Dining outdoors in Bolton Landing will continue through this tourist season, the town board decided on Tuesday, April 6. Restaurants that had expanded their seating to the sidewalks in town last year may continue to do so through Columbus Day weekend this year, under the decision.
Restaurants were limited to 50% capacity indoors last year, so Bolton, and other municipalities, allowed restaurants to expand onto the sidewalks in order to make up some of the lost capacity during the COVID pandemic.
Restaurants are up to 75% capacity now. Even if Gov. Andrew Cuomo decides to move capacity to 100%, the restaurants will still be allowed to spread out over the walkways, the new rule states.
"There's no way of knowing when and if it’s going to go to 100%” capacity, said board member Susan Wilson, who made the motion to extend the allowance. "We just really don't know what's going to happen for the rest of the tourist season."
Ron Conover, the town supervisor agreed.
In an interview today, he said that businesses need to know that expenditures on tables and chairs and staff will not become obsolete with new guidance from the state. Restauranteurs will not have to move back inside and lose the money spent on outdoor equipment.
As part of the motion, restaurants that were granted outdoor music in 2019 may continue at the allowance they were given then.
Most restaurants took advantage of expansion last year, but any that did not, Conover said, “I think we'd accommodate them" this year if they changed their minds.
Sidebar about beaches:
In a vote earlier this week, the Lake George Village Board voted to fence the public beach at Shepard Park citing the problems with too many people swimming after hours. Mayor Robert Blais said the state health department warned them of problems with this.
Supervisor Conover of Bolton said his town had no plans to fence the beaches at Roger’s Park in the middle of town or at the town beach north of town.
He has not gotten similar warnings from the health department and the beaches got high marks last year regarding the town’s COVID response, he said.
He agreed, however, that after-hours swimming is an issue, especially since people can dock their boats next to the beaches in town. Police and town officials must shoo people out of the water.
He said, "The fact of the matter is, that's a continuing problem, with or without COVID."