Expanded restaurant patios back for spring
The city is preparing to bring back expanded restaurant patios and extra space for pedestrians as the COVID -19 pandemic heads toward its second spring.
Development permit fees will be waived again this year for restaurants and bars to expand their patios onto sidewalks, parking lots or other available space. The move helps clear the way to seat more people outdoors as eateries comply with capacity limits during public-health restrictions.
City business and local economy leader Sonya Sharp said Tuesday that the date for patios to expand on public sidewalks or roads isn't set. The city is aiming for late April or early May, but the weather will need to co-operate — the expansions can't go ahead if there's a chance of a major snowfall and annual street sweeping will also have to be finished.
Patios can be expanded onto private property any time.
The city is opening the application process earlier than last year to give businesses a chance to prepare for patio season well in advance.
Sharp said their experience now could help streamline the process in the future, too.
“Last year, I never thought we would be doing this again for COVID,” she said. “Our job is to make it easy for businesses … if we can ease a process and save them time and money in the future, I think that's something we have to consider and keep the businesses going.”
Road closures to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists will also return this year, with some limited space potentially being opened as soon as this weekend.
Coun. Druh Farrell asked during a council meeting whether the city could move more quickly to reinstate the “COVID lanes,” as warm weather has led river pathways being crowded with Calgarians eager to be outside.
Acting transportation general manager Doug Morgan said there isn't a set date to set aside road space again, but he would look into expediting it.
“We're already in discussions about this weekend about whether we can open it up, even if it's for a short time when the weather is great,” he said.
The city started piloting extra space last year at the end of March. The lanes were reopened to cars in October “to prepare for winter operations.”
Fees for patio expansions were first waived in 2020 when the province lifted COVID restrictions in May, bringing back sitdown dining back after months of being shut down. In total, the city granted permission for 142 expanded patios. More than 100 of those were on public property.
Last summer, Calgarians took full advantage of the extra outdoor space as temperatures rose and the number of COVID cases stayed low. But the patios had to be removed as winter set in to make sure there was space for snow clearing to start up.
Businesses hoping to expand their outdoor patios this year can find information about how to apply on the city's website.