NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A group of 35 residents on Friday sued New York City to force an end to the outdoor dining program it implemented in June 2020 to alleviate the COVID risks of indoor dining.
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The lawsuit cites a bevy of complaints as reason to nix the Temporary Outdoor Restaurant Program, including “excessive noise, traffic congestion, garbage and uncontrolled rodent populations, the blocking of sidewalks and roadways, causing petitioners and others to be unable to safely navigate the city's streets and sidewalks, and a diminution of available parking upon which some of the petitioners depend.”
“The persistence of TOR continues to cause petitioners and others similarly situated injuries and indignities which are both manifest, tangible, and ongoing,” wrote the plaintiffs in the suit.
It also attacks the city for lending public space for the benefit of private businesses and for continuing the TRO as other pandemic safety measures are stripped away.
City Council in February passed legislation to make outdoor dining a permanent feature of New York City, but a lawsuit blocked that law from moving forward until the city carries out an environmental impact review.
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