First selectman pushes to expand outdoor dining in downtown Greenwich
GREENWICH — Greenwich has taken its first steps toward reopening its restaurants and other businesses after the coronavirus closure, but First Selectman Fred Camillo is pushing for a bigger change that he says would be “transformative” for the downtown.
By the end of the month, Camillo hopes to have a plan in place to close a portion of Greenwich Avenue to vehicular traffic for limited evening hours to create “an outdoor mall” with expanded restaurant seating along one of the most famous streets in the area.
“We are discussing things that we think will be a real benefit to the town right now and for future generations,” Camillo said of the talks taking place with stakeholders. “It’s an exciting time as we’re opening back up and for what Greenwich will look like in the future.”
Under the proposal, Greenwich Avenue would initially be closed from Arch Street to the bottom — where most of the restaurants are located. Camillo said he would then like to see the closure phased in for the rest of the Avenue.
Before the outbreak, Camillo had been pushing a plan to connect Greenwich Avenue to the downtown’s waterfront. That plan is still “in the works,” he said, but it has shifted as response to the virus became the priority. Opening up Greenwich Avenue for more outdoor seating during the summer was intended to be a part of that plan.
“This will fit in nicely long-term,” Camillo said.
Camillo will bring a proposal to the Board of Selectmen on Thursday, May 28. In preparation, he has been meeting with town emergency services as well as to the Planning and Zoning Department and the Department of Public Works.
Chief of Police James Heavey said the department was working “to achieve a safe and enjoyable experience for patrons of the Greenwich Avenue area,” which would include maintaining emergency vehicle access to the Avenue.
Fire Chief Peter Siecienski said Camillo’s phased in plan was “prudent and logical.”
“Emergency vehicle access and sufficient room for operations is critical and can be obtained through a traffic control plan in development,” Siecienski said. “It is also critical to protect the investment of property owners and their respective insurance agreements as well as residential occupants and their concerns.”
Town Director of Planning and Zoning Katie DeLuca noted that road closures are not under the Planning and Zoning Commission’s authority. It is the discretion of the Board of Selectmen, she said.
But if Greenwich Avenue was closed, then restaurants could request a permit from her office to expand outdoor dining, something that has already been granted for restaurants across town.
“We have been able to turn these requests around in a day or two and are working hard to do our part to help businesses open,” DeLuca said. “We have close to 30 restaurants that are permitted outdoor dining either through their underlying zoning approvals or through applications submitted under the governor’s executive order.”
The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce endorses the proposal, and an online petition to open up The Avenue to expanded dining and shopping has been signed by over 2,700 supporters.
And the idea also has bipartisan backing: In last year’s election, Democratic first selectman candidate Jill Oberlander and Democratic Selectman Sandy Litvack both pushed for it on the campaign trail.
Now Oberlander, elected as a selectwoman, will have the chance to help decide the matter when it is brought before the board on May 28.
Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, a Republican, is also on board.
“I think it’s a very exciting idea,” Rabin said. “It’s something that’s been talked about for a while, long before we had this pandemic. And post-pandemic, it may be exactly what people want to feel comfortable in going out and sitting down at a restaurant.”
But she said she is concerned about parking, which she said is hard to find on the lower end of Greenwich Avenue.
Rabin has suggested exploring a transit system to allow patrons to park elsewhere and then be taken to Greenwich Avenue, similar to the trolley used in Stamford to travel to the Harbor Point area. She said she suggested this idea to DeLuca while discussing the new Plan of Conservation and Development.
A trolley has been suggested many times — going back as far as 50 years, DeLuca said.
“It is always a consideration,” she said. “But with every good idea there are always pesky obstacles such as, ‘Who is going to pay for it?’”