East Hampton Town is now accepting applications from restaurants and food stores to use public and private property for temporary outdoor dining.
Businesses are asked to submit a proposal for an outdoor area that is at least 100 feet away from a residence and contains tables for two, four, or six people that are at least six feet apart. The areas will be permitted to be set up at 8 a.m. and removed by 11 p.m. Owners will be responsible for maintaining and cleaning them, and they must have appropriate liability insurance.
"Tents with open sides may be erected . . . with a separate application made through the town fire marshal's office," the application says. Parking spaces can be used for seating, it says, but there must be a physical barrier between diners and vehicle traffic.
Businesses that plan to serve alcohol outdoors will have to apply to the State Liquor Authority for permission, according to the town, and those that plan to serve it on public property will have to wait for the town to receive municipality-wide authorization from the liquor authority.
The applications for outdoor dining are available on the town's website.