ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Over a dozen restaurants in St. Petersburg are trying to apply for permits that will allow them to continue using the city's parking space dining for at least another six months.
During a city council meeting, commissioners said 15 of the 22 businesses who originally had outdoor dining applied for the temporary permits. Just two businesses asked for the barricades to be removed because they believed they were no longer necessary. The remaining 5 businesses have not made a decision.
The permits are a short-term solution city officials are using to work around Gov. Ron DeSantis' emergency order which nullified all local COVID-related restrictions. The future of the program is still up in the air.
The expansion of outdoor dining into the street helped restaurants lower indoor capacity, keep people safe and not lose customers through the pandemic.
Businesses would have to renew their permits every six months. But, city officials say they hope to find a more permanent solution.
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