Take-out dining area arranged at G Street plaza

The city of Blaine added chairs, tables and flowerpots at the G Street plaza in downtown Blaine and has more plans to make that plaza a space where people can enjoy food from local restaurants.

People can bring take-out food to the outdoor dining area and community planner Alex Wenger said the city plans to post menus to nearby restaurants at the space soon.

“Once that is set up, someone could go read the different menus, order take-out, and have a nice outdoor dining experience at that space,” he said. “You could do that today, of course, but I htink having all the menus right there would be nice.”

After that, the city is hoping to find restaurants and vendors to set up at the plaza once a week or more to host a beer garden, serve simple food that could be brought to the site or cooked on a barbecue or portable cooking appliance, or provide other services.

“That’s the idea,” he said. “There are some challenges we’re working through with the health department on permitting it.”

Paso Del Norte and The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro, among others, are interested in participating, Wenger said.

The city of Blaine has worked to allow businesses to use space in the H and G Street plazas since early June. On June 9, Blaine city manager Michael Jones issued an emergency order allowing businesses to set up on the plazas with a special permit.

The order waives code limits on use of the downtown plazas, allowing businesses to apply for a park special-use permit to set up dining or retail space. That order is in place until October 1

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company is currently using part of the H Street plaza, but the option is open to other restaurants and retail businesses as well.

Wenger said the city is considering other options to allow businesses more outdoor space, including closing some parking on Peace Portal Drive and turning it over to restaurants.

“We’re exploring options here and we’re pleased to at least provide this,” Wenger said of the new tables at the G Street plaza.