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WINSTON-SALEM – After months of debate over how late downtown patrons can dine under the stars, the Winston-Salem City Council finally gave the green light to extended hours. The outdated ordinance made it illegal for some businesses to serve food and drinks outdoors but city leaders hope the amendment will work in the favor of all parties involved.

"The old ordinance was drawn for sort of a quieter time in our downtown pedestrian business era and required sidewalk dining to cut off at 10 p.m. Well a lot of places are really just picking up business," said city council member Dan Bessey.

The city hopes by extending sidewalk dining hours to 1 a.m. during the week and 2 a.m. on the weekends, it will only help businesses take off.

"It will allow more of a nightlife down here as opposed to it being the wasteland that it was 15 years ago," downtown pub manager Thomas Berndt said.

But the amendment also addresses concerns from citizens about noise. It bans nighttime recycling between midnight and 6 a.m. to stop the clanging many residents say keep them awake.

"Some of the prohibition against emptying bottles and this sort of thing will indeed help people be able to sleep in the wee hours of the morning," city council member Molly Leight said.

But businesses say they are concerned with what to do with their recycling at the end of the night, and say keeping it indoors would be a health hazard.

"Obviously, I can't keep my trash or recycling inside my establishment and I should hope that no other establishment downtown is doing that," said Berndt.

However the mayor and council members say there are ways to make it work for both parties, it may just take a little work.

The city will use bicycle officers to enforce the new rules that go into effect immediately.