Agoura Hills: Outdoor Dining Permits Available
Months later of being closed and being able to only offer pickup, delivery or curbside service to local residents, Agoura Hills restaurants are now able to obtain temporary permits from the city to start providing outdoor dining service.
The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance during a special meeting on Thursday to create the permits for restaurants. The permits will provide area restaurants with assistance in the recovery process as communities start to open again after the coronavirus pandemic forced restaurants and local eateries to close.
"The real underlying message from the city is that we support our local business community and the City Council is looking at the best ways to do so," city spokesman Nathan Hamburger told Patch on Thursday. "The safety of everyone is the utmost importance so we all have to work together to find creative solutions."
State health officials continue to encourage restaurants to use takeout and delivery services, but the city council's decision will allow restaurants to offer the outdoor dining option, which encourages social distancing. The outdoor dining service can be offered to decrease the cross-flow of customers in enclosed environments, according to a news release. Hamburger said that the ordinance eases previous restrictions that were placed on restaurants due to the pandemic.
According to the ordinance, restaurants may temporarily provide or expand outdoor dining on private outdoor property such as parking lots as well as outdoor areas permitted by the city's municipal code. According to the ordinance, if an applicant intends to use a shared parking lot for expanded outdoor seating, written consent from the owner must be obtained.
Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Its population was 20,330 at the 2010 census and an estimated 20,222 in 2019. It is in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. The city is in western Los Angeles County and is bordered to the north by Ventura County. It is 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and less than 10 miles (16 km) west of the Los Angeles city limits at Woodland Hills. Agoura Hills and unincorporated Agoura sit next to Calabasas, Oak Park, and Westlake Village.
