Selectmen approve Harborview lease for outdoor seating amid pandemic planning

The Town of Stonington Selectmen unanimously approved a lease to allow the owner of the Harborview Restaurant to reserve the front space in front of the deck for outdoor seating and service if local COVID conditions require modified service.

Town Manager Billings said the Special Amusement application for the Harborview was complete and that the public-advertisement produced no comments. Gail Stinson, identified in the record as the new owner, explained she wanted the option of leasing the front area to support safe outdoor seating as pandemic conditions change. Selectmen discussed allowable dates and increments; the board signaled flexibility on term limits and approved the lease by motion (John Steed moved; John Robbins seconded) on a 4-0 vote.

The action was procedural and tied to pandemic-era operations: it preserves the restaurant’s ability to serve customers outdoors within the town’s permitting framework and does not change the underlying Special Amusement authorization beyond confirming the application was complete. The town minutes record that the board discussed potential seasonal ranges (for example, June–September) and left precise terms to the manager’s administration and lease paperwork.