Permanent outdoor dining program bill heads to City Council next week

People holding takeout meal orders walk past an outdoor dining area in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan during the coronavirus pandemic on Feb. 4, 2021.
People holding takeout meal orders walk past an outdoor dining area in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan during the coronavirus pandemic on Feb. 4, 2021. Photo credit Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Next week, the City Council will begin reviewing legislation that would create a permanent outdoor dining program for New York City’s restaurant industry.

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The bill, which would replace a temporary program former Mayor Bill de Blasio began in June 2020, would establish rules and permit procedures for restaurants seeking to use city sidewalks and curbside parking outside of the eatery for customer dining.

The initiative would be overseen by the Department of Transportation and is intended to make the process of applying for the outdoor dining program simpler and less expensive.

There are currently 12,100 establishments participating in the temporary program.

On Tuesday, the Committee on Consumer and Worker Projection will hold a virtual public meeting for stakeholders to voice any improvements to the proposal before the Council votes on a final plan at a later date.

The proposal currently requires eateries to pay $1,050 for the permit as well as $525 for a renewal fee following a not-yet-determined time period. Safety measures and other restrictions will also be set up under the new proposal which includes prohibiting advertising signage.

Last November, under the de Blasio administration, a permanent outdoor dining program bill was approved by the Planning Commission but did not make it to the Council in time before the mayor’s term wrapped.

While the city claims the outdoor dining option has saved roughly 100,00 restaurant jobs, not everyone is convinced they are a good idea. Some locals complain about the outdoor dining in their neighborhoods citing lost parking spaces, rats and other issues.