Oakville restaurant patios can stay open until end of the year
Content Originally Published on:
October 27, 2020 at 12:28 pm
Oakville has extended its outdoor patio program for restaurants into the end of the year.
The measure is meant to help support businesses and allow them to continue to provide outdoor seating while maintaining physical distancing measures.
“We heard from our local businesses that there is a need to keep patios open through the winter, and the town quickly made operational and policy changes to extend the patio program in order to support our local eating and drinking establishments,” said Mayor Rob Burton.
Existing patio permit holders will require an extension agreement if they would like to use their patios beyond November 3 of this year.
In December, Town staff will assess the success of the winter patio season including the uptake by restaurants and any potential challenges posed by the weather, and decide on a further extension throughout the entire winter.
“The temporary patio program helped restaurants establish a record number of patios this season and utilize our streets and public spaces in new ways,” said Dorothy St. George, director, Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives. “The winter months will bring new complexities but the Town is pleased to have found a way to respond to the requests of restaurant owners to extend their season.”
Town staff approved 93 permits for patios in 2020, a substantial increase from previous years. Patios were permitted in a mix of locations including private lands and parking spaces, as well as Town lands including sidewalks, on-street parking spaces, parking lots, Towne Square, and on a section of Marine Dr. in Bronte Village.
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