As part of their Covid-19 responses, East End towns and villages relaxed rules on outdoor restaurant seating and the sky did not fall. By most accounts, patrons have been happy, and the results have been enjoyed by owners and staff alike. The situation has been helped by an unusually dry summer during which only a little rain has fallen, making parking lot and lawn service possible most nights. The question is whether officials will allow this to continue once the virus threat has passed.
While the details of the temporary rules vary a bit from place to place, the general concept is the same. Restaurants can provide outdoor tables as long as they do not add additional guest capacity, which would lead to a host of problems. If the special arrangement is continued going forward into 2021, there will be pressure on local authorities to check that the number of seats remains constant.
Many of the region’s existing dining places are in zoning areas where new hot spots, or any new businesses, frankly, are not allowed. It is important that officials consider neighbors’ needs and the conditions on public streets above all.
Restaurants come and go, change hands, host wedding receptions, or morph into other, louder establishments. Town and village leaders must be careful that in their zeal to provide a short-term hand they do not create more long-term problems.