By Katie Bisaro
The Village of Warwick’s outdoor dining program that allowed local restaurants to expand their dining areas onto Main St., Spring St. and Railroad Ave. was a lifeline last fall at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants were able to increase the number of diners served at a time when indoor capacity was severely limited due to social distancing protocols.
The program returned on the weekend of May 15-16 with street dining on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. The increased ability to eat outside is a boon to restaurant owners as well as patrons looking to eat out safely. However, as restrictions are lifted and more people are out and about, street closures created different issues for motorists and those living in adjacent neighborhoods as traffic is rerouted around the heart of the Village.
Mayor Michael Newhard acknowledged that he had received a lot of feedback after the first weekend of spring outdoor dining and pointed out that while restaurant capacity was increased to 75%, the limit is subject to the six-foot distancing requirement which still makes it difficult for some of the smaller establishments.
Safety Concerns
Caitlin Bennett, of Cottage St., spoke to Mayor Newhard and the Village Board of Trustees at the last Village Board meeting on Mon., May 17 about issues she and her neighbors have been dealing with from increased traffic on her street on outdoor dining days when cars detour through her neighborhood.
The primary concern is the safety of the estimated 40 to 50 children under the age of 12 who live in the area of Cottage St., McEwen St. and Wheeler Ave. Motorists do not always obey traffic signs, speed limits or, if unfamiliar with the area, are often lost. Large vehicles such as tractor trailers, New Jersey Transit buses and out-of-state ambulances are also seen driving through the neighborhood on streets that can be virtually one-way due to cars parked on both sides with little leeway for these large vehicles. As a result, Bennett said, residents feel they cannot let children play outside on outdoor dining days as it is unsafe.
Resident Katie Silva, of Wheeler Ave., also spoke to the Board and reported incidents of cars “blowing through stop signs” and trash being thrown from cars. Her husband, John, commended the Warwick Police Dept. for their efforts when they are in the neighborhood but pointed out that there isn’t enough manpower to provide constant coverage. An unmanned, decoy patrol car is sometimes stationed in the area but is not always effective. He reiterated that the streets in that neighborhood are not designed for the traffic they are now experiencing during the outdoor dining hours.
Village Bd. Discussions Options
The Board of Trustees discussed the matter including the increased traffic congestion and detours, the Farmers’ Market on Sundays at the same time as outdoor dining increasing the need for parking, and the impact on businesses when Main St. is closed.
Trustee Corey Bachman reported that he sat at the corner of Cottage St. and Wheeler Ave. with Ms. Bennett for an hour between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. one day on the first weekend of outdoor dining and confirmed that the neighbor’s concerns were valid, particularly with respect to the unsafe conditions for children playing outside.
Trustee Barry Cheney pointed out that traffic was not being rerouted onto the Wheeler/Cottage/McEwen neighborhood per se, that the detour is to use South St. Local drivers, however, often loop through that neighborhood as a shortcut and that out-of-state drivers, perhaps following others, are often lost.
Trustee Bill Lindberg commented that local ambulance and EMS are aware of the South St. detour and that he would reach out, through those agencies, to non-local emergency services to make them more aware.
It was suggested that if outdoor street dining was eliminated on Spring St. and Railroad Ave., thus opening those streets back up to vehicular traffic, some of the congestion in the surrounding neighborhoods may be alleviated. Restaurants on those roads could still use the full sidewalks immediately adjacent to their establishments, as directed by the State Liquor Authority, and barriers could be placed around the parking spots immediately in front of the sidewalk dining areas allowing for pedestrians to pass.
Department of Public Works Supervisor Michael Moser brought up another consideration about the cost of closing down so many streets in the Village on the weekends. By eliminating the closures of Spring St. and Railroad Ave., the Village would save money on the overtime paid to DPW crews who put up and take down the barricades.
Finally, regarding outdoor dining on Sunday afternoons, it was pointed out that the participating restaurants were not very busy during that time. With parking at a premium on Sundays due to the Farmers’ Market in the South St. parking lot, it was suggested that Sunday outdoor street dining be eliminated altogether.
Changes to Outdoor Dining
In the end, a compromise was reached that includes discontinuing the closure of Spring St. and Railroad Ave. for street dining and allowing full use of the sidewalks adjacent to restaurants. Barriers will be placed in the parking spots immediately in front of those restaurants to allow for pedestrian traffic. Additionally, the start time for outdoor dining will be pushed back by one hour and will start at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Finally, outdoor street dining on Sundays will be discontinued throughout the Village.
The Village of Warwick makes changes in outdoor dining.
