Permanent patio program gets mixed reviews from Guelph businesses
Global News
Businesses who use a portion of the street will be charged $10 per square metre, a monthly fee some say they can't afford to pay.
Not everyone is pleased with Guelph’s new permanent seasonal patio program.
Council on Tuesday passed a motion to adopt the program that was first rolled out as a three-year pilot program in 2020 as a way for local businesses to stay open during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other municipalities in Ontario also allowed businesses to expand on the sidewalks and streets during the summer season, especially in the downtown areas.
Under the permanent program, businesses that use a portion of the street will be charged $10 per square metre per month (plus HST). It would cost $600 per month or $3,000 per year for a business to put out a 60-square-metre patio.
While more people have been visiting downtown restaurants and merchants as a result, some owners have objected to the fees that have been established as part of the program.
“We whole heartedly disagree with the $10 per square metre,” said Bryan Steele, operator of La Reina restaurant on Wyndham Street who made a delegation by telephone to Council on behalf of a number of downtown merchants. “With the proposed fee, Royal Electric and Jimmy Jazz (along with his restaurant) will be unable to put out their patios this summer.”
Steele suggested to Council that a fee of $3 per square metre per month calling it “more than fair.”
“I hope the patio representatives and city council can find a way to adjust this rate because we can’t afford $10 per square metre.”
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