ST. MARYS — Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and emergency declaration, the City of St. Marys has developed a policy waiving specific requirements of its zoning ordinance regulating outdoor seating for food service establishments and temporary signage.
This waiver is intended to provide flexible options and greater opportunities to follow the social distancing guidance from health agencies as business restrictions are relaxed.
The city is waiving the special exception approval procedure for outdoor cafes and modifying some of the specific requirements. Outdoor cafes are areas on private property where food or drink is served and consumed outside of an enclosed building. This also pertains to limited use of public sidewalks for service and consumption.
A zoning permit is still required to operate an outdoor cafe, but there will be no charge for the permit, and it will be reviewed and issued by the city zoning officer. The applicant must provide evidence of compliance with the regulations as specified below with their permit application.
This is a waiver of the city zoning requirements only; the city cannot waive licensing or regulations of state or federal agencies. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure compliance with any pertinent regulations administered by those agencies, and to follow guidance issued by health agencies to restrict the transmission of disease.
The city is also waiving some of its temporary special event signage regulations, to facilitate communication of operating hours to patrons. A permit is still required for a special event sign, but there is no fee for the permit, and the duration has been extended similar to the outdoor café permit waiver. The zoning permit application should be used when applying for these waivers and is available on the city’s website: www.stmaryspa.gov; and can be dropped off or mailed to City Hall, 11 Lafayette St, Saint Marys, PA 15857. The form can also be submitted via email to mpfeufer@stmaryspa.gov along with any questions or concerns regarding this waiver.
