LOS ANGELES (KNX) — The Los Angeles City Council voted on Tuesday to instruct the Department of City Planning to prepare an ordinance to perpetuate its COVID-19 outdoor dining program.
The program, which was first instituted in May 2020 to help restaurants stay open while safely serving customers during the pandemic, expedites the process for getting approval for outdoor dining setups on sidewalks, in parking lots, and on parts of the street.
“In a city whose unofficial motto is 72 and sunny, let’s make al fresco dining permanent,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Including nearly $2 million [in the 2021-22 fiscal year] in grants for restaurants in low-income neighborhoods to set up permanent parklets for outdoor dining.”
The motion was approved unanimously, 12-0, during a Tuesday council session. Now, the Department of City Planning, City Attorney’s Office, Department of Building and Safety, and L.A. Fire Department will collaborate on a new ordinance to make the program permanent.
The agencies will report back to the council within 90 days on the development of revamped outdoor dining provisions, including strategies for managing public parking in high-demand areas, for the maximization of public transportation to reduce parking demand; handling noise issues; streamlining the approvals process; and enforcement mechanisms.
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