Saratoga County Adds Another City to Allow Permanent Outdoor Dining
There are many cities around the Capital Region that are lobbying to have permanent outdoor dining. This was a lucrative way for restaurants to get around the strict guidelines during the pandemic. Now many places want to continue to offer that option. Another village has the approval to continue.
Which Villiage Now Has Permanent Outdoor Dining?
The Village of Ballston Spa adopted and amended a village law that would now permanently allow not just restaurants but cafes, and other establishments to have sidewalk service during half of the year. It was unanimously passed in an effort to help those eateries that are trying to bounce back from the pandemic.
How Long is The Outdoor Dining Season?
The new bill will make it semi-permanent for retail stores, restaurants, and cafes among other establishments to apply for annual permits through the Villiage of Ballston Spa to offer sidewalk service six months out of the year. The annual permit will cover April 1st through October 31st according to The Daily Gazette.
Saratoga Springs and Albany are among other cities that have approved permanent outdoor dining during those months.
Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts Dillion Moran said this about outdoor dining:
It just brings a vibrancy to the street that I think people like and appreciate right now.
There are many restaurants that already offer outdoor dining and now that the weather is getting warmer, it's nice to see other establishments able to do so as well. This will help them recoup some of their losses during the pandemic.