City Council To Consider Permits For Restaurant Outdoor Dining

MALIBU, CA — As a restaurant industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic attempts to bounce back, the Malibu City Council on Monday will consider a proposed ordinance that would ease restrictions on restaurants in the city and allow them to seek a permit that allows for the expansion of outdoor dining.

If passed, the ordinance would allow the city to issue a temporary that would allow restaurants to expand beyond the curbside pickup and delivery options they have been limited to since the pandemic began in March and allow for more seating in outdoor areas. Los Angeles County moved into Stage 2 of California’s Resilience Roadmap program which allows for certain restrictions on retail stores and restaurants to begin to be lifted.

As restaurants move toward in-person dining, the city’s proposed ordinance would allow for outdoor dining to be allowed under the permit, which other communities including Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills and Long Beach have move toward under similar urgency programs.

The ordinance in Malibu would be part of a Temporary Restaurant Recovery program that would support the financial recovery of the local food service business community and provide space for local residents to dine on-site, according to a proposal of the plan listed among the city council’s agenda materials.

The permit would allow restaurants to temporarily remove limits on how many diners can be seated outside and would allow restaurants to change indoor seating plans as they move toward providing on-site service.

As part of the plan, city staff will determine the number of permitted seats based on available dining space, available parking and the number of allowable seats at other restaurants of similar size. Once the temporary permit is terminated, restaurants will have 72 hours to return to their original seating system.