Looking to show support for struggling local eateries, the Hillsdale Borough Council July 14 unanimously approved a resolution to close a portion of Washington Avenue near Broadway that will create a 2,100-square-foot outdoor dining area for a popular Hillsdale restaurant.
The new expanded space for al fresco dining—to be topped by a large, open-air tent—was to be in place by July 17, said John Chiodi, owner of the The Cornerstone Restaurant & Bar.
The resolution closing the road applies only to The Cornerstone, although council members said others would be considered on a case-by-case basis. A separate resolution to extend outdoor dining hours also passed unanimously, allowing service Sunday to Wednesday until 11 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday until midnight.
It was unsure how long it would take to receive Bergen County approval to close a small part of Washington Avenue, which is a county road, but Mayor John Ruocco confirmed July 16 that county permission had been received by Police Chief Robert Francaviglia.
The street closure to expand the outdoor dining area marks the first such approval in Hillsdale. About a month ago, Gov. Phil Murphy permitted restaurants struggling since mid-March shutdowns to reopen with outdoor dining only. Previously, only takeout or delivery was allowed.
The Cornerstone, at 84 Broadway on the corner of Washington Avenue and Broadway, requested permission to close a portion of Washington Avenue in response to restrictions still imposed on indoor dining. The eatery previously had outdoor dining under umbrella-topped tables and a small canopy-enclosed dining area.
Chiodi said the street closure requested had support of neighbors and was in response to Gov. Murphy’s decision to continue to restrict indoor dining due to Covid-19 pandemic concerns.
“We are requesting permission to close the corner of Washington Avenue and Broadway so we can erect a tent and operate an outdoor dining area. We request this additional seating area in direct response to Governor Murphy reversing his position regarding indoor dining,” wrote Chiodi in a July 7 letter.
The plans Chiodi submitted called for a 30-foot wide by 70-foot long tent that can hold up to 98 guests, all following social distance guidelines.
Reached July 16, Chiodi said he hoped to have the tent in place by the next day to begin expanded outdoor dining. He said he was “humbled” by the support of residents who purchased take-out specials during the pandemic-caused shutdowns. He also thanked council members, the mayor and police chief for their help and support.
“They went above and beyond to help us,” he said of local officials.
According to his plan, Chiodi said the restaurant would place three concrete barriers to block traffic, two facing Broadway and one on Washington.
“Per our plan, we will provide semi-permanent barriers at the corner of Washington Avenue and Broadway as well as across Washington Avenue starting where our building ends and continues straight across to the opposite curb. We will not encroach on parking lots, nor pedestrian walkways,” said Chiodi.
Borough Attorney Mark Madaio said the official resolutions would include language allowing the police chief to revoke the approval immediately should public safety issues arise.
Most local shops and businesses, including restaurants and bars, have suffered drastic revenue drops due to shutdowns imposed by Gov. Murphy to try to halt the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic statewide. Reached before the Cornerstone approval, Mayor Ruocco urged residents to take responsibility for protecting themselves as the economy reopens.
“I have been consistent these past months in expressing concern over the economic impact that the state’s decisions have had on our local businesses and the livelihood of thousands of restaurant and business owners in the Pascack Valley. Many of the people most affected by the shutdowns have been our low-income wage earners and people of color. Without embracing the ‘taking on’ of unreasonable health risks, the State and the nation should be more actively looking for ways to avoid shutting down our economy despite the greater incidence of Covid-19 in other states,” Ruocco told Pascack Press.
“All citizens will need to take personal responsibility for taking proper precautions to protect themselves and the most vulnerable in our society. But shutting down the economy again, as we did this spring, should be avoided if at all possible. That is why the reopening of our local businesses as quickly as we can should be a priority,” he added.
Photo by Michael Olohan