Manasquan plan for outdoor dining

Which other towns will do the same? I think Asbury Park should shut Cookman Ave. to cars and allow dining there.

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I’ve heard that many towns have at least discussed this including Red Bank and Freehold.

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There are definitely discussions about doing this in AP as well; one our councilwomen confirmed that on Next Door within the last week. I don’t know what Manasquan’s downtown traffic issues are/aren’t, but that’s the big concern here.

It would seem to me that if Cookman was closed and used for outdoor seating, pedestrian use, what happens if there is an emergency such as a fire or the police need to get down there.
I totally understand the desire to do this and help the restaurants out, but I am looking at it through my insurance adjuster glasses

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I hear you! Not sure which street makes the most sense, but it doesn’t HAVE to be Cookman.

Tables must be 6 feet apart…so diners in their chairs or standing to get in/out of their chairs will be 2-4 feet apart, depending? (This is the way my mind works these days!)

Red Bank is planning on closing Broad St from Front to Wallace, although some are lobbying to go a bit further.
Monmouth will also be closed but not sure of the streets.

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City just release a statement, June 10 meeting will address the street closures. I heard it will likely be Friday Saturdays and Sundays.

In New Orleans when they opened up outdoor seating as well as indoor, due to reduced capacity the longest you could sit at a table was 2 hours.

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Once certainly hopes people are thinking about this and coming up with written plans/FAQs that are conveyed to the relevant parties involved (including alternate routes to/from and around the stretch of street involved), but it’s not like “pedestrian malls” are unheard of (including what were formerly public streets) and I’ve never seen one with a dedicated “emergency lane” per se, so there’s no reason that has to be a dealbreaker…

Oh and apparently there is a permit to apply for, I would hope it would be a no charge permit but knowing Asbury they will charge something for it, like these businesses have money floating around

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