(Boston
Orange 編譯)波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin
J. Walsh)今(12)日宣佈,波士頓市將提前從3月22日起,准許餐廳在戶外供餐。
波市府和牌照局原本的計畫是4月1日起,開放餐館業者在戶外供餐,現因天氣預報,提前實施。
有意辦理戶外供餐者,可在網上向市府申請。波市府表示,已撥打200多通電話,通知去年申辦戶外供餐的有色企業,提供相關資源。波士頓市府打算舉辦更多講座,安排更多諮詢時間回答企業提問。
波士頓市府的2021年戶外供餐實驗計畫將在天氣情況許可下,從3月22日開始至12月1日止。2020年曾辦理戶外供餐,今年有意續辦者,須重新申請。申請免費,查詢可洽smallbiz@boston.gov。
波士頓市府其實從去年起就已為今年的戶外供餐計畫做了準備,網上申請管道,從去年12月10日起就已開通,共有434家餐廳申請,已有215家獲批准。
在2020年,波士頓市府共批發了550份戶外供餐許可牌照,其中415家使用的是公家土地。
MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES OUTDOOR DINING WILL NOW
BEGIN IN BOSTON ON MARCH 22
City of Boston to provide additional assistance
to restaurantsBOSTON - Friday, March
12, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that in collaboration with the
Boston Licensing Board and City departments, outdoor dining for
approved restaurants in Boston will now begin on March 22 due to the weather forecast. This is an earlier
start than the previously-announced date of April 1.
The 2021 Outdoor Dining
Pilot Program will continue many of the successful initiatives from last year's
program, such as streamlined permitting and outdoor patios on roadways that
enable restaurants with narrow sidewalks to offer patio seating to patrons,
while offering new features based on community feedback. Applications for
outdoor dining licenses on both public and private property are now open, and
businesses can apply online.
The City has also focused
on providing resources to businesses of color, and has made more than 200
personalized outreach calls to every business that applied for outdoor dining
last year. The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development has met with the Boston
Black Hospitality Coalition to ensure added technical assistance is available
for businesses to apply. Weekly “Help Sessions” were held from December through
January to help businesses navigate the pilot process. The City of Boston is
also planning to host additional office hours and workshops to help businesses
with their applications as needed.
“Outdoor dining was one
of the bright spots last summer and fall, and we’ve seen the benefits it has
had on our neighborhoods: supporting local businesses, a safe and enjoyable experience
for restaurant patrons, and an added resource for Boston’s small businesses
during this challenging time,” said Mayor Walsh. “I’m thrilled we are able to
start this program even earlier, and I look forward to businesses and residents
taking advantage of it.”
The 2021 Outdoor Dining
Pilot Program season for approved restaurants will begin on March 22, 2021, and
will end on December 1, 2021, weather permitting. Restaurants that took part in
the 2020 temporary outdoor dining program and who wish to do so in 2021 must
re-apply, and the City will also be accepting applications from restaurants
that did not take part in the 2020 temporary outdoor dining program.
The City has held a
series of virtual training sessions to help businesses with the application
process. Outreach to businesses on outdoor dining is a coordinated effort
through the Licensing Board, Office of Economic Development, Office of
Neighborhood Services, and Boston Main Streets.
Updated support for
businesses includes:
Waived fees to reduce barriers to applying to the program,
including Licensing Board fees and fees for the use of the public way.
Continued technical
support and additional targeted outreach to help support underrepresented restaurant owners. Businesses
can get direct support by emailing smallbiz@boston.gov.
Centralized online
application that
allows City departments to reduce administrative load of reviewing and
approving applications and increases transparency in the review process for
restaurant owners
Clearer guidance and
instructions that improve upon the
guidance offered in 2020 (more standardized site plan, clearer language around
barrier requirements, etc.)
Office Hours and
Webinars will be held on Friday, March 19 from 11am-1pm and Thursday
March 25 from 10am - 12pm. An instructional webinar will be hosted Thursday, March 18 at
5:30pm.
Sessions available
online:
The office hours and
webinar will be available on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook at facebook.com/econdevboston
Thursday, March 18
(5:30pm): https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8RgmtvmFSIyiMDC09Mjakg
Friday, March 19
(11am-1pm): https://zoom.us/j/92465272727
Thursday March 25
(10am-12pm): https://zoom.us/j/97639633912
The Boston Disabilities
Commission will also again work closely with restaurants to distribute ramps
throughout the City.
The online application
went live on December 10, 2020 and to date, the City has received 434
applications of which 215 have been approved. For the 2020 temporary outdoor
dining season, the Licensing Board approved more than 550 requests for outdoor
dining licenses with over 415 on public property. Of the total approved outdoor
spaces, applications from every single neighborhood in the City of Boston were
represented.
Restaurants that have
been approved for outdoor dining can be found at boston.gov/restaurant-support.
Throughout the COVID-19
pandemic, the City of Boston has been steadfast in its commitment to supporting
the small business community. To date, the Office of Economic Development has
issued $16.3 million to more than 4,000 businesses, of which $5 million has
been directly allocated to nearly 1,000 restaurant owners. More than $6.7
million in debt-free grants have been distributed to over 1,850 small
businesses in every neighborhood across the City of Boston through the Office
of Economic Development's Small Business
Relief Fund. In November 2020, the
City launched three new
funds totaling $6.3 million that support small businesses in Boston that have been affected
by COVID-19, focusing on commercial rent relief, supporting certified women-,
minority-, and veteran-owned small businesses, and restaurant relief. To
further assist the City's small businesses, the City of Boston has created a list of
suppliers to help businesses
source the personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies required
to ensure the safety of employees and customers as industries reopen.
Additional information
on outdoor dining, and applications for businesses, is available on boston.gov.