Williamstown Making No Plans for On-Street Dining

After gathering input from residents and business owners, Williamstown is making no plans to block off Spring Street to allow eateries to set up outdoor tables.

Town Manager Jason Hoch last month floated the idea of temporary closures during limited hours as a way to help local businesses recover from the closures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For months, restaurants throughout the commonwealth were limited to take-out and delivery service only. Hoch in late May anticipated that when the commonwealth moved to Phase 2 of Gov. Charlie Baker's plan to reopen the economy, restaurants would be allowed outdoor but not indoor table service — a prediction that proved to be correct.

But the Select Board, which greeted Hoch's preliminary suggestion with enthusiastic support, incorrectly predicted the reaction of their constituents.

Hoch said the feedback he got from eateries on Spring Street fell into the "nay" category.

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