Street may close for outdoor seating
Restaurants could offer more spaced out tables to customers
CARMEL >> Citing the European model of promenades, Carmel is exploring a pilot project to shut down a street in the heart of the town so restaurants can create outdoor seating to allow responsible physical distancing while helping the eateries maintain a sufficient number of patrons to pencil out their bottom lines.
Under new COVID-19 protocols issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office Tuesday, restaurants must keep patrons six feet apart once they are allowed to open, which would in many cases result in a significant loss of inside tables. By closing down Dolores Street between Ocean Avenue and Sixth Street and adding tables outside, restaurants would be able to reclaim some of that lost seating.
The concept of the Dolores Street closure would be a pilot project to determine whether it would or could be feasible to broaden outdoor seating to the rest of Carmel.
On Tuesday, the City Council directed City Administrator Chip Rerig along with Mayor Dave Potter to talk with the business com
munity to see how such a move could take shape. Rerig would come back to the council perhaps at a special meeting to provide more details. Public health orders will likely limit indoor space for weeks or even months, Rerig said.
Businesses and residents were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea, with more than 40 people listening in via streaming video and telephone. The reason a few callers were wary of the project was not because of the concept, rather they wanted more details or wanted it to provide the option to other restaurants besides those on Dolores Street.
“I like the idea of a pedestrian mall but also allowing every restaurant in town to expand out to have enough tables to stay in business,” said Richard Avedon of the Weston Gallery at Sixth and Dolores streets. “It’s a great idea and should be considered.”
Walter Georis, who, along with his family, owns Casanova Restaurant on Fifth Street between Mission and San Carlos streets, also raised the concern about equity to other restaurants.
“Dolores is good for special events but only having outdoor seating there will cause problems for other restaurants that right now get along,” he said. “You need to provide an equal opportunity to all restaurants.”
Georis also suggested that the city could use the opportunity to charge a reasonable amount of rent to the restaurants wanting to expand out into the cityowned street.
Jenny MacMurdo, the president and chief executive of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, supported the idea but noted that restaurants wouldn’t benefit right now because of the take-out only health directive.
“If restaurants are allowed to open with minimal capacity, we would urge the city to think about all restaurants being able to utilize their additional space outside,” MacMurdo said.
City Council members agreed that it was best to keep it to a pilot project on Dolores and evaluate how well that is working before considering expanding outside seating to the rest of the town.
Carmel is not the only city on the Monterey Peninsula to consider outdoor seating. On Monday, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board will consider an ordinance that would help Peninsula restaurants lawfully move seating outdoors during their reopening. The ordinance would modify the water district’s rule regarding how water is provided in restaurants.
Several Carmel residents and council members referenced the “Monterey model” of expanding outdoor seating, specifically citing Montrio Bistro and Cafe Trieste, where outdoor seating was added by looping the sidewalk around the expanded seating area, called a “bulb.”
Thursday morning,
Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar noted that by shifting some tables outside, allowing the restaurant to regain its capacity, a greater number of its employees could return to work.
There are a number of questions still to be addressed, Uslar said. For example, currently retailers such as booksellers can open by providing curbside pickup. But what would happen if the street were to be closed in order for the restaurant next door to expand its outdoor seating? What would curbside pickup look like then? It could be as simple as customers picking up the books or other goods on foot and then walking a block or two to a car.
Uslar, who hails from Germany, said Europe has had experience with promenade-like areas for 60 years in some regions.
“My personal opinion is that pedestrian zones work and they work for retailers as well,” he said.
Contact reporter Dennis L. Taylor at 831-229-9846.