Town of Coaldale waive development fees for outdoor patio development

At the April 26 Regular Council meeting, Coaldale Town Council unanimously voted to approve a proposal to waive development fees for local businesses applying for outdoor patio extensions.

“Since our initial announcement that we’ve been partnering with McLennan’s to launch a patio pilot program this year, the Town has been fielding a number of requests from other businesses wanting to construct their own temporary patio spaces,” said Spencer Croil, Director of Planning and Community Development. “To show our support for the local business community during the pandemic, Town Council has opted to eliminate the fees for the development applications so businesses have the opportunity to expand their operating capacity at a lower cost.”

Staff have also committed their time and resources to streamline the application process, assisting businesses in properly completing development applications and making sure all requirements are appropriately met.

“This initiative isn’t only going to make this process cheaper for our businesses; it’s also going to make sure that they can get their new patios open as quickly as possible,” said Cameron Mills, Manager of Economic Development. “Restaurants have been hit hard by the pandemic response measures and we want to do our part to make sure that we make it as easy as possible to get and keep their businesses open, especially now that we’re coming into the summer months.”

“Outdoor patio extensions allow restaurants the flexibility to make adjustments for the evolving COVID-19 restrictions,” added Croil. “These provisions to support the business community by making the process as simple and cheap as possible will aid the overall economic recovery in Coaldale.”