North End restaurant owners have filed a lawsuit over what they call unequal, unfair and discriminatory treatment of Italian eateries in the Boston neighborhood.
Subscribe to WCVB on YouTube now for more: http://bit.ly/1e8lAMZ
Get more Boston news: http://www.wcvb.com
Like us: https://www.facebook.com/wcvb5
Follow us: https://twitter.com/WCVB
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wcvb5/
SHARMAN SACCHETTI LIVE IN THE CITY WITH THIS SHARMAN ERIKA OUTDOOR DINING STARTS IN BOSTON ON MAY FIRST, BUT HERE IN THE NORTH END YOU WON’T FIND ANY TABLES FOR ON STREET DINING IN BOSTON. PREPPING FOR ANOTHER OUTDOOR DINING SEASON. BUT NOT IN THE NORTH END. RESTAURANT OWNERS HAVE FILED
SUIT OVER WHAT THEY CALL THE CITY OF BOSTON’S UNEQUAL, UNFAIR AND DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT OF ITALIAN RESTAURANTS IN BOSTON’S NORTH END. THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE IT IS MORE OF A CHALLENGE, AND THAT IS IN PARTICULARLY DENSE AREAS LIKE THE NORTH END AND CHINATOWN, WHERE THE THE SIDEWALKS ARE TOO NARROW.
IN THE NORTH END, SIDEWALK PATIOS ARE ONLY ALLOWED IF THERE’S ENOUGH SPACE TO MEET THE GUIDELINES OR IF THEY’RE OWNED BY THE RESTAURANTS. ALL ON STREET DINING IS BANNED. THE DECISION, BASED IN PART ON HIGH DENSITY OF RESTAURANTS AND FOOT TRAFFIC, NARROW STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, AND RESIDENT PARKING
SCARCITY, THE MAYOR SAYS A TASK FORCE DID LOOK INTO IT. THEY’VE IDENTIFIED A LIST OF PLACES WHERE WE SHOULD BE PUTTING SOME INVESTMENTS IN TERMS OF SIDEWALKS AND HOW TO THINK ABOUT THIS LONG TERME IN THEIR SUIT, THE 21 RESTAURANT OWNERS SAY THE CITY HAS BACKED THEM INTO A CORNER, LEAVING THEM
WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO RESORT TO THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO ACHIEVE A FAIR AND JUST RESOLUTION OF A CONTROVERSY THAT IMPACTS THEIR LIVELIHOOD, THEIR DIGNITY AND THEIR VALUES. THE MAYOR NOTRILLIONULING IT OUT COMPLETELY IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOTES IT’S A HEAVY LIFT AND IT WOULD TAKE SOME VERY INTENSIVE CONVERSATION BETWEEN
RESTAURANTS, RESIDENTS AND JUST THE BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS IN GENERAL ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. RIGHT NOW, THE MAYOR DID SAY THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR OUTDOOR DINING HAS BEEN STREAMLINED. RESTAURANTS WITH A LIQUOR LICENSE. IT WILL COST THEM $399 WITHOUT A LIQUOR LICENSE. IT WILL COST $199. BUT AGAIN, LARGELY EXCLUDING HERE IN T