To the editor:

I recently read an editorial concerning the City Commission needing to be cautious before granting a new business a sidewalk seating area. One of the points in the editorial was, since this was not a restaurant, would other businesses then want the same access. My question is why would retail businesses wait ?

If there are rules against using the sidewalk, they apparently do not apply to some downtown stores that consistently have their merchandise on display on the sidewalk. This is not just in the area that would be set aside for a dining area. They also put merchandise near the meters, causing a very narrow walkway that pedestrians are forced to go through. That is if no one stops to look at the merchandise, because most times there is no room to get by other people.