By Kathy Chouteau
Will the Up & Under Pub & Grill be able to keep its outdoor BBQ smoker grill?
By early next year, the City of Richmond hopes to resolve a long-running dispute with the Point Richmond restaurant over the equipment, which is located on the public sidewalk adjacent to the restaurant.
Nathan Trivers, owner of the Up & Under Pub & Grill at 2 West Richmond Ave., has been battling to keep his outdoor cooker running, but the city wants it removed citing fire safety concerns and community complaints, among other issues.
Trivers appealed to the Richmond City Council in the hopes of being able to keep his outdoor smoker, which he stated on Facebook “has been on unused sidewalk space for 13 years with no issues.” He also wants to keep the adjacent outdoor parklet/dining area that the city also deemed problematic.
A resolution may be on the horizon. Through his attorney, Trivers has proposed that he move the smoker onto private property and address accessibility issues involving the outdoor parklet. Receptive to the idea, the city says it is working to develop a “compliance agreement” with the restaurant.
The matter is currently on the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting, but city staff is recommending that it be continued to Feb. 4 next year to provide more time to finalize the compliance agreement.
If the agreement isn’t finalized by the time the Feb. 4 meeting agenda is published, city staff will ask the City Council to green-light enforcement actions against the restaurant.
