As businesses continue to feel the squeeze of health and safety restrictions due to COVID-19, Boothbay Harbor’s planning board on Aug. 12 granted Brady’s Restaurant owner Jennie Mitchell an expansion of the seating area. The use would run from November until state restrictions are relaxed.

“It has been very difficult with restrictions and the guidelines mandated by the state to try to do the business we have to to survive,” said Mitchell. “… It's so I can try to stay open through the winter because right now with social distancing, I can only have 18 seats in the dining room which will not pay the bills and won't keep anybody employed.”

The original site plan allowed up to 35 seats on the deck and 50 seats indoors. Mitchell said that means she could have 14 tables overall inside, but with social distancing restrictions, that has been reduced to seven tables.

“This will allow another 18 to 22 seats … (bringing) us almost to what we had for capacity when we opened up originally.”

By the time the extra space has been prepared, all seating allowed on the deck will have been removed for the winter. Even if the extra space approached the original seating limit, it would not come close after that seating is eliminated, said Mitchell. “I won't even have this done until, if I'm lucky, Columbus Day which is when the awning comes down. We might have a few good days when people might want to sit on the deck, but … the numbers go down by then anyway.”

After some discussion on indoor versus outdoor seating capacity, previous parking issues and potential conditions on the new plan, member Margaret Perritt motioned to approve the application. Vice Chair Chris Swanson motioned and member Bill Hamblen seconded a condition limiting seating to what the state-issued license allows. After discussion about how the state license already sets those limits explicitly, Hamblen rescinded his second and endorsed Perritt’s original motion.

The board approved the application 4-1, Swanson dissenting.

Said Mitchell, “Honestly, I don't want to do it. It's going to cost me money which I don't have, but … in order to have enough revenue coming in, to keep my staff employed – that's feasibly the only way I can do it … I'm doing it because I have to.”