Business & Tech

Aberdeen Loosening Restrictions on Outside Dining

The Township Council is working to revise street and sidewalk usage regulations for local business owners.

Story by Anastasia Millicker, anastasia.millicker@patch.com

Aberdeen restaurants may soon be able to offer customers outside dining as the Township Council works to relax and clarify local restrictions governing street and sidewalk usage.

Changes to permitted hours for outdoor dining, decorative measures and table location and size requirements are being considered thanks to encouragement from the Aberdeen Economic Business Council, Mayor Fred Tagliarini explained.

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“The economic business council in town is pushing many businesses and restaurants to have dining outside in town,” he said.

The ordinance, introduced at the July 16 council meeting, would allow a space no wider than ten feet in front of a restaurant to be sectioned off for the restaurant’s use. The dining area, however, is not permitted to take up more than half of the width of a sidewalk or more than eight feet, whichever is smaller.

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A business owner interested in opening an outside dining area will have to apply for a zoning permit through the Township. Outside dining would be permitted from May 1 through Oct. 1 of each year, according to the proposed ordinance.

The ordinance requires that no planters, menu stands or decorations be placed on the public portion of the sidewalk. At the end of each business day, all items associated with outside dining would have to be removed from the sidewalk.

Tables would not be permitted to be larger than four square feet with two chairs. They would be required to be placed against the wall of the building with no tables or chairs in the public portion of the sidewalk.

According to the ordinance, the Township may also temporarily suspend its outside dining in the event of an emergency or is the Township is conducting any work, which requires the suspension of outside dining.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held on Aug. 6. If passed, the new regulations would go into effect immediately.


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