Beaverton looks to fund more outdoor dining
City leaders in Beaverton are considering a new grant and permit program that will help businesses to design and build outdoor structures for dining as part of the city’s Open Air Beaverton program.
This new program will enable businesses to expand services for outdoor dining into right-of-way parking. The spaces that can be built for such dining need their decks to be flush with the sidewalk in order to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Businesses that meet the requirements for a permit as part of the Open Air program will not need to pay a permitting fee. However, the cost of building such outdoor structures can reach between $15,000 and $75,000. This new grant program, which will last for three years and offer a total of $445,000, will assist eligible businesses with the costs of such structures. The first year alone will offer $230,000 in total. Such programs often turn to local print shops to help with creating mailers and flyers with more information about their implementation.
Mayor Lacey Beaty is looking to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act as opposed to using monies from the general fund. The mayor is also looking to make the distribution of funds more equitable as opposed to using a first-come, first-serve basis.
It is hoped that the new grant and permitting program will be available by the end of the week.
This new program will enable businesses to expand services for outdoor dining into right-of-way parking. The spaces that can be built for such dining need their decks to be flush with the sidewalk in order to be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant.
Businesses that meet the requirements for a permit as part of the Open Air program will not need to pay a permitting fee. However, the cost of building such outdoor structures can reach between $15,000 and $75,000. This new grant program, which will last for three years and offer a total of $445,000, will assist eligible businesses with the costs of such structures. The first year alone will offer $230,000 in total. Such programs often turn to local print shops to help with creating mailers and flyers with more information about their implementation.
Mayor Lacey Beaty is looking to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act as opposed to using monies from the general fund. The mayor is also looking to make the distribution of funds more equitable as opposed to using a first-come, first-serve basis.
It is hoped that the new grant and permitting program will be available by the end of the week.