by Dennis Dalman
An riverside outdoor dining patio at the River Boat Depot bar/restaurant in Sartell will be bigger than first expected.
At its last meeting, the Sartell City Council approved an updated interim-use permit for the patio because River Boat Depot’s owners decided to expand the patio.
About a month ago, the city council approved a permit for the outdoor patio that would include up to seven tables, two to four chairs per table, with optimal seating for 20 customers.
The updated permit will allow for about double the number of tables. It will seat up to 48 people. A concrete slab for the patio is expected to be installed soon.
River Boat Depot, which opened nearly 30 years ago, is located just south of Veterans Park on a bluff above the Mississippi River. From the patio area, there will be views of the old city bridge, the former paper-mill site across the river and the hydroelectric dam.
Business hours for the patio will be from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. It will be closed in the winter months.