DIDSBURY — Town council has held a discussion on the future of outdoor dining patios in town, which are currently allowed in the municipality under temporary rules put in place last year to help hard-hit businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council approved the use of temporary outdoor patios in town in September 2021 and that approval was later extended to Dec. 31, 2022.
Allowing outdoor patios has “enhanced the vitality and vibrancy of our downtown but we think it would help if we had some clarification on some things,” said Ethan Gorner, the Town of Didsbury's chief administrative officer.
“The temporary allowance of outdoor patios has a been well received by business owners. However, there are issues and concerns regarding blocking and access to sidewalks and the loss of parking spaces, particularly on 20th Street.
“Council is being asked to consider clarification to the temporary outdoor patio dining approval. Council may consider such additional conditions as protections of sidewalk access and limits on parking space utilization.”
The patios have created some extra work for town staff because gravel sweeping must, in come cases, be done by hand, council heard.
Coun. Joyce McCoy said the outdoor patios “add great vibrancy to the downtown. If we are going permanent about this we need policy that they can follow because right now we haven’t told them how far they can go.”
Deputy mayor Curt Engel said one of the issues that needs to be considered is safety.
“We are allowing patios that are protecting people from 3,000 pound vehicles by a rope. It’s just not going to stop a travelling car. If we are doing a policy we need to incorporate some safety measures,” said Engel.
Coun. Dorothy Moore said the installation of cement barriers might help address safety concerns.
Coun. Bill Windsor said he would like to see a number of conditions on the patios, including allowing no more than three parking stalls to be impacted, that they should not be allowed to block pedestrian access on sidewalks, and that if barriers are portable they should be removed when the business is closed.
“If they are closed on a Saturday, why are they blocking those parking stalls?” he said.
Special permits should perhaps be considered to allow the patios to temporarily expand during special events, he said.
Coun. Ethan Williams said the temporary patios have been helpful to businesses struggling during the pandemic.
Mayor Rhonda Hunter said, “I think everyone agrees the patios are great. What I’ve heard is that encroachment on too many parking spots is detrimental.”
Council instructed administration to gather input from business owners on the issue of possible patio conditions and report back at the June 14 council meeting.
