Bill To Extend Outdoor Dining In CT Clears First Hurdle

CONNECTICUT — Restaurants throughout the state will continue to enjoy relaxed outdoor regulations for at least another year if a bill approved Thursday in the Connecticut House of Representatives makes it way through the Senate.

House Bill 6610 codifies into law executive orders issued last year by Gov. Ned Lamont allowing municipalities to close off streets and sidewalks, and speeds businesses' navigation through state zoning regulations and special event permitting.

"These relaxed rules could be the start of a new Connecticut tradition that increases activity in our towns," Lamont said. "Expanded outdoor dining has created a vibrancy in many of our neighborhoods in ways that we haven’t seen before, all while supporting locally owned, small businesses."

Lamont said that not only is it a good idea for these relaxed rules to continue for another year, but he thinks the legislature may also want to revisit this concept again in the near future to enable restaurants to continue offering expanded outdoor dining on a permanent basis.

Betsy Gara, executive director of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns, praised the bill, calling outdoor dining a "a lifeline for restaurants and a welcome respite for residents."

But she wasn't ready to throw in with Lamont on making the changes permanent: "COST is pleased, however, that the outdoor dining provisions sunset in March 2022 to ensure that state and local officials can appropriately consider public health and safety issues when restaurants are able to return to full capacity."

Dan Meiser, the chairman of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said: "Thankfully, many local restaurants were eventually able to use outdoor dining as a tool to stay in business, and keep people employed. Collectively we worked with state and local officials to change parking lots, sidewalks, and even roads into dining areas. This should continue in 2021, so that our industry can plan ahead, keep our doors open, and continue on the long road towards recovery to the benefit of local economies throughout Connecticut.”"

The unanimous House vote came during a day of otherwise contentious debate over whether the emergency powers the legislature granted Lamont at the start of the pandemic should be extended. That bid failed 90-50 votes, along partisan lines.

The bill to extend Lamont's emergency powers to May 30, and the bill to extend outdoor dining provisions though next spring, now make their way to the state Senate where a Democratic majority virtually assures their passage