Victoria reconsiders closure of 2 restaurant patios
CTV
The City of Victoria is taking another look at a bylaw that would force the closure of two popular curbside patios.
The City of Victoria is taking another look at a bylaw that would force the closure of two popular curbside patios.
At an April 27 meeting, Victoria council directed staff to look at the possibility of making changes to the bylaw that would allow the Beagle Pub and 5th Street Bar and Grill to keep their "pandemic" patios open.
The Cook Street Village and Hillside Avenue neighbourhood pubs were told they would have to shutdown their patios due to a bylaw adopted by the city in March. The new bylaw bans patios on green space on city boulevards starting May 31.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto says by expanding the bylaw, she hopes it will include more patios than just the ones at 5th Street Grill and the Beagle Pub.
"What I’m essentially asking, and what council agreed to, is for us to ask staff to look at whether or not there are any nuances, whether there’s any more opportunities," said Alto on Friday.
"You know, what can we do to refine the bylaw to make sure we are doing everything we possibly can to enhance the outdoor experience for the public?" she said.
During the pandemic, the outdoor patios on city-owned property quickly became a lifeline for many Victoria restaurants. As summer approaches and the weather improves, they continue to be popular.
