City Expands Temporary Outdoor Dining and Authorizes Extensions of Delinquency Date for Business License Renewals

June 5, 2020 5:14 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Today, Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg issued a revision to the eighteenth supplement to Santa Monica’s declaration of a local emergency relating to the novel coronavirus that expands the areas in which restaurants can launch temporary outdoor dining spaces and authorizes extensions of the delinquency date for business license renewals for two months, to November 1, 2020.

  1. Expanding temporary outdoor dining

The 18th supplement allows restaurants to temporarily expand outdoor dining to immediately adjacent sidewalks and private spaces owned by the restaurants.  The revision to the 18th supplement expands the authorization to encompass sidewalks in front of buildings adjacent to restaurants with the owner’s consent and also private spaces that are not owned by restaurants (with the owner’s consent) as well.    

The authorization for temporary outdoor dining is effective through September 7, 2020. To learn more, download the sidewalk dining application on the City’s Economic Recovery website or click here. For questions or to submit your application, email the City at econdev@smgov.net . No application is necessary for outdoor dining on private property.

  1. Extensions of Delinquency Date for Business License Renewals

The 18th supplement extended by two years the deadlines for reviewing and acting on planning applications, exercising rights under planning entitlements and expiration of building permits. The 18th supplement also extended financial relief to businesses impacted by COVID-19 or the civil unrest by waiving and suspending late payment fees through June 30; suspending rent payments by City tenants on the Santa Monica Pier for April, May, and June 2020; suspending outdoor dining license payments for the months of April, May, and June 2020; and authorizing the implementation of a rent deferment program for City commercial tenants whose operations have been closed or significantly restricted by COVID-19 emergency orders.  The revision to the 18th supplement adds to this relief by authorizing the Finance Director to extend the delinquency date for business license renewal fees by two months (from September 1 to November 1) for businesses whose ability to pay has been affected by economic impacts related to COVID-19 or the civil unrest.  Applications for extensions are due by no later than July 31, 2020.

For additional questions, call the City of Santa Monica’s hotline at (310) 458-8400. Sign up for emergency alerts by texting SMCOVID to 888-777 and regular email updates at santamonica.gov/newsletter.

First revision to the Eighteenth Supplement>

Temporary Outdoor Dining Application>

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Media Contact

Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov

Departments

Community Development

More Information

https://www.santamonica.gov/Media/Default/HED/Temporary_Outdoor_Dining_(COVID)_Checklist_FINAL.pdf