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A law forcing neighborhoods to allow for small caf茅s, eateries or markets has garnered bipartisan support in Olympia.

, sponsored by State Rep. Mark Klicker (R-Walla Walla) says a city or town must allow for small-scale neighborhood stores and cafes in any residential zone, though they cannot be bars, strip clubs or box stores. Local officials can regulate parking, hours of operation and maximum footage requirements but would not be able to deny a permit for a neighborhood store if the law passes as is.

With the number of Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the bill, it’s sure to pass. But should state lawmakers mandate a neighborhood accept a caf茅 it may not want?

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Should neighborhood caf茅s be mandated by state law?

Klicker said his bill was inspired by friends who were bothered that, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, their neighborhoods didn’t have anywhere nearby they could easily get to for essentials, like groceries, or spots they could meet friends, like caf茅s. He said they can help bring communities together.

“And in Europe, you will find it all over in neighborhoods. Small coffee shops or tea houses, or your little local pub,” Klicker explained on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Klicker also sees the bill as a way to tackle public safety concerns. Neighborhoods with more foot traffic tend to see fewer incidents of crime because caf茅-goers would be witnesses that criminals usually hope to avoid.

In the last legislative session, this bill struggled to gain traction. Klicker said there was concern it took too much power from local leaders, which is why he added language to the bill that provides cities and counties the right to regulate aspects of these businesses as they see fit.

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What if a neighborhood doesn’t want the caf茅s?

The intention of mandating caf茅s is a good one. But the bill, should it become law, inspires reasonable concerns about the role of the state government in defining neighborhoods with caf茅s that statewide lawmakers will never even visit.

A neighborhood in Seattle, Auburn or Richland may love the idea of neighborhood caf茅s. But others in Spokane, Everett or Vancouver may not. What happens if a neighborhood doesn’t actually want a caf茅, but a business owner pushes forward anyway, hoping they’ll change their minds once it’s opened? Under the bill, local officials and residents would have no say. And the bill does not explicitly limit the number of caf茅s a neighborhood could host.

While the marketplace would ultimately decide the cafe’s fate, if neighbors truly don’t want it, they’ll have to put up with unnecessary construction noises and traffic interruptions.

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