Ottawa reviews patio rules
Posted Feb 15, 2011 06:23:24 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With a minus twenty-seven wind-chill in Ottawa on Tuesday, sitting on a patio wasn’t on anyone’s mind. However, the season is just mere months away, and the city has been looking at possibly revamping patio permit rules for Ottawa bars and restaurants.
Trouble has been brewing because the last city council approved a patio for Maclaren pub last November which directly contravened the city bylaws. The key rule was the 30-metre rule. If a patio encroaches on city property and is within 30 metres of a residential building it is immediately denied.
There may be some middle ground however, the city’s program manager for right-of-way bylaws and permits told the citizen that staff were considering changing the 30 metre rule, so there wouldn’t be an automatic refusal, but instead initiate a procedure where staff could look further into it. Some downtown residents don’t think it’s fair the city is changing the known rules on downtown residents.
