City Council hears 1st reading of ordinance permitting sidewalk seating and decor

An ordinance that would allow businesses such as Brass Rail, Beary’s Emporium, and Opie’s Deli to have seating in front of their businesses for customers was heard on first reading at Monday’s Plymouth Council meeting. 

The city has had an ordinance in place for many years making it unlawful for anyone to obstruct any street, alley, or sidewalk with goods and rubbish.   The ordinance says placing, piling, or displaying any goods, wares, merchandise, rubbish, ashes, boxes, barrels, bales, signs, posts, markers or any other kind of goods or material on sidewalks, streets or terraces is a violation.  That means the city’s flower pots and garbage cans, the blueberry statutes, and tables and chairs are in violation.

This summer Councilman Randy Longanecker expressed his concern with the seating and fencing at the Brass Rail.  He also had concerns with lighting being held up using the state’s light poles, the city’s trees, and the city’s decorative lights because they were not installed to code.

A committee was created with council members Dave Morrow, Linda Starr, and Randy Longanecker.  They reviewed the existing ordinance and made revisions to permit items on the downtown sidewalks within standards.

The new section of the ordinance states:  For purposes of this section, a sidewalk shall not be considered obstructed so long as a minimum five feet wide portion in the center of the sidewalk remains completely clear and passable and all items placed on or above the sidewalk comply with applicable zoning and building codes as determined by the City’s Building Commissioner. 

The City Council will consider this amendment to this ordinance in its second reading at their next meeting on Monday, December 23^rd.  They may also consider the third reading if there isn’t any opposition from downtown businesses or citizens who shop in the downtown area.