It appears the expanded outdoor dining opportunities in downtown Greensboro are here to stay.
At the Tuesday, Sept. 21 virtual meeting the Greensboro City Council will consider approving a revised ordinance that allows the expanded outdoor dining areas which were originally permitted due to COVID-19 restrictions to continue.
On March 17, 2020 Gov. Roy Cooper prohibited indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants in the state by executive order only takeout orders were allowed. In May 2020 restaurants were allowed to reopen for in person dining at 50 percent of their permitted capacity by an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper.
Since indoor dining was so limited, the City Council instructed then City Manager David Parrish to come up with a way for restaurants to expand their outdoor dining areas.
Parrish did this through the use of an existing “special event permit” which allowed restaurants to expand their outdoor seating capacity into public right of ways including areas designated for parking.
On Sept. 21 the City Council will consider a nearly complete rewrite of the ordinance permitting outdoor dining to allow these expanded areas now being used by “special event permits” to continue to be used on a permanent basis.
According to the agenda, city staff collaborated with Downtown Greensboro Inc. (DGI) and other stakeholders to develop the revisions to the existing ordinance.
President of DGI Zack Matheny said, “We are excited to have worked with the city on behalf of the business owners in downtown to continue dining patios in perpetuity. Creating the dining patios have help the patrons with safety protocols, expand business growth and generate a vibrancy that Greensboro has long needed.”
Matheny added, “Downtown Greensboro Inc. has funds in this year’s budget to partner with the participating restaurants to enhance the safety and aesthetics of the patios. We hope City Council will agree and unanimously approve this ordinance so we can collaborate and continue.”
When the emergency order allowing restaurants to expand their outdoor seating area first went into effect, some pretty ugly Jersey barriers were placed around the seating areas to protect diners from traffic. However, over time some of the concrete Jersey barriers were replaced with planters, and in others they were painted and covered to make them less obtrusive, and as the COVID pandemic continues, the expanded outdoor dining areas have been very popular.
FINALLY Council is doing a good thing. Hard to believe isn’t it? Can we bring our dogs?
No dogs should be allowed. Not everyone raises their dogs in a responsible way and a lot of people that insist on bringing dogs everywhere raise their dogs in reprehensible ways. Plus there are those that fear dogs and those that are allergic. Plus dogs can be unsanitary. Why have that near anyone’s food that someone pays for? I avoid restaurants that allow dogs beyond service animals. The same thing goes for bars.
Giving away the public right of ways to private businessess? Mandate Mayor is now in the land grant game? Take from the citizenry and give to the donor class. Great job squandering resources in a feelgood but very inequitable path where our Mandate Mayor can just cede public areas to private businesses without recompense.
Alex, you seem to be the only guy in town who understands Rule of Law and the Constitution-I’m thinking this is precedent for any homeowner to build a gazebo or garage on the sidewalk, or at a minimum, a private patio in the ROW-just equal treatment of all property …
In New York City, once the outside dining patrons leave for the night, the RATS take over. DGI needs to monitor for this possibility; food left under the tables is easy pickings.
Making everyone happy ain’t gonna happen. Stoopidity will prevail.
I love animals. But I am not happy when some entitled dog owner allows their dog to sniff my privates in public. Or their cat to ruin my clothes with their claws. Owning a pet has similar requirements to having children. You can’t assume everyone else will love them.
The outside dinning tables will be a good place for homeless people to sleep under after the restaurant closes for the night. And if the restaurant has any food left over they can feed the homeless while they are waiting to go to bed under the tables. AND no dog wants to go the a bar or restaurant. That is cruel to the dogs that WE love.