By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — The Board of Selectwomen gave final approval Wednesday for an array of outdoor activities downtown and in Saugatuck for the warm-weather months.

Church Street again will be closed from April 1 to Nov. 6 for outdoor dining and other activities. 

Main Street and part of Elm Street will have closures for shopping and festivals. 

Two restaurants on Railroad Place will once again be permitted to have outdoor “pop-up cafes” in the parking portions of the roadway. And two more are expected to apply soon.

First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker said outdoor dining was embraced after eating inside restaurants was restricted during the COVID 19 pandemic in order to help food businesses “survive and thrive.”

Even though COVID restrictions have eased, she said, “What we learned through that was that outdoor dining, people love it.” 

The Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved a text amendment to its regulations permitting restaurants to offer outdoor dining permanently.

“We now learned that that’s just something people love, our residents, visitors, and it’s become a great attraction for Westport,” Tooker said.

No one spoke in opposition to the proposals during Wednesday’s meeting in Town Hall.

Slate of outdoor activities OK’d

• Pop-up dining on Railroad Place through Nov. 1. Two restaurants — Romanacci and Tarantino — were given permission Wednesday to offer diners the option of eating outdoors, using parking spots in front of their storefronts. Two others in the area are likely to apply.

• Outdoor dining and shopping along Church Lane, April 1 through Nov. 6. The street will be closed to vehicles. The P&Z gave its approval for the street closure Monday.

• Westport Fine Arts Festival, May 28 and 29. Main Street will be closed to vehicles from Post Road East to Elm Street, and on Elm Street from Main Street to 35 Elm.  

• Summer Shopping Days, June 18 and Aug. 20. Main Street will be closed to vehicles from Post Road East to Elm Street.

Restaurant owners expressed a desire to have three spots for outdoor dining on Railroad Place, but the board limited it to two each. 

Police Chief Fotis Koskinas told the selectwomen that some business owners had expressed concerns about losing too many parking spaces, and restaurants that couldn’t have outdoor dining felt at a disadvantage. There also were concerns about deliveries.

Maxxwell Crowley, president of the Westport Downtown Association, made the request for the Church Lane closure. He said previous closures for outdoor dining and shopping have been successful.

“People have loved it,” he said. “It makes sense for the town, creates excitement, gives it a lively feel … it creates an atmosphere.”

Final OK for Baldwin parking lot project

Also approved by the selectwomen Wednesday was the award of a $1.369 million contract for reconstructing the Baldwin parking lot on Elm Street. The contract will be awarded to G. Pic and Sons of Bridgeport. 

The project has the possibility of bumping up against the Fine Arts Festival in late May.

Deputy Public Works Director John Broadbin told the selectwomen that the department has had conversations with the contractor about the importance of having the work completed on time, ahead of the festival.

Still, if the work is not complete, Broadbin said, portions of the Baldwin lot should be available for parking.