OUT Zones official launch date was August 31 — ‘National Eat Outside Day’

City of West Hollywood logoThe City of West Hollywood is responding in a variety of creative ways to community needs as we all navigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is taking extensive steps to support businesses with solutions that protect health and safety by turning things — inside out!

In July 2020, the City began its Temporary Outdoor Expansion Permit (TOEP) program by offering streamlined approval for businesses to use sidewalks, on-street parking spaces, and private parking lots as areas to expand operations.

Now, the program has been expanded and given a fresh, new name: Outdoor Use Temporary Zones (OUT Zones). These temporary expansions provide outdoor commercial space in public right-of-way for restaurants, shops, and personal care establishments to move operations outside to ensure social (physical) distancing and meet protocols set forth by the LA County Department of Public Health and State of California, which currently prohibit many indoor operations in these sectors. OUT Zones and other business relief measures are outlined in the City’s most recent Emergency Executive Order, available on the City of West Hollywood’s website here: https://www.weho.org/home/showdocument?id=48059.

“State and county health orders that aim to reduce transmission of the coronavirus have forced many of our local businesses and restaurants to limit or halt indoor operations. This has had a profound impact on the City of West Hollywood’s business community and has added to the economic challenges wrought by COVID-19,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “Creating more outdoor spaces for expanded operations is a creative approach that will help West Hollywood’s businesses, residents, and visitors as we continue to respond to the pandemic. OUT Zones will activate sidewalks, street-sides, and parking lots with perimeter barriers for safety and will offer people outdoor spots for dining, shopping, and personal care while supporting local businesses. I’m looking forward to seeing you OUT there!”

The ‘soft opening’ for the first phase of the City’s new OUT Zones program began on Tuesday, August 25, 2020 with the installation of protective barriers, known as ‘k-rails’ outside of participating businesses, and the installation has now been completed — just in time to celebrate National Eat Outside Day on Monday, August 31, 2020, which is a day when people are encouraged to enjoy a meal, picnic, or snack outside. More than 60 West Hollywood businesses have been approved for temporary OUT Zone permits, and during the coming weeks, there will be many new zones coming out in the City of West Hollywood.

The most up-to-date list of participating OUT Zone businesses can be found at www.weho.org/outzones. OUT Zones will be marked by colorful signage with spots to “Dine OUT” for restaurants and cafes, “Shop OUT” for boutiques and goods, and “Werk OUT” for exercise and personal care. People exploring West Hollywood’s OUT Zones are reminded that the City of West Hollywood has a mandatory face-covering requirement and are urged to be mindful of maintaining six-feet of social distancing for dining, shopping, and personal care under the sun and stars.

Businesses interested in applying for the program are invited to watch a one-hour webinar that provides program details and information on submitting an application to temporarily expand business outdoors. OUT Zone permits are free, and all parking requirements have been temporarily waived. For more information for businesses regarding applying for an OUT Zone permit, contact Paolo Kespradit at (323) 848-6556 or pkespradit@weho.org.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover that face to adhere to City requirements for the use of face coverings.

Public Health officials recommend cloth face coverings so that medical-grade and N95 masks may be prioritized in the supply chain for healthcare workers and first responders. Face coverings are not required for young children under two-years-old; children between two- and eight-years-old should only wear face coverings with adult supervision; and people with certain medical conditions are exempt from this requirement.

The City encourages residents to remain home as much as is practical and limit close contact with others outside of a household. Additionally, people 65 years old or older and all people of any age with underlying health conditions should remain at home whenever possible; people in these categories should only leave their residences to seek medical care, exercise, or obtain food or other necessities.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings, playgrounds, and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

The City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications for up-to-date information regarding details in the City of West Hollywood.

To view essential-business City meetings, tune in to WeHoTV at:

For notifications by email, subscribe to the City’s E-Notifications at www.weho.org/email. Visit the City’s event and meetings calendar at www.weho.org/calendar and news archive at www.weho.org/news. To receive urgent updates to your phone by text and to your email, text your ZIP code to 888-777.

For updates and information about the current numbers of COVID-19 cases in the United States and in Los Angeles County, the spread of the virus, severity, treatments, precautions, and other important public health information in multiple languages, please visit websites for:

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please contact the LA County Department of Public Health Chief Communications Officer, Carl A. Kemp, at (213) 240-8144 or media@ph.lacounty.gov.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.