Council Adopts Resolution Permitting Outside Dining

Council Adopts Resolution Permitting Outside Dining

RESOLUTION 2020-137
CDC RE-OPENING TOOLKIT
 

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ – (June 12, 2020) – Based on Executive Order No. 150 issued by Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this week, Robbinsville Township Council Thursday adopted Resolution 2020-137 allowing eating establishments within its municipality “… to allow food and beverage establishments to expand their footprint to outdoor areas” effective Monday, June 15, 2020.

In order to allow food or beverage establishments to offer in-person, outdoor service as authorized by EO 150, Council, Mayor Dave Fried and the Office of Economic and Community Development support temporary, practical measures that enable Robbinsville establishments to augment their dine-in capabilities.

Under the Resolution, outdoor seating will be temporarily permitted subject to a modified administrative approval process. Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Seating Permit shall be up to 160 days, unless a longer or shorter time is established by an Executive Order issued by the Governor, who also announced non-essential retail businesses can open (with capacity limits) June 15.

Temporary Outdoor Dining packets are available HERE, and hard copies will be delivered to each Robbinsville establishment by Director of Community Development Hal English.   

The following standards are have been established in connection with outdoor restaurant seating:

 * Outdoor restaurant seating areas can be located upon public sidewalks where adequate provision is made for the pedestrian public, on relatively level grass areas, and in parking lots where an adequate number of parking stalls remain in the opinion of the Township Zoning Officer. Preference should be given to creating outdoor restaurant seating on sidewalks and upon grass areas.

 * Where outdoor seating is proposed to be created in a parking lot, bollards or other protection structures shall be erected along the perimeters of the outdoor restaurant seating area in order to enhance public safety.

 * Temporary lighting will be required if the outdoor restaurant seating area is proposed to be utilized after dusk.

 * Landscaping of the perimeter of or within the outdoor restaurant seating area will not be required but may be proposed by the applicant.

 * Serving stations and a host podium may be located within an outdoor restaurant seating area provided a Plexiglas or other similar partition is used.

 * The proposed hours of operation of the outdoor restaurant seating area will be included in the Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Seating Application.

* Restaurants with existing outdoor seating areas may seek to expand the existing area.

The consumption of alcoholic beverages will continue to be regulated by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. All applicants are responsible for verifying that their liquor license allows the serving of alcohol outdoors.

An approved outdoor restaurant seating area must be discontinued or reduced in size if proper social distancing is not maintained, or if the restaurant establishment does not comply with applicable sanitary and cleaning standards, use of masks and partitions or other Executive Order requirements issued by the Governor. All temporary outdoor seating areas must be closed by 11 p.m.

Additional provisions concerning such issues as the maximum number of people at a table, required minimum distances between tables and standards for addressing patrons waiting to be seated may be formulated after the promulgation of the Governor's Executive Order permitting restaurants to reopen.

-RT-

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