Victoria mayor now wants pandemic patios to stay for busy summer season

Restaurants and cafes that spilled their services into Victoria’s streets, sidewalks and public spaces during the pandemic could have more time to figure out a long-term plan for their once-temporary patios.

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto on Thursday (May 4) wants the city to ditch her April 28 motion that was unanimously supported by council and instead pass a new motion that would immediately allow all pandemic patio permit holders to keep operating until winter.

As the sun and warmer temperatures returned to the region for the first time in months, Alto’s new motion said the city anticipates a busy summer season with near pre-pandemic numbers of visitors and resident activities throughout the capital.

The mayor’s previous motion directed city staff to report back on the implications of expanding allowable patios on public spaces and closed streets in a way that enables innovative use of unique spaces.

That came just weeks after the city brought in its new patio regulation bylaw, which outlined how businesses can apply to make their pandemic patios permanent. That new bylaw transitioned the city away from the pandemic-spurred Build Back Victoria program and also set out safety, accessibility and other requirements for patios.

But the patio bylaw also defined the public spaces eligible for certain kinds of patios and brought in regulations meant to ensure the expanded service areas don’t damage boulevards. In recent weeks, a few restaurants flagged they would have to remove their boulevard patios by the end of May under the new rules.

Alto’s motion would allow existing pandemic-sprung patios to stick around until Nov. 30. It also tasks staff to investigate how changes to the patio bylaw could allow greater flexibility and innovation in the commercial use of public space. The motion could be adopted on Thursday if it’s supported by council.

While the capital was going its own route, pandemic patios across B.C. have been given more time to help businesses continue their recovery.

Victoria was prepping for its new bylaw to coincide with the patio season and planned for its pandemic patio programs to expire in alignment with the province’s temporary expanded service area (TESA) regulation – which was set to end on March 31. The day after Victoria gave its draft bylaw third reading, B.C. announced a final extension of TESA until Dec. 31, 2024.

READ: Mayor lays groundwork for ‘unique’ patio options in Victoria