Manassas hashes out plan to let people eat on the street

Will they be eating in the streets in Manassas?

Dining out while sitting a table on a closed city street on a sidewalk, or in a parking space may become the next big thing for city residents.

The city council tonight will hear a plan to convert city streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and spaces into dining areas for restaurants. Under the plan, streets and sidewalks would be closed to vehicles and pedestrians, and the city would work with restaurants to allow tables and chairs in the public right-of-way.

The move is aligned with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s “Forward Virginia” plan to allow businesses to reopen while marinating social distancing.

Under the first phase of the plan which took effect Friday throughout most of the state, restaurants may reopen at 50% capacity, and patrons must sit at least six feet apart, while groups with 10 people or more may not be seated.

The first phase of the plan comes as the governor relaxed his stay-at-home order that dated back to mid-March, to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease that has killed more 1,000 people since the state reported its first case on Feb. 17, 2020.

However, Manassas, along with neighboring jurisdictions Manassas Park City, and Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties will have to wait until at least May 28 to reopen their economies after Northam prolonged the closure the request of multiple locally elected leaders from Northern Virginia, which has seen the most coronavirus cases in the state.

Manassas City Councilwoman Theresa Coates Ellis said the city needs to move ahead with this plan, and fast, in the event the number of coronavirus cases declines and restaurants and retail shops are allowed to reopen.

“We can’t have individual business coming before the city council to get an exception to use the sidewalk,” said Ellis. “We don’t have time for that.”

Councilman Ian Lovejoy also voiced his support for the plan on his Facebook page.

“This will be a much-needed tool to allow flexibility for our city’s restaurants/breweries to safely expand their business operations,” he penned.

Restauranters must be insured for all tables, chairs, and anything else that would be in use on the sidewalk or street. Any permit they would be issued would be good for up to 30 days but could be extended at the discretion of City Manager Patrick Pate.

The city would charge $5 to obtain a permit. Anyone who is denied a permit would have up to five days to file an appeal with the city manager.

The city council will meet at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, located at Council 9027 Center Street in Downtown Manassas.

Virginia appears to be turning a corner when it comes to the number of coronavirus cases. The running seven-day average number of cases has decreased from its high of 792 cases on May 1 to 625 cases on May 11.

The number of people hospitalized from the disease is also declining, from a peak of 93 people on April 21 down to three people as of Friday, May 15, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

Manassas City has seen 594 cases of the coronavirus since the outbreak began on Feb. 17, 2020. More than 40 people from the city have been hospitalized and five have died.

Neighboring Prince William County has seen the second-most coronavirus cases in the state with 3,666, 70 dead, and 350 hospitalized. Fairfax County leads the state in coronavirus totals with 7,643 cases, 282 dead, and 1,084 who have been hospitalized.