Melange Restaurant and Modern Cafe are two downtown Nanaimo businesses who have expressed interest in expanding their outdoor patios during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

OPEN SPACES

Nanaimo council green lights patio expansion for downtown cafes & restaurants

May 25, 2020 | 9:10 PM

NANAIMO — Downtown restaurants are getting extra help as they look to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

City council unanimously voted to move ahead with a temporary patio expansion program for food service businesses in the downtown core.

The program will see the businesses rent public space on roads from the City to expand seating and capacity on raised platforms. Streets involved in the program will not be closed to vehicle traffic.

Dale Lindsay, manager of development services, told council the downtown core was unique, where most businesses fronted directly onto public space, not privately held land.

“Essentially the question is, are you prepared to allow the use of public space to facilitate these patios? That’s the ultimate question for you and why the downtown, the Old City corridor is unique,” Lindsay said.

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Focus immediately turned to the fairness of the proposal to businesses outside the downtown, with businesses in central and north Nanaimo typically situated on private land.

“The city doesn’t revolve just around the downtown, we have to be fair to all businesses,” coun. Sheryl Armstrong said.

After approving the temporary patio program for downtown, coun. Tyler Brown presented a motion to indicate the City’s support of businesses on private land expanding into parking spaces if permitted by the land owner.

It also passed unanimously.

The City will use $25,000 from the Downtown Events Grants to build the platforms.

However, the cost of building platforms for the patios will be recouped from the businesses over a two year period.

The restaurants will also pay an additional $14 per square metre in their license fee.

Modern Cafe chef and owner Daniel Caron is one of several business owners in favour of the proposal. Caron petitioned council to expand by taking over space on the road along Commercial St.

He said the extra space would allow him to set up extra tables, in an effort to recoup losses due to social distancing protocols inside the cafe.

“Everybody on the street is trying to do the same thing, gain a bit more seating capacity trying to make the dollar,” Caron said. “Now that you’re limited in the inside seating, restaurants are very tight on a budget.”

Caron said this could be the first step in transforming the downtown, beginning with Commercial St.

“Next door (Melange Restaurant) is doing the same thing, more patio. Down the street more of the shops are doing that too so I’m hope more people take advantage of it and try to get the downtown core busy and bustling again with people.”

Caron cited the success of the downtown night market as evidence to the success of allowing more pedestrian space on Commercial St.

The City also gave pre-approval for all temporary expansions for liquor primary businesses until the end of October 2020.

This step will allow liquor-primary businesses to expand their patios without additional approvals from the City, although they will still be subject to application and process through the province.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley