Selectmen approve Harborview lease for outdoor dining and accept town hearing record on special amusement application

Selectmen approved a lease request from the new owner of the Harborview Restaurant to allow use of the front deck area for outdoor seating if rising COVID-19 cases required it.

At a public hearing the Town Manager said the Harbor View special amusement application was complete and that no public comments had been received from the advertisement. Gail Stinson, identified in the minutes as the new owner of the Harborview Restaurant, said she hoped to keep seating on the deck but wanted the option of leasing the front space if pandemic conditions worsened. The board stated it was supportive and approved the lease (motion by John Steed; second by John Robbins; vote recorded 4-0).

Why it matters: the lease provides a clear municipal permission pathway for a local restaurant to expand outdoor seating contingent on public-health conditions, aligning with pandemic-era outdoor-dining practices and local permitting requirements.

Procedure and limits: TM Billings noted the board can set term dates; one Selectman asked about a June–September term and the board discussed flexible increments. The motion recorded in the minutes approved the lease-space request; details of lease term language and effective dates will be handled administratively and recorded in the town’s lease files.

The minutes show the Harbor View special-amusement application was scheduled for public hearing and that the ordinance update process is proceeding; no public opposition was recorded in the supplied segments.