By Carol Vaughn —
Onancock officials voted to extend the town’s state of emergency ordinance through June 10 and to continue suspending collection of the meals tax from restaurants through June due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Councilman Bob Bloxom, who made the motion to extend the meals tax suspension, said he had spoken to proprietors of three restaurants about suspending the tax.
“They were all very appreciative of it,” he said.
The council earlier suspended the 5% tax for April and May.
Terris Kennedy of the Blarney Stone Pub said the measure “has indeed been a significant help to us because it really does reduce our customers’ bill…We have been able to promote to our customers that this is an advantage to us.”
Interim Town Manager Lisa Fiege said the town collected $18,935 in meals taxes for the month of June last year.
Kennedy said although her business “has been blessed with community support” through takeout orders during pandemic restrictions on restaurants, it still is doing only 30%-35% of its normal business.
The town council also voted to petition the highway department to close North Street between Market and King Streets to traffic on Thursdays through Saturdays in the evenings to provide more outdoor dining for restaurants on the street.
“I think it would be a help for two or three of the restaurants,” Mayor Fletcher Fosque said.
“People are doing it from coast to coast,” said Councilwoman Catherine Krause.
During Phase One of Virginia’s reopening plan for the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants are allowed to serve customers outside and adequately distanced, but not inside.
The town announced Tuesday in a press release that the North Street closure on Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. will start on June 4 and run through the month of June.
Restaurants participating in the outdoor dining on North Street are: 3 Knots Tap House, The Blarney Stone Pub, and The Charlotte Hotel. To find out more about their outside dining experience, visit their individual websites or Facebook pages.
For questions or concerns about the road closure, contact the Onancock Town Hall at 757-787-3363.
Additionally, the town council approved a request by Caleb and Lynne Fowler to rezone 58 Market Street to residential use, and approved a special use permit to operate a home stay there.
