Walnut Creek considers sidewalk vendor regulations

After asking for a handful of modifications to a proposed ordinance they discussed in June, the Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday will consider approving updated new regulations for sidewalk vendors. The changes are in response to a new state law significantly limiting cities in how they regulate such vendors.

As of Jan. 1, Senate Bill 946 amended California law to limit cities’ ability to regulate sidewalk vendors. The bill decriminalized sidewalk vending activities and afforded additional protections to vendors against local regulations.

The proposed new regulations would require permits for anyone doing business on public sidewalks and pedestrian paths in Walnut Creek, except for people younger than 18 and anticipating less than $1,000 a year in revenue.

Most of the changes between June and now involve various adjusted distances and measurements, including the amount of clearances needed for pedestrians to safely pass vendors. Another change excludes sidewalk vendors from the city’s definition of “itinerant merchants.”

Tuesday’s Walnut Creek City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1666 N. Main St.