GREENWICH, CT — When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Greenwich quickly expanded outdoor dining for restaurants in town.

Enjoying a meal al fresco, especially along Greenwich Avenue, quickly caught on with residents and it remained in 2021 and 2022, all in accordance with Gov. Ned Lamont's Executive Orders, CT House Bill No. 5271, and the Outdoor Dining 2022 Board of Selectman guidelines.

Now, Greenwich Planning & Zoning is looking to rewrite the town's zoning regulations to meet the needs and desires of the entire community, while continuing to protect public health and safety.

To that end, Planning & Zoning has created a survey for residents in order to get a better sample of how the community at large feels about outdoor dining. The survey is only 10 questions long and should take less than five minutes to complete.

Greenwich Planning and Zoning Director Katie DeLuca said the process is about streamlining the guidelines and finding a balance that satisfies everyone.

Pre-pandemic, outdoor dining was permitted but under strict guidelines. During the pandemic, a restaurant could essentially double its size with both indoor and outdoor seating.

"We were quite strict before. We have gone to the other side of the pendulum, and we need to find the appropriate balance point now," DeLuca said.

Although outdoor dining has been very popular, some residents have voiced concerns about its impact on retail businesses and parking. For example, on Greenwich Avenue, barriers or "nodes" have been put in place in parking spaces to create space for diners.

"Is this the appropriate thing to do to use parking spaces for outdoor dining? There's noise associated with outdoor restaurants, and is that fair for the residents?" DeLuca said. "Really what we're trying to get a better handle on is what the community wants."

DeLuca said that at the end of August or beginning of September, the hope is to bring a presentation to the Planning and Zoning Commission that includes information about parking availability and results of the survey.

"From there we'll start discussing what direction we want to go in with the regulation and hopefully mid-to-end of September we'll have something to share with the community," DeLuca said, noting that there will be a series of public workshops and input sessions.

By the end of 2022, DeLuca said an outdoor dining regulation could go before the P&Z commission.

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