At last night’s meeting, the Manhattan Beach City Council approved temporary outdoor dining and business use within public parking spaces for restaurants and businesses to accommodate social distancing measures required by State and County protocols designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“Our local restaurants and businesses need our assistance during this time and the City is doing all we can to ensure our local economy can effectively recover from coronavirus impacts. This temporary measure balances a variety of safety and economic interests while adding an enhanced experience for our community and visitors,” said Mayor Richard Montgomery.
The City program was approved after the County Public Health Order required social distancing (where customers must increase space between themselves and others), including limits of restaurant dining room capacities to 60%. This City program will help facilitate the recovery of businesses and restaurants, allowing them to expand operations outdoors temporarily.
The City received overwhelmingly positive responses from participants in a survey released June 5. The survey received 1,605 responses from Manhattan Beach residents and businesses. Ninety-three percent of respondents indicated that they are “supportive” or “very supportive” of temporarily using adjacent parking spaces in the public right-of-way for outdoor dining and business use.
The City is currently reviewing applications from restaurants in the Downtown for temporary use of the public parking spaces adjacent to their businesses. Restaurants and businesses wishing to participate in the program should view the City’s checklist beforehand. Applications will be accepted by the Community Development Department until June 22, 2020 and can be submitted online for consideration.
Restaurants and businesses approved to participate in the program must compensate the City for the value of the lost parking meter revenue. Requests will be evaluated based on safety criteria as well as compatibility with surroundings. In addition, participants must comply with safety measures including the installation of dining decks/platforms, protective barriers, be disabled-accessible, and be cleaned and maintained daily. Outdoor uses must cease no later than 10:00 PM daily. The temporary use of parking spaces program will end September 28, 2020
As the community moves towards recovery, the City encourages the public to follow the County of Los Angeles requirement to wear face coverings when in close contact with others. Visit the Centers for Disease Control for guidance on how to properly wear and care for your face covering or the LA County Department of Public Health’s guidance.