Patio season

County’s patio policy gets mixed reviews

As spring begins its slow climatic warming into summer, the outdoors become a place for everyone, and visitors and locals alike descend on centres such as Picton and Wellington for shopping and socializing and being outside.

Part of that is to have patios, so folks can have an outdoor place to sit down to enjoy a drink or a meal and chat with passers-by.

In 2013, the County’s community development department created a sidewalk patio project.

According to the County’s website, businesses are encouraged to build summertime patios to promote a friendly, walkable downtown.

“To support the creation of an environment for business and investment while enhancing the County’s competitive advantage for attracting and retaining business, the Community Development Department initiated a sidewalk patio project in 2013. The project has now turned into an annual program. Patio-goers can now nibble and sip as they soak in the atmosphere of The County’s downtown cores,” the site states.

It’s profitable for the County, too. There are a bevy of fees for business owners, including a $50 application fee, a $300 monthly fee for the use of public sidewalks or parking spaces, and other daily fees for more specific right of way permits.

There are also rules about the width of openings for patios so that they remain accessible to passers-by with a width of at least five feet.

The patios must also be temporary, and removed by October 15.

Economic development head Neil Carbone says the patios encourage visitors to stay in town longer on their way to places like the Sandbanks, and improve economic and social growth in the County’s downtowns.

“It’s a downtown revitalization initiative. It animates the streetscape. It brings people outside so that they’re visible to people that are driving by, people that are walking by, and it creates a general interest to get outside and walk around,” says Carbone. “It certainly supports business growth. If there’s more people downtown, those people are potentially walking around and checking out other shops as well.”

Vic Café owners Sonya and Rick Szabo say they feel like bystanders watching the criticism of their library patio.

The bylaw connected to the project was developed in consultation with the County’s accessibility committee, and Carbone says accessibility was a chief consideration. Patio plans must also be reviewed by the fire department, accessibility committee, operations, the building department and development services before they can be approved.

Carbone also says that while parking spaces may be used up by patios, the loss is worth the increased foot traffic and downtown revitalization. In Picton, the County has been increasing the number of available parking spaces, and in Wellington, patio permits will be limited until an alternate solution can be found. Right now, there is only one patio in Wellington that has taken parking spots, and that site is directly across the street from an accessible spot.

The idea has not been without opposition. In online community forums, a large group of residents have been critical of the loss of parking, diverted sidewalks and loss of public space.

The criticism has been especially intensified at the Picton branch of the public library, where the east side of the front yard has been turned into a patio for the neighbouring Vic Café.

The County library’s CEO, Barbara Sweet says in an effort to make better use of the limited space and create more opportunities for community groups to enjoy using the library, she made the decision to approach the café’s owner this winter.

“We try to use the space constructively. Last year we did a play area for children, and we’re going to do that again this year, on the other side,” says Sweet. “Last year, when the construction was going on, it was so difficult for people to get to us. And in an effort to still be seen amidst the maze of fencing and to be welcoming, and to try and compensate, we started using it.”

Rick and Sonya Szabo opened the Vic Café last year, a reimagining of the tiny eatery adjacent to both the Regent Theatre and the Picton branch of the public library. When the County’s patio initiative came out last year, the pair attempted to take advantage of it. They were denied because the road construction meant the space in front of their shop was vital for traffic.

This winter, they considered applying again. Instead, Sweet approached them about building a patio on the library’s front yard, next door. They agreed immediately.

“Of all of the millions of ways we dreamed of expanding, we never thought of expanding out in the library,” says Sonya. “We were surprised, but as soon as she offered it to us, Rick and I both said yes. It makes a lot of sense for us.”

Sweet says the library’s principle of keeping everything free will remain intact. It’s one not all public library systems adhere to.

“As a public entity, I don’t think that you get as many free things as you do from the library,” says Sweet. “Free programming, free books, free DVDs. We really try to keep everything affordable. We recently had a speaker, Gwynne Dyer. And I really debated charging for that. I really thought about it long and hard and I thought, no, I don’t really want to. I like the principle of everything is available to everyone. That’s a principle that I adhere to. And so we didn’t.”

Among the concerns was the issue of café patrons using the library’s Internet. Sweet commented that objections over Wi-Fi was a good reminder that the service was still being used, which made her feel justified in maintaining access to it 24 hours per day, a feature not all libraries offer.

“It’s space, and it’s space that we can utilize,” says Sweet. “We don’t have space in the library, we don’t have that luxury. We’ve really outgrown this building. Specifically around the coffee thing, people always ask us for coffee, and we’ve looked at different strategies, how we can do it, and we just don’t have the space to safely do it… So it just seemed like an opportunity.”

Sweet admits that because the patio was paid for by the Vic and is clearly its patio seating, its primary use should be for patrons of the Vic. However, the Szabos don’t plan on kicking anyone out for not buying anything.

“I know there were some accusations that the Vic would ask people to leave if they wanted to sit in here. I don’t know if those people have ever been in the Vic before. We’re pretty friendly. I’ve never had to ask anyone to leave the Vic. We often just ask, ‘what can we get ya?’ And I think we’ll just maintain that. I mean, it’s ours to share,” says Sonya.

The Vic is also making an effort to be community minded, offering space for groups and clubs that already use the library. They are also donating food and drink for this Saturday’s annual book sale, which raises funds for the library.

Sweet is not bothered by the concerns.

“This is all public space,” says Sweet. “There’s now a café within the public space, but there’s the yard in the front, there’s the whole building inside, and as things heat up over the summer—as we hope they eventually do—it’s nicely air conditioned in here.”