Woburn Council Finalizes Permanent Outdoor Dining

WOBURN, MA — Woburn City Council recently concluded a six-month effort to make outdoor dining legal permanently in the city.

Outdoor dining was temporarily expanded in Woburn and much of the world in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In June, Council President Edward Tedesco and Council Robert Ferullo introduced zoning amendments to make that expansion permanent.

At a recent meeting, the council finally approved amendments to the zoning code that makes outdoor and rooftop dining a core part of the city's definition of a "full-service restaurant" as well as defining "outdoor dining."

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The Nov. 9 approvals followed months of back-and-forth with the city solicitor and the Planning Board, and included a caveat that the outdoor dining use is not permitted for fast-food restaurants.

A third amendment, which expands rooftop dining from the central business district to the entire city, is expected to come before the council in December, Tedesco said.

The full meeting is available here from Woburn Public Media Center.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.