Temporary Outdoor Dining Permits Issued By Town Of Smithtown

SMITHTOWN, NY — The Town of Smithtown launched an online system for dining establishments to file for temporary outdoor accommodations, officials announced Wednesday. Suffolk County collaborated with towns and villages on the program.

The one-page application is designed to help existing restaurants in the Town who are authorized by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to re-open, but lack the indoor space to accommodate social distancing requirements. The temporary permit for outdoor dining would allow these accommodations through Nov. 1.

Supervisor Edward Wehrheim commended Councilman Thomas McCarthy and the team of department directors who fast-tracked the application.

"Peter Hans, Bill White, David Barnes, Mark Riley & our Fire Marshall Nick Kefalos have implemented a simple system that will make life easier for approximately 226 already struggling food establishments," Wehrheim said in a news release. "This is the kind of good governing that is going to help rebuild our local economy. With the support of Suffolk County, the Supervisors Association and our village leaders, we will continue to work together to assist every small business… one by one if necessary."

Food establishments within a village's boundaries are required to apply to both the Town and Village. Mayor Mark Delaney, of Village of the Branch, has been working in conjunction with the Town to ensure a smooth process for each business located within the village.

"This outdoor dining process is a vital part of the equation to get our extremely important restaurants up and running and financially healthy again," McCarthy said. "We will be turning around applications within 72 hours in an effort to do everything in our power to assist our small businesses with this transition."

The application requires each business to submit a plan, drawing, survey, or an aerial map from Google Maps/Earth, Bing, etc. indicating the location of the proposed outdoor seating in accordance with the social distancing guidelines. The application is then reviewed by the Fire Marshal, the Planning, Building, Environment and Waterways and Engineering departments in a three business-day turnaround.

A number of safety guidelines and requirements are laid out for the applicant to ensure customers are kept safe while not disrupting any nearby residential area. Seating capacity cannot exceed the total number as permitted by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and can not be located within 150 feet of a residential structure. Also, there must be adequate parking, a physical barrier to protect customers from vehicle traffic, all handicap/ADA parking stalls and pathways must remain open and accessible, and sidewalk widths must not be reduced to less than 36 inches. All COVID-19 outdoor accommodation can only be used between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to the Town.