Popular parking lot patios could outlive COVID-19 pandemic
A busy restaurant patio in a parking lot on May 31, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
It was a COVID-19 pandemic lifeline for local restaurants, but looser patio rules could soon become permanent in London.
Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan sent a letter to colleagues seeking a staff report on parking lot patios and other flexibility offered by city hall since 2020.
“Through the pandemic we have learned that this is a viable option and if there’s no issue with accessible [parking] spaces or no concerns with the capacity of the parking lot, I don’t see that this isn’t something council can make permanent,” said Morgan.
He expressed his motion stemmed from conversations with several restaurant owners and says a permanent change to the municipal rules would incentivize restaurants to invest in higher quality patios.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario rules would still apply.
The directive that permits patios in parking lots is set to expire in mid-January 2023.
On Tuesday, the Community and Protective Services Committee unanimously backed Morgan’s request.
A review of commercial patio zoning rules is also underway.
A combined report on the future of restaurant patios will come to the committee in July or August.
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