Title
Report regarding a resolution amending the proclamation of a local health emergency (adopted pursuant to Resolution No. 35-2020) to extend the Outdoor Dining Pilot Program and provide related authorizations. (Christopher Espiritu, Senior Planner and Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a resolution amending the proclamation of a local health emergency (adopted pursuant to Resolution No. 35-2020) to extend the Outdoor Dining Pilot Program and provide related authorizations.
Body
BACKGROUND
On July 8, 2020, the City Council passed Resolution No. 90-2020 amending the proclamation of a local health emergency to create an Outdoor Dining Pilot Program throughout the City, with the intent to provide restaurants with a way to sustain some minimum level of revenue and activity while shelter-in-place regulations prohibit indoor dining at full capacity.
Subsequently, staff developed an expedited, no-cost permit application process for interested businesses to participate in the program (Exhibit A to the accompanying resolution). Staff procured water-filled barriers to accommodate up to 20 businesses and obtained approval from the Parking Place Commission for the waiver of parking fees in support of the Outdoor Dining Pilot Program. In collaboration with the SSF Chamber of Commerce, staff conducted outreach to 30 businesses and assisted applicants through the application process.
Since the approval of the Program, staff has completed review of 12 applications from restaurants located in the Downtown, and 10 locations have been approved for outdoor dining on the public right-of-way; all 10 approved public right-of-way locations began outdoor dining operations shortly thereafter. Additionally, restaurants located on private property have established their own outdoor dining areas on private parking lots with guidance from the City.
Based on feedback from participating restaurants, the C...
Click here for full text