Falls Township may permit outdoor dining permanently

Those eating at restaurants in Falls Township will be able to continue dining al fresco – should they prefer – at least through the end of August.
During Monday’s virtual meeting, the Falls supervisors voted unanimously to extend the provisions of its previously approved outdoor dining resolution.
Originally, the resolution was approved in June 2020 in response to the state’s reopening plan and limited capacity for indoor dining. The township’s resolution was set to expire 90 days following its adoption and has since been extended several times. With the latest extension, restaurants will be able to offer outdoor dining until Aug. 31.
Officials noted that the outdoor dining extension does not necessarily pertain to alcohol sales. Falls Township does not have jurisdiction over alcohol sales and consumption.
Also on Monday, the governing body set the wheels in motion to permit outdoor dining on a permanent basis. The board voted unanimously to authorize advertisement of an ordinance to “centralize regulations related to outdoor dining,” according to township attorney Lauren Gallagher. If enacted as proposed, Falls restaurants could offer outdoor dining either by right or under conditional use, Gallagher said.
Supervisor John Palmer said he has heard positive feedback from residents regarding outdoor dining.

“They really enjoy dining outside,” Palmer said. “I think making this a permanent fixture is great for our community and I support it.”
Some changes would be required should businesses opt to continue offering outdoor dining on a permanent basis.
“A lot of the places are using parking spaces for the dining area,” Supervisor Chairman Jeff Dence said. “That’s not going to fly with this ordinance.”
As proposed, the ordinance states that “areas for outdoor dining shall not interfere with any means of ingress or egress to a building, or with any emergency or safety exits.”
In addition, restaurants would need to have a minimum sidewalk width of 5 feet, which is separate from the area reserved for outdoor dining. The ordinance also states that the property “must provide adequate parking for the principal use” and include pedestrian barriers to either enclose or separate outdoor diners from pedestrians or motorists.

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