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Amarone Restaurant Looks to Add Outdoor Seating

Amarone, the relatively new restaurant on the corner of Whitfield and Water streets, is already looking to expand its offerings in the form of outdoor seating this season. The restaurant recently replaced Carsons on Whitfield.

Amarone came before the Guilford Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) on May 2 seeking a special permit for a 7- by 24-foot outdoor seating patio on the Water Street side of the restaurant.

Amarone’s Bruno Banani made the request before PZC. He said design review had looked at his plan as well as the Health Department and no one had any objections. Commission members confirmed his statements and added that the town engineer also approved of the plan as long as the patio was picked up during the winter so it wouldn’t hinder snow removal.

Banani said the patio will have a railing around it due to laws concerning serving alcohol outdoors and said he has no problem removing the patio in the winter.

“Our plan is to make it removable because it is much easier for us in the winter as well to clean the snow,” he said. “Once we drill down for the poles, we will make plugs for the wintertime to be straight with the street. It will be completely removed in the wintertime.”

The only comments made by town officials was that the Fire Department didn’t want to see large umbrellas hanging over the boundaries of the seating area. Banani said at some point he would like to have retractable awnings, but he won’t consider that option until next year.

The special permit goes to a second public hearing later this month before PZC makes a formal decision.