Restaurants in downtown Northville, Michigan, will need to permanently remove on-street dining setups by Saturday, following a new court ruling issued on Wednesday.
The city says it is disappointed by the ruling but that it will comply and have all of the dining platforms along Main and Center streets taken down by the deadline. The ruling states that restaurants in the downtown area cannot use cement barricades to block off parallel parking spaces for street dining anymore.
This comes after a years-long fight by the nonprofit group Let’s Open Northville to close down on-street dining. The group first filed a lawsuit in October 2023.
“This ruling today established what all attorneys know to be the case, which is that we have to follow judge’s opinions and orders,” said Kyle Konwinski, an attorney for the nonprofit.
The seasonal closure from May until November occurred seven days a week and was part of the city’s outdoor dining and social district season, which had been in place since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, residents understood why the idea was initially proposed, but some locals believe it is now an inconvenience.
Konwinski says Judge Charlene Elder’s ruling owes to the history of Northville.
“The two main streets in the city of Northville were created by a plat. This plat was created, the people who gave their property to the city intended those roads to be used for traffic and on-street parking,” said Konwinski.
The city and many residents have expressed frustration over the ruling,
“I like it outside, I am disappointed,” said Michael Strong.
The city of Northville released a statement saying in part-
The City of Northville and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) are disappointed with today’s court ruling in favor of the emergency motion filed by Let’s Open Northville, which requires the removal of permitted on-street dining in Downtown Northville.
While the City believed it had fully complied with the court’s earlier order to reopen Main and Center Streets to vehicular traffic, this latest decision impacts long standing outdoor dining that has been permitted, inspected, and approved for more than a decade. On-street dining has supported small businesses, helped activate public space, and contributed to a vibrant, walkable downtown that residents and visitors deeply value.
This mid-season removal disrupts operations for our downtown restaurants, many of which have invested in staffing, supplies, and infrastructure based on established policies and permits.
While we respectfully disagree with the court’s decision, the City will comply fully with the ruling and will remove on-street dining by October 4, 2025. The City will have to temporality shut down the streets to remove the concrete barriers that are in place as safety precautions for on street dining. The City and DDA will work closely with impacted businesses to help navigate this transition in a timely manner.
We remain committed to advocating for our business community and will continue to explore every avenue to maintain a thriving downtown district that reflects the values and needs of the Northville community.