The town of Tiburon will enable daily outdoor dining on Fountain Plaza and make it easier for merchants to do business outdoors amid the coronavirus pandemic — the latter move already paving the way for Luna Blu, Salt & Pepper and Waypoint Pizza to bring new options to Main Street. At its June 3 teleconference meeting, the Town Council voted unanimously to temporarily suspend all town regulations that could otherwise prohibit businesses from engaging in their business activities outside. In a separate unanimous vote, the council approved a proposal from the Tiburon Small Business Relief Task Force to purchase four new tables and benches that would be placed around Fountain Plaza to create an outdoor-dining area for those buying food from downtown restaurants. The council may go one step further to facilitate outdoor dining and sales activity at its June 17 meeting, when it’s set to consider a proposal from the task force to close Main Street to vehicular traffic Friday afternoons throu...

Diana Maureen swung open the top of the Dutch doors at her Boardwalk Shopping Center gift and toy store, Diana’s of Tiburon, on May 18, ready to serve customers for the first time since mid-March, when most retail shops throughout the county were forced to close to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It wasn’t business as usual. Under relaxed retail guidelines issued by the county, most retail was allowed to reopen May 18 for curbside pickup and delivery only, provided they follow county guidelines, including completing a COVID-19 Site Specific Protection Plan that outlines measures for sanitation and crowd control. Those guidelines were further relaxed effective June 1 to allow outdoor retail. (Elliot Karlan photo / For The Ark)

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A new nursery and home-goods store on Tiburon Boulevard is one step closer to opening as coronavirus restrictions on retail loosen in Marin — and with the approval of a conditional use permit from the city of Belvedere. The owners of Ground, a shop that will sell plants, hand-knotted rugs and housewares, say they hope to open next month at 1520 Tiburon Blvd. after completing minor repairs to an arbor, pergola and concrete pavers. At its May 19 teleconference meeting, the Belvedere Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve Ground’s use of the space, which has sat vacant since last January when the former Bayside Garden Center closed.

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Twenty local businesses have received $2,025 grants from a relief fund spearheaded by the Tiburon Peninsula Chamber of Commerce to help businesses weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The chamber doled out the checks May 15, giving each business that applied an equal share of the $40,500 raised for the Tiburon Peninsula COVID-19 Small-Business Fund, launched last month.

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With most of its revenue-generating classes and events suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Belvedere-Tiburon Recreation has secured nearly $100,000 from the town of Tiburon to help it sustain its operations through the summer. The Town Council at its May 6 teleconference meeting unanimously approved a grant of $99,200 for the joint public recreation agency, known as The Ranch, to help it cover employee salaries, as well as maintenance and utility costs at its Dairy Knoll recreation center on Ned’s Way, through the end of August. The recreation agency has determined it will need $124,000 in financial assistance over the next couple of months.

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