Speedier service in works for outside patio applications
The city is hoping to squeeze more sunshine out of Edmonton’s summer by streamlining the process for restaurants to receive sidewalk patio licences.
It takes an average six to eight weeks to win permission to put out tables on public space. But under a report going to council’s executive committee on Oct. 10, that could be cut to as little as three days for minor developments.
Officials are also considering simplifying review procedures, shortening processing times and changing street parking to allow more café space.
“As far as making it easier for mom-and-pop operations to put a couple of chairs out front without having to jump through a lot of hoops, I think it’s great progress,” Coun. Don Iveson said Friday.
“I think giving up one or two stalls of parking to make outdoor dining feasible for a whole lot more people in our city is well worth it.”
This could involve installing removable wooden boardwalks to take pedestrians around a patio through a street parking space, which already happens in Calgary, he said.
While requests for minor patios — with less than 12 seats and no alcohol service — would take less than a week to complete, the report doesn’t estimate how long it would take to handle major applications.
These would require more paperwork for items such as liability insurance and a liquor permit.
There are about 65 sidewalk cafes in Edmonton, most on Whyte Avenue, Jasper Avenue and other main streets, the report said.
Iveson would like the province to amend its laws so customers could order alcohol on patios even if servers have to cross a sidewalk or other public land to reach them, which now isn’t allowed.
But he hopes the city’s proposed changes mean more people will be dining al fresco as soon as next year.
“It’s just another thing for Edmontonians to do that supports our hospitality industry. It gets people out, it gets them filling our streets, and brings more of that big-city flavour to Edmonton.”
The suggested moves were welcome news to people taking advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures to have lunch along Whyte Avenue.
Jeff Gusdal, eating a salad on the Two Rooms patio, said the more opportunity for Edmonton residents to sit in the sunshine, the better.
“It creates a more attractive community environment when you have people outside enjoying the fresh air,” he said.
“It gives your neighbourhood more of a lived-in feel, more vibrant and interesting. … We do have a short period of time to be outside. When you do have that opportunity, it’s nice to be able to take advantage of it.”
Ben Gardner, grabbing a bite down the block at The Pourhouse, said extra life on the sidewalks helps keep communities safe.
“It gives you interaction with your fellow citizens,” he said, adding he often runs into friends walking by when he sits on a patio.
“Compared to a bunch of sealed windows with no street interaction, this will reduce crime.”
Poul Mark, owner of Transcend Coffee, said his company’s locations in Garneau and on Jasper Avenue have small patios on city sidewalks, but applying for the permits was cumbersome.
“It should definitely be streamlined. I wouldn’t say we had any real difficulty in obtaining a licence, but the process itself is convoluted. … It definitely isn’t something you can get done in a day,” he said.
“I think there’s ways to figure out how to make it easier for people. It’s a time-consuming process.”
One improvement to the current proposals would be allowing customers to order alcohol on patios classified as minor, Mark said.
“How do you monitor that? From a server’s point of view, that becomes frustrating,” he said, adding patrons might not understand why they can’t have a drink in the sunshine.
“What’s the point of having a patio if you can’t serve them?”