Utica will close Mill Street for outdoor dining

Beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, Mill Street in Utica will be closed to street traffic.

In order to accommodate restaurants and taverns downtown, the Village Board agreed to close the community’s main street for outdoor dining from Canal to Church streets. Eight downtown businesses have expressed interest in using the street for dining, and the dining areas will be divided equally among establishments, said Village President David Stewart.

The Village Board agreed to close the street until July 29, but trustees may extend or withdraw that schedule at upcoming meetings. Designated times for the street closure will be from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Outdoor dining will start Friday.

An outdoor dining license will be required, but the village will waive the fee. Establishments will be response for cleaning up their designated areas.

The village president will have discretion to revoke licenses for anyone who violates the ordinance, which adheres to the state’s safety guidelines.

Trustees agreed to modify the ordinance to allow alcohol to be served outdoors in bottles and cans.

The police chief will be in charge of parking restrictions along alleys to allow for emergency vehicles.

“For now, this is a step in the right direction,” Stewart said. “It gets businesses back open until we can move to the next phase where they’ll be allowed to have customers inside.”