A city staff report recommends a permanent, annual program for businesses to expand patio spaces in downtown Peterborough while also extending the patio season.
Temporary public space changes have been in place since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Temporary changes each June to October have included removing some on-street parking, reducing speed limits, allowing businesses to expand sidewalk patio space, and creating a temporary one-way street on a section of Hunter Street West.
Now an extensive staff report to be reviewed by city council on Feb. 13 recommends an annual permanent program be implemented in the city’s Central Area – primarily the downtown core.
The recommendation follows support via a month-long online survey from December 2022 to January 2023 that saw 76 per cent of 515 respondents agreeing that changes in 2022 helped downtown businesses and 75 per cent agreeing the changes benefitted the downtown.
There was also a public consultation on Jan. 11 and review meetings with the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA).
In her report, Jasbir Raina, commissioner of infrastructure and development services, says the benefits of the program “extend beyond” a pandemic response for the area.
“Based on feedback from key stakeholders and the public, there is strong support for a patio program that is operated on an annual basis which allows businesses to use city-owned lands to create patios for use by their customers,” he said
“The survey results provide clear indication that the majority of respondents agreed that the outdoor patio program adds vibrancy and boosts the economy in the downtown.”
The survey showed seven per cent (36) of the 515 respondents were downtown business owners. Twenty-seven self-identified business owners/operators reported positive results with the temporary public spaces.
Raina says if approved, the 2023 season will be very similar to 2022’s version. However, the season will be expanded and run annually from April 15 to Nov. 15.
The city also plans to develop an online permit application to streamline administration. In 2022 the city reports 26 businesses took advantage of the opportunity to operate an outdoor patio on city-owned land.
The report also proposes an administrative monetary penalty system that would create an enforcement process to ensure compliance with patio permits and to “limit the city’s risk to non-permitted patios on city property.”
The costs for 2023’s patio season program are estimated to be $40,000 which includes communication signs, advertising, additional planters and fencing and equipment and signage installation and removal, the report states.
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