Members of the Westland City Council have increased the seating for al fresco dining in the city.
During the June 15 meeting, council members approved a resolution to allow temporary waivers for outdoor dining establishments. The resolution will exempt temporary outdoor dining areas from the temporary use requirements and procedures governed by city ordinances.
“Prior to the approval, temporary outdoor dining areas were approved through the site plan or temporary use process, both of which can require lengthy approval periods,” commented Mayor William R. Wild. “This resolution will allow us to handle these requests administratively, resulting in a quicker approval for our dine-in establishments that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.”
The temporary waiver will continue through Oct. 31 and will allow restaurants to open and increase dine-in capacity while maintaining appropriate social distancing.
The resolution authorizes the building director, planning director and fire marshal to review and consider the request based on location of outdoor seating in relation to the design, layout availability of parking and other pertinent site and business information.
The temporary outdoor dining waiver may be terminated by the planning director if any requirements and conditions of approval are not followed and/or if the property is the subject of nuisance violations or multiple complaints.
Applications for businesses seeking a waiver can be found at www.cityofwestland.com
