Downtown Westfield Corporation Releases Business Reopening Plan

WESTFIELD, NJ — In order to allow more social distancing, help promote local businesses, and provide more activities for residents, Quimby Street in Westfield will be restricted to pedestrians for socially distanced strolling, dining, music, and certain other activities later this month, said Downtown Westfield Executive Director Bob Zuckerman in a newsletter on Tuesday.

The Downtown Westfield Corporation also released its Downtown Westfield Reopening Plan, which takes effect starting next week (see below).

Will your restaurant open for outdoor dining starting next week? Email caren.lissner@patch to be included in a roundup later this week. Include hours, address, and specialties. More information here.

Starting the weekend of June 19-21 and continuing for at least through July 4 weekend, the town will open Quimby Street from Friday evening through Sunday evenings for socially distanced strolling and dining, Zuckerman said. He noted, "If this experiment is successful, then the open street plan will likely be extended throughout the summer."

Zuckerman said that on the street, "We are planning outdoor yoga, exercise classes, live music, and other activities ... Remember to wear a mask when not eating and drinking and maintain a safe 6-foot distance."

Zuckerman also noted that outdoor sidewalk dining and the opening of non-essential retail businesses will occur starting Monday, June 15, with restrictions. For restaurants, curbside pickup and delivery will still be available from those who are currently offering it.

(For other restrictions and state edicts on outdoor dining starting next week, read the list of state regulations in our story here.)

Later on Tuesday, the DWC also released a Downtown Westfield Reopening Plan, which will start Monday. It included expanded outdoor dining capacity, allows retailers to establish tables outside their stores to help offset indoor reduced capacity requirements, provides free 15-minute parking for pickups and deliveries, and designates Quimby Street for pedestrians only.

The following are the details of that plan:

RETAIL

• Non-essential retail operations can open on June 15 as long as they comply with the rules in Executive Order 122 that essential retail stores currently have to comply with, which include limiting occupancy to 50 percent of maximum capacity. Under NJ Executive Order 150, retail establishments and service providers will be able to place a table outside their store for a outdoor transactions seven days of the week.

OUTDOOR DINING

• Under NJ Executive Order 150, Westfield will allow restaurants and other establishments that serve food to expand their footprint for outdoor dining, both in front of their property and on adjacent sidewalks. All restaurants and food establishments will be required to submit an application for an outdoor dining permit with the Town Clerk’s office which will include a sketch showing where they would like to place their outdoor tables. Restaurants will not be able to place tables outside until they receive a permit from the Clerk.
• Before placing tables outside, all restaurants and food establishments must sign off that they will comply with NJ Executive Directive 20-014, which specifies the COVID-19 protocols from the NJ State Department of Health for food or beverage establishments offering service in outdoor areas.

• Establishments with existing liquor licenses will be eligible to apply for a COVID-19 Expansion Permit with the NJ Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. This new permit will allow licensed establishments to expand their premises onto areas adjacent to or contiguous with the licensed premises. Licensed establishments who only sell alcoholic beverages in to-go containers will not need a new permit.

• Westfield will place temporary expanded street seating with concrete barriers on the southern portion of Prospect Street between 16 and 20 Prospect Street. Additional parklet space in the downtown will be considered at a future date.

STREET CLOSURES

• Westfield will close Quimby Street between the hours of 3 p.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Monday between June 20 and July 5 on a trial basis. The restaurants on that block will be able to move tables out onto the street for additional outdoor dining. Furthermore, the DWC will program the space on Sundays with exercise classes, yoga classes and other non-contact programming. Additionally, the DWC will secure live musicians for both Saturday and Sunday nights during the trial weekends.

PARKING

• In order to facilitate easy ongoing access to curbside pick up, all the parking spots on Quimby Street and on Elm Street (between E. Broad Street and North Avenue) will be free 15-minute parking spots for curbside pickup and for delivery vehicles. Customers looking for longer term parking are encouraged to park on adjacent streets.
• Employees of local businesses, especially from those on Elm and Quimby Streets, should park in employee-permitted spots at the train station parking lot or the lot behind Baron’s.

The Town Council is expected to vote on a resolution at its Tuesday evening meeting to approve the outdoor seating and authorize town clerk to issue the related licenses.

Other towns, like Cranford and Hoboken, have also experimented with closing streets for pedestrians and "streateries."

Also on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Murphy changed his restrictions on outdoor gatherings, increasing limits but with social distancing and other regulations still in effect.

He has also given dates for various types of nonessential businesses to reopen, with restrictions. For instance, hair salons will reopen June 22.

Are you a local restaurant that will offer outdoor dining once restrictions are lifted Monday, June 15? Email caren.lissner@patch.com and we'll include you in a roundup of al fresco dining options we're working on. When you email us, include hours, address, specialties, restrictions, and any other relevant information you'd like our readers to have. More information on outdoor dining restrictions, and our upcoming roundup, is here.

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