Placerville Lets Outdoor Dining Permits Lapse
While other cities in California, like Sacramento, are expected to have their local governments extend permits for outdoor dining spaces for at least an additional year, the City of Placerville is not following suit. Despite the opinion of many community members, Placerville city officials have decided to let the temporary outdoor dining permits lapse. This means that spaces that have been constructed on the streets must now be removed since California’s pandemic restrictions were lifted on June 15, 2021.
Outdoor Dining Was a Lifesaver for Businesses
Adding temporary dining facilities in outdoor spaces adjacent to the restaurant’s main building ended up being a lifesaver for many establishments during the period of time that there were prohibitions or capacity restrictions on indoor dining. Many Northern California residents have found that they greatly prefer dining al fresco rather than indoors, especially during the many months of the year when we enjoy warm, sunny weather.
Support for Keeping Outdoor Dining Spaces
In addition to the support of many community members who have been enjoying the outdoor dining spaces, business owners that were forced to construct the spaces or shut down think it is unfair that they now have to get rid of them. One business owner interviewed by news sources remarked that the outdoor space at her restaurant, Enchanted Forest, took a lot of money and three months to build. The space includes themed booths, electronic rivers, and video fireplaces. She indicated that she had started a petition to fight the removal of such spaces and pointed out that both El Dorado County and Governor Gavin Newsom are in favor of extending the ability of restaurants to provide outdoor dining.
Many restaurant owners may have to lay off staff after their extended spaces are removed. Others have argued that the increased dining capacity helps to bring people downtown, which is good for merchants and gives life to the area.
Watch the YouTube video. KCRA posted a clip reporting on reactions to the permits lapsing.
Why Remove Outdoor Dining Spaces?
According to city officials in Placerville, the largest concerns are customer safety and liability. In some establishments, patrons are only inches away from traffic, which presents a risk for accidents. In fact, there have been instances throughout the state where diners in outdoor extensions have been hit by cars.
They also point to another concern – that often, the outdoor spaces have been designed haphazardly, which takes away from Placerville’s historic ambiance.
The potential to bring back outdoor dining spaces under certain circumstances and with certain uniform design rules exists.
What’s Next?
While a number of restaurant owners are still hoping a compromise can be made, several facilities have already taken down their outdoor dining extensions, with more scheduled to deconstruct them in the coming days.
Placerville Personal Injury Lawyer
Hello. Thanks for reading. I’m Ed Smith, and I am a personal injury lawyer serving residents of Placerville, California. I’ve been a personal injury attorney in Northern California for close to four decades. Every day, a number of injury-causing accidents occur on the highways and roads in our region. An unacceptable number of those are fatal car crashes. If you have sustained injuries in an automobile accident that was caused by the carelessness, recklessness, or general negligence of another driver, our injury lawyers can help you seek financial compensation for your losses. If you are a family who has suffered a loss due to a deadly car crash, we can help with a wrongful death claim. Don’t battle insurance adjusters who attempt to devalue your claim on your own. To receive our free and friendly advice, please do not hesitate to call us at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400.
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Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/table-chairs-beer-garden-5597088/
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