Downtown business owners ask city to try expanded outdoor dining

(decorahnews.com file photo from the end of June)

Ten representatives from downtown Decorah businesses met Tuesday with the City of Decorah's Streets Committee to discuss the possibility of relaxing regulations involving the use of sidewalks and outdoor dining.

Following the one hour meeting, Streets Committee chair Gary Rustad said he would support experimenting with new regulations for the rest of the summer and fall, while city council member Steve Luse said he'd be on board--so long as 5 feet of sidewalk width was kept free to allow handicapped accessibility.

T-Bock's owners Mike and Dom Bockman said the reaction to the small outdoor dining area they have created has been "unbelievably positive."  City Administrator Chad Bird said it might be wise to limit the number of exceptions allowed for the rest of the outdoor season, giving out permits on a first-come, first-served basis.

There are 21 businesses with food service licenses in downtown Decorah.  Bird says he will contact all of them to see if they're interested in participating in the outdoor dining experiment.