Delray Beach mayor wants outdoor seating expanded on Atlantic Avenue

Cities across South Florida are adapting to restaurants expanding into the street to provide more seating amid the coronavirus.

EXPANDING INTO THE STREET.LAST MONTH DELRAY BEACH'SMAYOR PROPOSED A SIMILAROPTION FOR ATLANTIC AVENUE.WPTV SOUTH COUNTY REPORTERMIRANDA CHRISTIAN LOOKED INTOTHE PROPOSAL TO CLOSE THE AVE.<< (NAT) EVEN ON A RAINY DAYATLANTIC AVENUE IN DOWNTOWNDELRAY IS BUSY.

FROM THE EARLYLUNCH CROWD TO THE NON-STOPTRAFFIC ON THE AVE (NAT) THEDOZENS OF RESTAURANTS ALONGTHE TOURIST STRIP HAVE BEENFORCED TO GET CREATIVE WITHOUTDOOR SEATING.

18.13 OURSIDEWALKS ARE ONLY SO WIDEMAYOR SHELLY PETROLIA ISPROPOSING THE CITY CLOSEATLANTIC AVE DURING CERTAINHOURS AND DAYS TO HELPINCREASE CAPACITY 24.31 MYTHOUGHTS WERE WE MOVE THEABLES TO THE PARKETTES HEREAND KEEP THIS OPEN OR ADA ANDPEEL TRYING TO GET INTORESTAURANTS AND KEEP THEMIDDLE OPEN FOR WALKING ITAN IDEA THAT JOHN BREWER WOULDLOVE TO SEE 29.44 WEST PALMBEACH HAS TRIED IT, TAMPA ISDOING IT, FT LAUDERDALE ISDOING IT, BOCA IS DOING IT SOI THINK IT IS SOMETHING WESHOULD TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK ATBREWER IS THE CREATOR OF ALOCAL FACEBOOK SUPPER CLUBTHAT HAS MORE THAN 10-THOUSANDMEMBERS SUPPORTING LOCALRESTAURANTS.

HE SAYS THESMALLER PLACES HAVE TOLD THEMTHEY NEED THE OUTDOOR SPACE30.45 AND THAT COULD BE THEDIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM MAKINGIT AND NOT MAKING IT PETROLIASAYS THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TOWATCH HOW BOCA RATON AND WESTPALM BEACH HAVE MANAGED CROWDSWITH STREET CLOSURES.

SHE SAYSTHE CITY MUST FIND A WAY TOHELP THEIR RESTAURANTS KEEPCAPACITY.

17.19 IT ISIMPORTANT FOR US TO DO WHAT WECAN IN ORDER TO HELP THEM BYEXPANDING SOME ADDITIONALSPACE ON THE OUTSIDE MC: 33.57THE MAYOR SAYS NO DECISIONWILL BE MADE ABOUT CLOSING THEAVE UNTIL THE COMMISSIONERSCAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT ITAND DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TODO.

THE COMMISSION HAS AMEETING IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.IN DB MC WPTV NC5.