Regional plan aims to encourage more patios

WATERLOO REGION — Opening patios alongside regional roads will be easier with a new partnership that allows cities to issue the permits.

The master agreement, now being developed by the Region of Waterloo, will also set out rules for patios alongside the light rail line to make sure they’re safe for everyone.

“We want to work on it as fast as we can to allow these patios to start popping up,” said Steve van De Keere, transportation director for the Region of Waterloo.

“We’ve been getting more and more requests for them,” van De Keere said, adding that many of the requests are along the Ion route.

The plan aims to strike a balance between encouraging more patios while also ensuring the safety of pedestrians, patrons and patio owners.

A 1.8-metre pedestrian pathway will be preferred, but that may be reduced to 1.2 metres on a case-by-case basis.

The cities of Kitchener and Waterloo have guidelines for patio licences on city roads, but do not currently have an agreement with the region for patios along regional roads.

“We’ll let them administer permits on the region’s behalf on regional roads,” van De Keere said.

That way a business owner will apply for an annual patio permit with the city, and it will look after any enforcement that’s required.

“It’s better customer service and it’s a more streamlined process,” van De Keere said.

Kitchener and Waterloo support forming the master agreement and the region will likely encourage the remaining municipalities to adopt patio guidelines to enter a similar agreement with the region, said a regional staff report.

Patios installed on roads next to curbside light rail lines are of particular concern due to the proximity to trains and the overhead wire systems.

The region will review guidelines for this year’s patio season and revise the master agreement as needed for when Ion trains start running, planned for next spring.

Applicants approved for this year are being warned there may be changes related to light rail which could affect their approval for a patio next year.

Planning and works committee chair Coun. Tom Galloway urged staff to get the permanent guidelines in place as soon as possible to allow businesses to plan their patios and make the right investments.

Van De Keere expects that if there are any changes to the guidelines for next year, they will be small.