The CUSP measure had already been perceived as a compromise. Other communities in the state have enacted tougher restrictions, including a ban in Brookline on all smoking in restaurants.
Born warned that the feebleness of the amended bill would only lead to a reopening of the debate within a few years. Following the votes, Duehay predicted that an even tougher proposal will be submitted "in a lot shorter time than two years."
John R. Clifford, owner of the Green Street Grill in Central Square, said he is satisfied by the amended ordinance.
"It's a good compromise and it will satisfy the restaurants," said Clifford, who spearheaded a petition drive by restaurateurs fearful of losing business to Boston and Somerville eateries.
Clifford said any restrictions on smoking in restaurants and bars should take place at the state or federal level, so that Cambridge businesses would not have to compete with towns with lax anti-smoking laws.
"It's very hard to stay and compete with other cities that have no such laws," said Joseph A. Sater, owner of the Middle East restaurant. "We don't want to see our customers go to Boston."
Helena G. Rees, public affairs director of the Chamber of Commerce, said she was pleased by the votes. "We successfully organized the restaurant community to work out a compromise that we feel benefits both smokers and non-smokers," she said.
But CUSP members lamented the amendments, saying they rendered the bill impotent.
Dempsey said the amendments require that restaurants with bar areas only need to set aside half of the restaurant seats for non-smokers, not half of total seating. Thus, a restaurant-bar could in theory set aside only a quarter of its seats for non-smokers.
"We felt this was an incredibly generous compromise, but it just didn't get looked at," Dempsey said. "The council was predisposed to vote this way because of lobbying."
Russell disagreed, saying the measure would have imposed "too much regulation" on the restaurant industry. But "they'll be back next year," she predicted.