Somerville Officials Dedicate Main Street Restaurant “Parklets”

SOMERVILLE, NJ –  A short ceremony early Thursday night in entrance of Kyma Greek Delicacies on Foremost Road made it official – al Fresco eating within the downtown restaurant district has expanded past the curb on to MaIn Road.

Natalie Pineiro, government director of the Downtown Somerville Alliance gathered members of the DSA board, Mayor Dennis Sullivan and members of the Borough Council for the ribbon reducing and some remarks.

The DSA, the non-profit company that oversees administration of the downtown retail and restaurant district, has been working with the state Division of Transportation in search of permission to intensify the eating expertise in Somerville amidst restrictions – no indoor eating – imposed by Gov. Phil Murphy to curb the unfold of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NJDOT has jurisdiction over Foremost Road, which is designated a state freeway – a portion of Route 28.

After going backwards and forwards with three completely different proposals, the DOT signed off on the “parklet” plan – raised platforms constructed even with the curb and lengthening into parking areas – in entrance of six Foremost Road eating places and DeMartino’s Restaurant on Davenport Road.

A crew from PK Development was busy all final week framing and staging the “parklets” in a nook of Municipal Parking Lot #1 earlier than trucking the frames and planks to every of the eating places.

Every “parklet”, constructed with pressurized lumber, measures 20-by-6 ft with a three-sided railing.

The “parklets” are to be put in at three East Foremost Road places – Da Fillipo Sutentica Cucina Italiana, 132 E. Foremost St.; Kyma Greek Delicacies, 24 E. Foremost St and Arusuvai Indian Restaurant, 30 E. Foremost St.

West Foremost Road places embody Savor Restaurant, 18 W. Foremost St.; Cafe Picasso, 81 W. Foremost St., and The Venetian/Central Pizzeria, 122-126 W. Foremost St.

“Parklets” have confirmed profitable in different New Jersey cities, together with Princeton, Summit, Montclair, and Jersey Metropolis, in accordance with Kevin Sluka, borough administrator. Eating places all through New Jersey have expanded their footprint outdoor in response to government orders from Gov. Phil Murphy that prohibit indoor eating and require social distancing to fight the unfold of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The primary proposal was to close down Route 28 from Grove Road to Doughty Avenue on the weekends, detouring Foremost Road visitors to both Excessive Road or Veterans’ Memorial Drive to create a pedestrian mall for buyers and expanded seating for patrons of the eating places within the downtown district; the second proposal decreased the requested shutdown to Saturdays solely, 10 a.m.-10 p,m,

Regardless of a long-standing precedent that has allowed Somerville to close down Foremost Road for firemen parades, the St. Patrick’s Day parade, seasonal avenue festivals, the Memorial Day weekend Tour of Somerville bicycle races and the Central New Jersey Jazz Pageant in September – the NJDOT pushed again on the pedestrian mall idea as a result of it didn’t need to invite related proposals from cities unable to offer ample and protected options, in accordance with state Sen. Kip Bateman, who invited Guitierrez-Scacetti to go to Somerville for a first-hand look.

Bateman, whose Warren Road workplace is a two-minute stroll to lots of the downtown eating places, has met with the commissioner a number of instances the previous month, and expressed confidence the “parklet” various is an effective one

“I believe that this can be a nice first step, I am glad they made the choice to go together with a pilot program” Bateman mentioned. “The commissioner has been very receptive and understands our considerations however additionally must be cautious to not create a precedent. Closing roadways isn’t conducive to each metropolis; let’s have a look at what occurs. We are able to revisit the problem with the commissioner and see if we are able to go additional,” he added.

“We’ll proceed to work with the commissioner and the Borough Council of Somerville to do the whole lot we are able to to assist the eating places,” Bateman mentioned. “Any aid we are able to present is an effective factor.”

Bateman mentioned the commissioner had some considerations with ease of motion for pedestrians utilizing the sidewalks outdoors the eating places.

“The way in which a few of them are arrange proper now, it is just a little tight,” Bateman mentioned.

Pineiro mentioned these eating places which have expanded their eating space on to the road have been cognizant and thoughtful of pedestrian visitors, however that there might be points with cyclists, wheelchairs, scooters, carriages and strollers.

At first, Pineiro mentioned, the borough should adhere to requirements required by the People with Disabilities Act.

“We need to reserve our sidewalk area as a lot as we are able to and keep ADA compliant and be sure that individuals aren’t strolling in the road; there’s visitors,,buses, vans – not a pleasing expertise to be strolling just about side- by-side with these items,” Pineiro mentioned. . . 

Partitions, limitations and barricades are an integral a part of the “parklets” to separate the realm from avenue visitors, in accordance with Pineiro, with giant potted vegetation included within the designs.

The Downtown Somerville Alliance is a TAPinto advertising and marketing associate