BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Michelle Wu is adjusting her plan requiring fees for outdoor dining in the North End but says restaurants will still have to pay up for patios — and some owners are still threatening a lawsuit in response.
Wu originally said North End restaurateurs would have to pay $7,500 by April 10 in order to have outdoor seating, along with paying $450 a month for every parking spot they take up. The fees are only for North End restaurants, and Wu said she was imposing them in response to community complaints about access, trash and noise.
On Tuesday, Wu said restaurants could instead pay $1,500 a month instead of the full $7,500 at once, and could pay by the month and not for the entire season. Wu said she talked with restaurant owners and community members to come up with the plan.
“As long as I’m mayor, the residents of this city come first,” Wu said. “What we have here today is a program that reflects a lot of community feedback from different stakeholders over past several months.”
Some restaurant owners supported the plan but others have condemned it, and one owner said he still intended to file a lawsuit over the fees.
“I’m going to stand my ground and sue a government that’s overreaching,” said Jorge Mendoza, co-owner of Monica’s Trattoria.
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