With the state’s decision to remove COVID-19 restrictions on indoor capacities in June, Santa Clarita restaurants had two months to deconstruct outdoor dining setups which ended on Monday.
As tents surrounded Santa Clarita restaurants throughout the coronavirus pandemic, expanded outdoor dining became a temporary solution to boost the local economy and accommodate socially distanced dining, but the temporary-use permits expired June 15 as indoor capacity restrictions have been lifted.
“When we first put the program together over a year ago, restaurants were looking for ways to bring guests outside,” said Jason Crawford, Santa Clarita’s manager of planning and economic development.
The City issued 87 free permits that would allow Santa Clarita restaurants to expand outdoor dining into sidewalks and parking lots to accommodate for lost indoor dining space when capacity restrictions were enforced.
Twenty-four of the free COVID-19 permits were issued for non-restaurant businesses, while 63 permits were issued for restaurants to expand outside into nearby sidewalks and parking lots, according to Crawford.
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When health orders changed to reinstate full-capacity indoor dining, the City discussed with restaurants utilizing the temporary-use permits to identify a good transition time to remove temporary dining setups, according to Crawford.
Restaurants and businesses with these permits were required to take down these setups “by Monday, two months after state health orders allowed 100 percent indoor occupancy,” Crawford said.
As of Friday, the City has not received any requests to permanently reinstate the temporary-use permits or expand patios further, according to Crawford.
“At the Senses party on Main Street last night, all the tents were down,” Crawford said. “I have been to a couple other private areas with every tent down, so no issues were had and we haven’t received any complaints.”
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