AVALON – At the Wednesday, Dec. 13, meeting of the Avalon Council, Assistant Business Administrator James Waldron walked the governing body through proposed amendments to the town’s outdoor dining regulations.

Waldron reviewed the history of pre-pandemic outdoor dining rules, which limited the experience to the B-1 business district. He then covered the special options made available to restaurants struggling through pandemic restrictions beginning in 2020.

Waldron focused on the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s special ruling that allowed facilities with liquor licenses to expand service of liquor in areas approved and designated for outdoor service by the municipality. He said that special authorization will sunset in November 2024.

Waldron added that an investigation by the borough indicates that most establishments with liquor licenses will be able to accommodate the sunsetting of the ABC rules without having to resort to special considerations like place-to-place transfers.

The amendments proposed to the city’s outside dining ordinance include allowing outdoor dining for restaurants in all zoning districts without the requirement of a formal site plan approval. The ordinance when introduced will spell out the requirements and the procedure for securing an outdoor dining permit. To facilitate the transition in 2024, establishments with a 2023 area plan on file will be able to continue using that plan for the 2024 season. Permits when granted will be valid for five years.

One major change to the Covid-era rules is that restaurants will now be limited to deeded property and can no longer make use of the public right of way. One exception is the partial use of the boardwalk at the Fishing Pier at 32nd Street. A permit there will be for only one year, allowing for greater monitoring of the use of public property.

The ordinance containing the outdoor dining amendments was not introduced and no document was available for the public. The positive reception of Waldron’s presentation by the council indicates that the proposed amendments will likely be formally introduced by council with little or no changes.

Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.