The Town of Kingsville have formally developed and implemented a temporary patio policy.
Council recently approved to implement the policy, and approved the associated fees.
In 2020, the province helped restaurants with temporary patios due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, further changes were made, allowing restaurants to serve alcohol on temporary patios with municipal approval, valid for up to eight months each year.
There are two types of temporary patios. The first type is on private property, where the Town must consider safety issues, like whether it is near vehicles or blocking fire routes, and land use planning issues, such as its connection to restaurants.
The second type is on Town property, including sidewalks or roads, requiring an agreement to address liability.
For a general temporary patio, the permit cost is $300 per year. For parking space patios, the permit cost is $1,500 per year.
Kingsville mayor Dennis Rogers says this is just an update to the policy.
"So really what this is it's just us putting together a policy to be able to manage the patios, and same as that kind of came about through COVID. During COVID we were just trying to make sure businesses were open, and helping support, and you name it. So really what this does, it's really just updating and getting a new policy for the patios within our community."
He says the parking space patio's are much more as those spaces wouldn't be available to drivers.
"So if you drive down in Kingsville, or go on Main Street, what it does is planters will go in place down where the parking, the street parking, is. And it allows that restaurant or business, they'll have a patio out on the sidewalk and into the road."
Rogers says he hasn't heard any busy back from residents.
"The fees haven't really changed historically. There was a bump up on one of them, but I haven't heard any push back on it, so it's not like they doubled or tripled in price."
He adds that temporary patios are quite popular in the town, especially on Main Street.
Interested businesses must fill out a temporary patio application to receive approval from the town.