FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2020
Public Dining and
Shopping Registration Guide Released for Businesses
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is
pleased to announce that the City of Kingston will be instituting a Dining and
Retail Outdoor Expansion Program across the
City. The program is intended to utilize public areas to create more physical
space for outdoor dining and open-air shopping, and in some cases may
temporarily close select streets to vehicular traffic.
A short survey for residents and participating
business owners opened last week, and has helped to inform this program. To
request specific areas for outdoor operations, businesses who wish to
participate and will require use of parking stalls, street access or other
common public space, must contact the Mayor’s office at [email protected] or
845-334-3902. Participating businesses will then be sent the City of Kingston’s
guidelines
and resources packet. This packet will be a step by step guide on how to
quickly utilize the sidewalk, parklet or city street to assist your business.
After a review of the required
documentation and proposed site plan, the City will provide approval to
businesses to operate outdoors through the end of October, pursuant to
permission granted from NYS and the State Liquor Authority. Approvals will be
processed as received with the expectation that the new, expanded outdoor
dining opportunities will be available by the end of next week.
“When we have a sense of how many
restaurants and shops are going to participate, and how much space they will
need, we will inform the public of potential parking restrictions, possible
road closures along with days and times,” said Mayor Noble. “The City of
Kingston’s Restaurant and Retail Outdoor Expansion program will help ensure
businesses have every resource to operate successfully during the COVID-19
economic recovery. I also think it will be a fun experience and will create
more ways to reengage with family, friends and our City this summer.”
The Mid-Hudson region is in Phase
II of re-opening, which allows for outdoor dining while following COVID-19
guidelines issued by New York State. Any restaurant with a pre-existing permit
to operate outdoor dining on its own property does not have to register with
the Mayor’s office, as long as the establishment meets all of the guidelines
from the New York State Department of Health and the Phase 2 re-opening
guidelines.