Customers of Salty Suz in downtown Fort Dodge will be able to enjoy a drink outdoors this summer and fall in an area that is part of a city parking lot.

The City Council on Monday approved an agreement with the business allowing it to use that space.

Salty Suz is located at 512 Central Ave. The parking lot at First Avenue North and Sixth Street is right next to the business.

Under the agreement, the business can use a 44-by-18-foot area, essentially four parking spaces, for an outdoor seating area. It can use the space, which must be fenced off, through Oct. 31.

Salty Suz will pay a $30 sidewalk cafe permit fee to the city. It will not have to pay monthly rent for the space.

Also on Monday, the council gave final approval to a zoning change needed to allow construction of new townhomes in the District 29 neighborhood near North 29th Street and Dodger Drive.

The property was switched from an agricultural designation to a residential multifamily one.

Talon Development, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is planning to build additional townhomes south of the existing buildings.

The first phase of construction will include nine buildings, each containing six townhomes.

The second phase will consist of nine more buildings, each containing five townhomes.

Each individual townhome will have three bedrooms and a two-car garage. They will be market rate rental units.

Construction of the first phase will begin this fall.

In an unrelated matter, the council bought a new street sweeper from MacQueen Equipment, of Ankeny, for $298,433.54. It will replace a 2017 model now in use.