Carlisle Sports Emporium

Carlisle considers dining decks in parking spots

By: Christina Butler

CARLISLE, Pa. -- A Cumberland County town wants to give you more options when it comes to dining downtown. They are exploring adding outside dining in place of some borough parking spots. The areas designated would be right in front of the establishment.

On Wednesday, a pitch will be made to allow restaurants to rent one or two parking spots and use them for seating. Other towns have used the same model. They are called temporary parklets or dining decks.

You can either have the dining tables on the parking sidewalk, and if you do that that means people will walk around onto the deck, or you can do where they have a dining on the deck and people continue walking through, borough manager Matt Candland explains.

Parking spots would be rented by the establishment, and looked at on a case by case basis. For restaurants there would also be the cost of buying the decks.

Diners we spoke with hope the outdoor option is served up soon.

I think it's an excellent idea we have amazing dining choices here to have the outside added to that would be wonderful. I came from Chicago where outdoor dining is a hugely popular option. I think it would only benefit the restaurants in downtown, Josh Eisenberg said.

Caroline Kapustynski is a student at Dickinson College. She says it created a lively atmosphere where she's from.

The downtown Carlisle association supports the initiative. If accepted, the outdoor dining options could be instituted before the end of the year.

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