Mayor’s order permits use of parking spaces for outdoor dining in Easthampton

Sept. 8, 2020 | Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.com

EASTHAMPTON – Donna Geis says she couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to add more outdoor dining for her restaurant, The Silver Spoon.

Attempting to recover as much business as possible after the popular breakfast place was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, Geis received permission from the city to create a new outdoor dining area with four additional full-size picnic tables on three parking spaces on Main Street.

“I’m so excited it’s been allowed,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a huge boost for the restaurant, which, like so many others, has taken a big hit this year.”

The additional seating was made possible by a mayoral order permitting the use of parking areas on Main Street with certain restrictions after Geis approached the city about the possibility of using the parking area. The order, formally announced by Mayor Nicole LaChapelle on Aug. 31, is in effect until Nov. 30.

“When I initially approached [City Planner Jeffrey Bagg] with the idea, he told me no one had suggested it before,” Geis said. “[City officials] have been wonderful to work with. I think within a week and a half of approaching them, I had permission.”

Bagg told Reminder Publishing the mayor’s order streamlined the approval process, which normally would have required the involvement of the city council and could have taken up to a month to be approved.

“The key word is responsive. We are trying to be as responsive as possible to businesses,” he said.

Bagg explained the order is not a blanket policy like those instituted by other municipalities such as Northampton. Main Street businesses that wish to convert parking areas into dining spaces must submit an application for the ability to do so. Proposed additional dining areas must have a physical barrier separating patrons from vehicles and traffic.

“It’s an apples and oranges comparison,” Bagg said of the approaches to Main Street taken by Easthampton and Northampton. “Northampton just completely changed the way their street functions. There is a significant difference. We are giving business owners the opportunity to submit a plan.”  

Proposals must include at minimum a map of the area to be used, the materials to separate dining areas from cars, a timeline for how long the area will be d used, who will be responsible for using the space, hours of operation, and exterior lighting and heating plans, if applicable.

Applications are reviewed by the mayor’soffice, the planning department, the department of public works and the police department. Bagg said the intention was to have reviews completed in a day. “This isn’t complicated stuff,”?he said.

Being a temporary measure, he added it gives the city the opportunity to assess the concept without making wholesale changes to municipal regulations.

“This idea of using parking spaces is new for us,”?Bagg said. “Something like this hasn’t happened around here before, so instead of changing the rules, we’re doing it temporarily as a way to test it out.”

The additional tables will bring her back to the seating capacity Silver Spoon normally would have in a non-pandemic scenario. Being able to serve a full slate of customers, even for six to eight weeks is a big relief, she said.

“For us, we lost about 50 percent of our business,”?she said.

Initially, Silver Spoon shut down completely under coronavirus restrictions as Geis determined a to-go model didn’t work well for breakfast foods. When the indoor dining area was permitted to open, it was limited for five tables. Silver Spoon also has four outdoor tables, not including the additional space.

Geis added she has found the majority of patrons prefer outdoor seating options as they see them as safer at this point. Additionally, she said the autumn months would provide the most comfortable climate for outdoor dining.

Silver Spoon has also contracted Phillips Enterprises to build plexiglass barriers between its indoor tables, which Geis said would double its capacity inside.

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