By Kris Herndon
Last summer, Greenwich Avenue was transformed into a pedestrian plaza. Closed to non-emergency vehicles, and with outdoor seating spilling into the streets where parking used to be, historic downtown became a safe place for masked and social distanced
Now, the Executive Orders that made it possible are set to expire, leaving business owners in a scramble to apply for renewals. On April 20th, all dining and tents approved under temporary outdoor dining permits in response to last year’s Executive Orders must be removed and restored.
That means local restaurants that want to continue offering outdoor dining this summer need to submit applications for renewal by the April 20th deadline.
Temporary outdoor dining was a lifeline for many local businesses last summer. The Executive Orders, issued by Governor Lamont’s office in response to COVID-19, allowed restaurants statewide to offer outdoor dining, waiving the usual regulations. And Greenwich’s Planning and Zoning Commission created an expedited Temporary Outdoor Dining Permit in response.
Enclosed areas, called “nodes,” were created within the Town’s right-of-way on Greenwich Avenue, Grigg Street, and East Elm Street, and outdoor tables and seating were allowed to take space formerly occupied by parking spots. Farther up Greenwich Avenue, where car traffic was still permitted, barriers were put in place to shield diners from passing cars.
In a challenging time, the move to outdoor dining has been popular with residents and restauranteurs alike. The initial statewide lockdown closed restaurants for a period of time in March. Even when that lockdown ended, indoor capacity restrictions due to COVID had many restauranteurs cutting back on staff and fearing they would be unable to survive financially.
The ability to offer outdoor seating and tables was a lifeline for those businesses, allowing restaurants to operate safely at something close to normal capacity. And travel restrictions – also a result of the pandemic – meant many residents stayed in town all summer. Many locals said the outdoor dining brought a sense of calm and normalcy to an otherwise difficult year.
But when Executive Orders expire April 20th, those temporary dining permits will, too. Planning and Zoning Director Katie DeLuca said significant staff adjustments had been made to ensure that all timely applications would be processed.
The primary contacts listed on the Planning and Zoning information page are as follows:
Katie.DeLuca@greenwichct.org – main contact to discuss going outside zoning approvals
Shanice.Becker@greenwichct.org – main contact for renewals
Peter.mangs@greenwichct.org – main contact for when you are ready to submit your application
P&Z has posted other helpful information for local restaurants wishing to renew their outdoor dining permits on the website at https://www.greenwichct.gov/428/Planning-Zoning
The P&Z website also has a message of thanks to local restaurant owners. It reads: THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING SO HARD FOR US – IT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN HELPING THE COMMUNITY GET THROUGH THIS!
