Village Discusses Outdoor Dining on Main Street

A new local law for outdoor seating on Main Street is being drafted for the Village of Farmingdale, that hopes to maintain sidewalk space while enhancing the local dining experience in the Village.

“Every spring we get letters to Village Hall asking permission to put out dining tables and chairs at the restaurants and it has gotten to be a little bit problematic because there are no written rules or regulations or any kind of limitations,”

Restaurants like and Cascarino's Pizzeria have been previously granted outdoor seating permits, but on a case-by-case basis each season.

The new local law would set a standard for front and rear seating and would require all restaurants to maintain five feet of sidewalk space, prohibit music of any kind and only allow food to be served until 11 p.m, with no orders being taken after 10 p.m.

At the public hearing on April 4, Village Trustees debated the language in the local law draft. They are considering charging business owners between $50 and $100, using the funds towards beautification and want to remove a clause that says furniture during non-operational hours can be secured against the building façade.

Resident Terry Robey, who lives behind one of the Main Street bars, expressed concern abut the outdoor dining, specifically in the rear of the restaurants.

“You don’t consider the noise element, that the drunks will be sitting out there. It is bad enough now but it is going to be horrendous when you allow that to go on,” Robey said, who does support outdoor seating in the front of the restaurants.

Another clause in the draft is that Village Clerk would “have the authority to revoke or suspend a permit,” on the spot when complaints are filed and business owners would have to appeal to get the permit restored.

“If I were a business owner, I’d be a little upset about that,” said resident John Capobianco, expressing the lack "due process" if complaints were to be issued.

The will continue the public hearing on the outdoor dining law at the May 2 board meeting.

“We have to step it up,” Mayor Starkie said. “We have to have rules and they have to be enforceable.”