15 June 2020
Santa Rosa plans to close a stretch of Fourth Street in downtown later this month and will allow eating and drinking establishments to set up sidewalk and curbside seating to give patrons a bit more elbow room amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The three-block closure, from B to E streets, is set to run from June 26 to Oct. 15. It will be the most obvious of several steps the city is taking to loan public space to private businesses that for nearly three months have been closed or limited in operations due to restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier this month, the city allowed businesses to use sidewalks and curbside parking spots to temporarily expand their operations into the public right-of-way. Early adopters of that space include Ausiello’s Bar & Grill, which has set up several tents outside its Fifth Street entrance, as well as Belly Left Coast Kitchen & Taproom on Fourth Street — both of which have existing patio space.
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