Manchester's Outdoor Dining 'Flexibilities' Getting Streamlined

MANCHESTER, CT — Planning officials in Manchester are mulling a proposed regulation amendment regarding outdoor dining.

The proposal is designed to follow State of Connecticut Public Act No. 22-1, which went into effect in April. The intent is to make many of the "temporary flexibilities" that were created for outdoor dining during the coronavirus pandemic permanent, thus allowing businesses "to continue the operations that have been place on a temporary basis for the last two years," Manchester officials said.

Local officials were quick to add that the state requirements are in line with changes that the Manchester Planning and Zoning Commission had already expressed an interest in making permanent.

The State legislation requires the following:

• Municipalities must allow food establishments to engage in outdoor food and beverage service as an accessory use by right, subject only to any required administrative site plan review to determine conformance with zoning requirements, provided such accessory use would not result in the expansion of a nonconforming use.
• Outdoor dining must be permitted until 9 p.m. or a time established by the zoning commission of the municipality, whichever is later.

Sidewalk Cafes would be called "Seasonal Outdoor Dining Areas," in the new provisions and will be added to the local relations as a "permitted accessory use" in all business zones.

Season outdoor dining applications will be processed by municipal planning officials and and then assigned to the local zoning enforcement officer, and "any other relevant staff," for review in the same manner as the Temporary Outdoor Dining Permits that officials have been issuing for the past two seasons.

Approvals will be administrative, and after the first year, permits may be renewed annually via an expedited process as long as no changes are proposed from the previous year's permit, officials said.