By: Eric LaFontaine, Assistant Communications Manager
Mount Pleasant, S.C. (May 5, 2020) – During their emergency Council meeting on May 5, Mount Pleasant Town Council approved an emergency ordinance to allow for the temporary suspension of regulations regarding outdoor dining and retail operations. The ordinance, which was championed by Councilwoman Kathy Landing and members of the Economic Development Committee, allows businesses to reopen or continue operating without undue hardship. Specifically, it temporarily suspended Town regulations related to prior approval of outdoor dining and retail services in order to allow display, storage, or sale of merchandise as well as the sale, service and consumption of food or drinks, including alcoholic beverages, in outdoor areas on private property. The emergency ordinance comes after Governor Henry McMaster permitted outdoor dining through his updated Emergency Order on May 4.
In order to facilitate the businesses’ outdoor operations, all business owners are required to submit their new operations plan through a new online mapping registration system. Town staff will review all submitted details to ensure compliance with other ordinances such as accessibility and then publish the results to a public facing map. All business owners are encouraged to review other stated requirements specific to their business from South Carolina Department of Revenue, SCDHEC, and the SC Restaurant and Lodging Association for additional information related to phased re-openings.
For any questions regarding outdoor operations, business owners are encouraged to contact the Town Planning Department at Planning@tompsc.com