Village Helps Restaurants With Outdoor Seating For Reopening

OSWEGO, IL — The Village of Oswego said it wants to work alongside restaurant and bar owners to help them reopen their businesses with outdoor seating as Illinois moves into Phase 3 of the statewide reopening plan on May 29.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently announced that restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen in Phase 3 if they can secure outdoor seating that maintains proper social distancing.

"We are very excited about this and been busy planning what we could do to help our business and the community regain some sense of normalcy while we, of course, put safety first," Village President Troy Parlier said. "So we're going to do everything we can to ensure we have a very safe opening."

On Friday, May 22, Parlier signed an executive order that will permit restaurants and bars throughout Oswego to set up and expand their outdoor dining spaces in accordance with guidelines to be established by the State of Illinois. The executive order also permits retail establishments to display merchandise outdoors for sale, further expanding the ability of local businesses to operate.

Restaurants may establish outdoor dining facilities on private property, with permission from the property owner. Restaurants that wish to utilize village property, such as sidewalks and parking spaces, will need to request a special use permit from the village.

Restaurants with existing liquor licenses will be permitted to sell alcohol for consumption within the established outdoor seating area. Special-use permits will be granted by the village administrator in order to expedite processing and ensure restaurants can begin operations as soon as permitted under the governor's Restore Illinois Plan.

“We are being proactive and removing roadblocks with this executive order so our businesses can have time to prepare. We don't want any barriers for these businesses as they start to open the best way they can in these circumstances," Parlier said.

While the state is forging ahead with the reopening, the number of coronavirus cases in Kendall County has been increasing each day. According to Parlier, the village is being creative about ensuring safety of its residents.

"This opening should not make things worse, and so we've been very good here, following the regulations in our grocery stores and businesses," he said. "The essential businesses that have been allowed to open have been very innovative with the uni-directional aisles, sanitizing stations, face masks or face coverings in place. Of course, we're going to continue to see cases increase. That's a cumulative number. And you could have more cases one day because you did a lot more tests that day. Let the data tell the story."

In spite of the horror of the pandemic, Parlier said he is "proud of this community that has really come together." From restaurants offering free meals to village officials honoring front-line workers, Oswego has been the paragon of resilience and community spirit.

"As the mayor, I know what's on the inside of this community, but that is on full display now. Right from the beginning of this, we came together," he said. "Everybody is just pulling together. It's wonderful. And I hope this continues and this just doesn't go away once the virus recedes."

For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Oswego Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!