Outdoor Dining

During recent Common Council meetings, residents and business owners have voiced preferences for a seasonal closure of Maple Street along with a request for an ordinance to make it permanent seasonally. The Common Council Capital Projects & Community Services (CAPS) Committee has tasked the Department of Community Services with assessing the feasibility of implementing this closure for the 2024 outdoor dining season and beyond. The committee also aims to explore additional outdoor dining options beyond existing sidewalk cafes and parklets.

City Administrator Michael Rogers highlighted at the March 5, 2024, council meeting that extensive planning is required before considering an ordinance to seasonally close Maple Street. This would include legal and engineering reviews, traffic studies, concept plan development, consultations with property owners and businesses on Maple Street, and exploration of additional outdoor dining opportunities as part of the Master Plan re-examination.

Due to the substantial amount of work needed to determine feasibility and legality, closing Maple Street for outdoor dining in 2024 is not feasible and an ordinance is not being considered at this time. Going forward, the Department of Community Services will proceed with obtaining quotes for traffic and safety studies, exploring possible alternative options within the Central Retail Business District, and developing a conceptual design for a temporary closure lasting less than forty-eight hours and work with police and fire to determine the potential impact on response time and public safety.

If a decision is made to close any street in Summit for outdoor dining permanently or seasonally, city administration has been tasked with ensuring that it is carried out in a safe and legal manner. The Common Council is committed to taking all necessary steps to engage the public, consider opinions, and ensure that any such closure is implemented responsibly.