Minimum Parking Requirements Lifted to Support Outdoor Dining in Connecticut

Connecticut's governor is implementing previously impossible regulatory reforms to make it easier for Conneccitu businesses to operate in outdoor spaces. 

A tweet by Sara Bronin breaks the news about a executive order by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont that sets a new precedent for land use regulations in the face of the public health risks posed by Covid-19.

STATEWIDE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS LIFTED by @GovNedLamont's 5/13 Order for #COVID19 activities, like outdoor cafes/retail: https://t.co/WLsOrt9xGy

Was glad to advocate for this provision, which may be 1st statewide ban in the US. More Friday: https://t.co/yzeYsHIIjB

— Sara Bronin (@sarabronin) May 13, 2020

The entire executive order, number 7mm, is geared toward making it easier for restaurants to transition to outdoor arrangements. The executive order achieves that goals by removing some permitting processes, expediting others, and removing laws that prevent outdoor dining and retail. 

Then there are these sentences regarding parking minimums:

Any Covered Law requiring a minimum number of parking spaces or prohibiting Outdoor Activities from taking place in parking lots is suspended to the extent required to permit such Outdoor Activities alone or in conjunction with any other authorized activity, including any activity required to enable the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any Covered Law prohibiting Outdoor Activities from taking place in on-street parking spaces is modified to allow the Local Enforcement Official to permit this activity, consistent with the requirements of this Order.

There are a lot more game-changing regulatory reforms included in the executive order, and Bronin promises to discuss these changes in more detail in a webinar planned for Friday, May 15.