Rehoboth Beach City Commissioners voted unanimously Friday afternoon to establish new rules to continue outdoor dining in the resort town.
Under these new regulations, businesses that have outdoor dining on public space can expect that their current city permit will expire as of June 1. Now that the city has established a new permitting process, those businesses can reapply for an outdoor dining license as soon as possible.
This does not apply to any businesses that have outdoor dining on private space.
Other restaurants that have used private property or lots like Egg or The Greene Turtle will need to wait until the city commissioners discuss that topic more at their April 4 workshop meeting, according to Mayor Stan Mills.
The most visible change that visitors and residents will notice is that businesses are no longer allowed to use the entire width of the sidewalk and direct pedestrians into a temporary pathway in parking spaces.
In earlier discussions, city officials pointed out that Rehoboth Beach lost 89 parking spaces and nearly $250,000 in revenue when it previously blocked off parking spaces to accommodate outdoor dining.
