Malibu May Authorize Restaurants To Move More Tables Outside

Malibu restaurants may be freed from strict limits on now many seats they can set up outdoors … under a proposed temporary program that goes before the city council Monday.

The Temporary Restaurant Recovery Program is an idea from the city manager is to support the financial recovery for food service businesses and employees … and a better way to provide space for community residents and visitors to safely dine onsite.

The proposed ordinance would temporarily remove limits on the number of people who can be seated outside.

Also … indoor seating arrangements can be changed.

The city has been using seating limitations to prevent overflow crowds at restaurants.

The new plan would allow the city planning director to allow restaurants to increase outdoor dining areas and social distancing if authorized by a Temporary Restaurant Recovery Permit.

The Planning Director would have to ensure that any adverse impacts authorized by the Temporary Restaurant Recovery Permit would be minimal and not significant.

And the resulting restaurant use could not exceed the previously legally established use.

City staff would determine the number of authorized seats based on staff’s evaluation of existing permits, available parking, onsite wastewater treatment system capacity, the number of seats allowed in restaurants with similar seating areas, andother available information.

The eateries would also have to fully comply ;with all California COVID-19 Industry Guidance, California Department of Public Health and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health codes and requirements.

Any restaurant, and the venue where is is located, could not be subject to any open code enforcement action, thus ruling out Nobu, which is a scofflaw accused of violating city parking and other rules.