As the town of Westport gears up for a summer season full of outdoor events, it is making it easier for visitors to get a bite to eat without having to step indoors ”“ and possibly giving diners more restaurant options within a few steps in any direction.
As of June 14, the town is easing the rules that govern outdoor dining at restaurants, allowing venues to have up to 10 seats outdoors for customers. The rules apply as well to retail food establishments such as specialty markets.
Previously, restaurants had to apply for Administrative Review Committee approval for outdoor seating; now they will simply have to meet criteria specified in the regulations to obtain a zoning permit.
Westport has long marched to its own drummer when it comes to business regulation, most famously in its 2008 ordinance banning grocery stores from bagging purchases in disposable plastic bags. Following two years of recession, however, in 2010 the town has taken multiple steps to ease the cost and red tape of running a business ”“ including for the home-based variety.
The same holds true statewide, after the Connecticut General Assembly considered and ultimately rejected several bills deemed damaging to business. The Connecticut Restaurant Association and other groups successfully focused their lobbying efforts on scotching a bill that would have mandated paid sick leave, which restaurant owners had said would have had a punishing impact on their businesses if enacted.
Town officials think the new outdoor rules in Westport will help restaurants there attract additional customers for the best seats in the house on gorgeous summer days and evenings ”“ those on the patio.
“It should result in an increase in locations and the amount of seating provided for those who wish to eat outdoors,” said Laurence Bradley, director of the Westport Planning and Zoning Commission, in a statement posted on the commission”™s website.
Last month, the town also took under consideration amending its rules governing where restaurants can be located, and considered elimination of a restriction barring two restaurants that serve alcohol from being situated within 1,500 feet of each other, effectively killing any prospect of a “restaurant row” as exists in Stamford, Norwalk and other nearby municipalities.
Bradley has since been mapping every establishment in town that serves drinks to determine how much commercial real estate in town is barred from being used as restaurants. The measure is opposed by the town”™s police chief who fears an escalation in alcohol-fueled disturbances that would strain department resources, and Planning and Zoning Chairman Ron Corwin tabled any further consideration of the issue until mid-June.
Corwin thinks the proposed changes are consistent with goals reflected in the town”™s 2007 plan of conservation and development, which called for adjustments in town regulations to improve the quality of life for Westport residents.
“The outdoor dining amendment especially should bring more vibrancy and life to Westport”™s commercial areas,” Corwin said.
Separately, the town is now considering relaxing the rules for outdoor events, in hopes of bringing additional foot traffic downtown. Westport summers are dominated by the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, which hosts concerts throughout the summer, beginning June 19 with the ABBA tribute band Arrival; and featuring Huey Lewis and the News July 8.
