REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager
Subject:
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Consideration of a Temporary Closure of the Second Block of Main Street to vehicular traffic to allow restaurants to serve patrons in the public right of way.
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Discussion:
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Gov. Newsom ordered that indoor operations at restaurants cease in response to the State’s current increase in coronavirus cases. While the City has developed a Temporary Emergency Use Outdoor Commercial Permit program that can help alleviate pressures on businesses looking to operate within this new State-ordered restaurant restriction, in the Downtown area, given the physical environment, there are outdoor expansion limitations. To address this concern, the City has been asked to consider a temporary closure of the 2nd block of Main Street during the State’s current restaurant limitations to allow downtown restaurants the opportunity to remain open and serve patrons outside. Under this temporary closure plan, if approved, the City would work with businesses to develop procedures whereby business owners would be responsible for setting-up, managing, and taking down their expansion equipment daily. The only role the City would play in this set-up would be to facilitate the use of the City’s right-of-way to allow for outdoor dining / seating.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Direct the City Manager to temporarily close the second block of Main Street in response to the current State order prohibiting indoor restaurant service, and work with all related departments including the City Attorney’s Office, Community Development, and the Police Department to develop a permitting system to allow restaurants to serve patrons food in the public right-of-way.
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