A new patio policy has been adopted by Meaford’s committee of the whole to establish a lease rate for businesses who wish to set up a patio in the summer season.
During a meeting on April 25, a report from CAO Rob Armstrong was brought forward. It had the committee of the whole recommend council enact the commercial patio policy, following a pilot program in place since 2015.
The report says since 2015, the municipality has been evaluating the success of downtown patios. The program demonstrated itself to be necessary to support restaurants who were unable to serve people inside due to the pandemic.
Staff were directed in 2021 to put together a policy for the program to continue. Moving to a policy from a program, it was recommended setting up a lease rate for businesses who want to continue using the program.
The permanent program includes an application process, fees and an agreement for temporary patios to be place on municipal sidewalks, boulevards and on-street parking from May 1 to Oct. 15 annually.
By employing an application process, the report says it will allow staff to look at each applicants proposal on a case-by-case basis and if it meets certain standards including pedestrian safety, accessibility, preservation of views to businesses, fire safety, and access to municipal services.
The patio program will not be limited to restaurants, as retail businesses can also send in applications.
The report says staff are recommending a fixed fee of $200 for new applications to cover the costs for administrative and review. The monthly lease rate will be set at $4.50 per square meter, and given how a parking space is about 12 square meters, one parking spot leased for a month would cost a business $54.00 per month. In addition, there will also be a fixed fee of $300 for an administrative penalty for any patio operator who expands an existing patio or creates a new patio on municipal land without approval.
In 2020 and 2021, the report says disagreements between businesses for patios placed in on-street parking spaces and located directly in front of businesses which did not have a patio were voiced.
In response, the report says efforts will be made to have patios situated directly in front of an applicant’s business. Where it is not possible, however, the applying business will be granted the closest possible on-street parking space.
The funds received through the patio program are expected to help with ongoing operational costs for the municipality including marketing, communication, and inspection.
Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney asks if the many restaurants along their streets each apply for patio space, if it would be a first-come first-served basis.
Armstrong says in response, they would need to first figure out who is interested in taking part in the program.
“Until we know the scope and who is willing to partake in the program, especially now there is going to be a cost,” says Armstrong. “I think what it is a case of, is we as staff will try to ensure everyone could be fit in. We may have to limit the availability of area to certain restaurants who may have enjoyed a larger space to ensure everybody can fit in. That will be something we will have to evaluate based on needs and the constraints we have compared to location.”
