Greenburgh to Discuss Extending Outdoor Dining Options
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By Rick Pezzullo
The Greenburgh Town Board this week will be discussing extending outdoor sidewalk cafes and seating options for restaurants.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor dining was not offered in town, but to help some eateries earn some much-needed revenue, the Hartsdale Parking District sacrificed some parking spaces to allow customers to dine alfresco on E. Hartsdale Ave.
Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said outdoor dining helped several restaurants survive and added “character” to the downtown.
“It’s enjoyable sitting outdoors, taking advantage of the nice weather and observing people walk to and away from different local shops and restaurants,” Feiner stated. “It’s important that we do whatever we can to help our local businesses and restaurants survive.”
Feiner noted the board will have to grapple with some traffic issues created by outdoor dining and the loss of revenue from parking meters in the area, but expressed support for making outdoor dining permanent.
“There are downsides to any action we take,” Feiner stated. “If restaurant customers eat on the Avenue they will have to park in the garage, generating some revenue and offsetting the parking space losses. Without outdoor seating these customers might eat at restaurants in other communities. I think the pluses outweigh the negative.”
The Town Board is scheduled to tackle the issue Tuesday at a special work session.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
