The Chandler City Council has voted to end its popular ‘‘On The Street’’ dining program, which let eight downtown restaurants replace curbside parking spaces with temporary patios during the covid-19 pandemic.
The patios allowed restaurants to serve extra customers beyond the 50% occupancy rate imposed during the pandemic. The temporary patios were supposed to be removed by May 31, but the council extended that deadline until mid-July.
The businesses lobbied the city to make the patio extensions permanent, but city officials said there is construction work scheduled for downtown streets during the less-busy summer months.
The city is looking into creating a new outdoor dining program, permanent or seasonal, for the downtown area.
The council voted to make permanent another pandemic-relief program, ‘‘Dine in the Park,’’ which allows people to consume beer and wine in a portion of downtown’s Dr. A.J. Chandler Park during specified hours.
