NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Make sure to bundle up if you plan to dine outside anywhere in New York City this winter.
Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed Thursday propane tanks will no longer be able to be utilized for outdoor dining — counter to the pandemic-era emergency order that allowed such heaters to be used.
Though de Blasio called outdoor dining "an amazing success," he said the decision came after hearing from the city's fire department.
"I want it to be part of the future [of] New York City for years to come, but we now have to make sure it is sustainable," he said during his daily news conference. "It is safe. It's done the right way. Fire Department feels strongly, and I agree with them, propane needs to be phased out."
De Blasio said he is giving restaurants the next month to phase propane heaters out, though outdoor dining will become a "permanent investment."
"[Restaurants] know that the investment they make for a new solution is going to be a permanent investment because we've said that it will be permanent outdoor dining," he added. "So, it's an investment they can rely on. So, it's about safety and it's about sustainability."
A spokesperson for the mayor told Crains New York Wednesday that the city is offering grants to invest non-propane heaters.
"To offset the costs of propane heaters purchased last year, which in some cases cost restaurant owners thousands of dollars, de Blasio is offering small businesses a $5,000 grant to invest in natural gas or electric-powered heaters this year," they said.
However, Andrew Rigie of the New York Hospitality Alliance told WCBS 880 some locations might not be ready to utilize the city's financial support.
"Before they go through the time and invest the money, they want to see all the specifications of the new outdoor dining program which has yet to be released and finalized," Rigie said.
While there are more than 10,000 outdoor dining locations across the city, de Blasio also warned earlier this week that any setups not properly used will be torn down.
On Monday, the mayor said he had entrusted the Department of Transportation to check outdoor dining locations to see how they are being used.
“If someone's not using a space for outdoor dining, they are using it for any other need, or they're not filling the space, they're just trying to hold it, that's not acceptable,” de Blasio warned.
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