Selectmen approve temporary lease for Harborview front deck after public hearing

The Stonington selectmen voted to allow a lease for the front-space at the Harborview Restaurant so the new owner can reserve outdoor dining space tied to COVID-19 conditions.

Town Manager Billings opened a public hearing on the Harbor View special-amusement application and reported the application was complete, had been advertised in the local paper and drew no public comments. Gail Stinson, introduced at the meeting as the new owner of the Harborview Restaurant, described plans to keep seating on the deck but asked for a lease that would permit use of the front space if rising COVID numbers required a change in seating arrangements.

Board members discussed seasonal timing and terms; John Steed asked about limiting the lease window to summer months and the board indicated it could set seasonal increments. The board approved a motion to permit the lease space (motion by John Steed; second by John Robbins). The vote was recorded as 4-0.

The approval follows routine review of a related Atlantic Harbor View liquor-license application at an earlier meeting, where the board also approved the license after public notice and no objections. The selectmen did not amend the special-amusement application’s advertised terms at the April 19 meeting.

The matter is subject to any licensing conditions on use of municipal land and the town manager said staff will finalize lease language and timing with the owner.