the assembly, it could be moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom around September, with the governor determining whether to sign the bill and others into law during the fall.

Related Posts

UCLA Agrees to $6.1 Million Settlement Over Alleged Discrimination During Campus Protests

July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Faculty Group Argued Protest Wasn’t Antisemitic; Judge Approval Still Pending UCLA will pay more than $6 million to settle a...

Tsunami Advisory Issued for Los Angeles Coast After 8.7 Quake Near Russia

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Strong Currents, Surges Expected; Residents Urged to Avoid Beaches and Harbors The 8.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the eastern coast...

Brazen Wheel Thieves Hit Beverly Grove, Hollywood Neighborhoods

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

Early-Morning Thefts Leave Cars on Blocks; Residents Coordinate  Los Angeles police are investigating a growing number of wheel thefts reported...

Westchester Del Rey Stuns Tucson With 11-Run Inning to Reach World Series

July 29, 2025

July 29, 2025

 Westside Team Heads to Greenville, North Carolina to Compete for Glory  Westchester Del Rey Little League is headed to the...

Felony Charges Dropped for Man in UCLA Encampment Attack After Diversion Deal

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Malachi Marlan-Librett Must Complete Therapy, Anti-bias Training in Hate Crime Case The only person charged with a felony in connection...

Fiesta La Ballona Returns to Culver City With Rides, Food, and Family Fun

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Discounted Unlimited Ride Wristbands Now Available Online Fiesta La Ballona is set to return to Veterans Memorial Park on August...

Culver City Police Catch Suspect With Stolen Catalytic Converters During Traffic Stop

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Suspect Already on Supervision for Grand Theft Auto, Found with Incriminating Objects Early Friday morning, Culver City police arrested a...

Homecare Company Celebrates 14 years of Compassion While Planting New Roots After January Fire

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Luxe Homecare, a leading provider of compassionate and reliable in-home care services for seniors has recently announced the opening of...

Wallis Annenberg, Visionary Philanthropist and Civic Leader, Dies at 86

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Philanthropist Expanded Foundation’s Reach From Arts to Conservation Wallis Annenberg, a prominent philanthropist and longtime leader of the Annenberg Foundation,...

Second Grenade Still Missing After Blast That Killed Three LA Sheriff’s Detectives

July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025

Only One Grenade Exploded; The Second Device Has Vanished Authorities said Friday that one of two grenades recovered last week...

More Than $50 Billion in Damage: What January’s Wildfire Cost the City of Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Nearly 11,000 Properties, Many in Pacific Palisades, Affected; True Losses Likely Higher Nearly $52 billion in residential real estate across...

Mid-Century Hotel Near LAX to Become Hundreds of Affordable Apartments

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Project Will Turn Hotel Into Income-Restricted Apartments Near Transit Hub Plans are moving forward to convert the shuttered Four Points...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

For More Information, Go to Aplustree.com A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles For More...

Residents Paint DIY Crosswalks Around West LA Park to Slow Speeding Drivers

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

Neighbors Say Safety Comes First, But City Crews Remove Safety Feature Fed up with what they call years of city...

The Third Place Reinvented: Why Kavahana Is Becoming LA’s New Favorite Hangout Spot

July 27, 2025

July 27, 2025

In a city full of coffee shops that close too early and bars that don’t cater to the sober (or...