As Niagara-on-the-Lake ends the temporary patio program it introduced five years ago to help restaurants during the pandemic, it’s now uncertain what will happen with one Old Town business’s bid to keep its patio for good.
On Tuesday, council voted to defer a decision on whether to allow the Irish Harp on King Street to make its temporary patio permanent.
The delay gives the town time to review staff’s recommendation to refuse the pub’s offer to pay about $436,000 in cash-in-lieu to take over six parking spaces for its patio and short-term rental units.
Couns. Wendy Cheropita and Andrew Niven said they want staff to examine an option that would grant the Irish Harp three parking spaces for its patio, but not the three tied to its rental units.
“I was grateful that they were looking back into it and that council was asking the town to look into a way that we could find a viable solution,” said Irish Harp owner Jovie Joki.
Niven asked for the matter to return at the planning committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 7 in the new year. Joki said it will come back for discussion that day.
Staff recommended rejecting the cash-in-lieu proposal due to Old Town’s already limited parking and “outstanding concerns with respect to the safety of the residents and visitors.”
Staff warned that if the spaces were removed, delivery trucks would need to park elsewhere, potentially affecting road safety.
The Irish Harp was previously permitted to extend its front patio over parking spaces in 2009.
The temporary patio program ends Dec. 31, which will mean all businesses operating a temporary patio, many of which are concentrated in NOTL’s downtown core, will need to take down their patios.
Town communications co-ordinator Marah Minor said so far, only the Irish Harp and one other Old Town business have applied to make their patios permanent.
The owners of the Olde Angel Inn and neighbouring properties are seeking approval to make the inn’s patio and two existing cottage rentals permanent.
Their application, presented at a public meeting last Tuesday, covers three buildings at 224 and 226 Regent St. and 42 Market St., and would retain the two parking spaces associated with the rentals.
“This is simply to permit what’s already existing,” said Lichheng Lim, a senior planner with NPG Planning Solutions representing applicant Keith Turner, during a November open house.
Turner told The Lake Report the zoning change is a “natural” step.
“The patio area currently being used for the Angel Inn is zoned commercial and a patio is an allowable use,” he said in an email. “Our customers have enjoyed it for the last four years. We are not looking to increase capacity, so increase(ing) parking shouldn’t be an issue.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming customers back to the patio next season.”
Not everyone in Old Town agrees.
Gina Angelakopoulos, who owns the Epicurean restaurant on Queen Street with her husband, John, spoke against the Irish Harp and Olde Angel’s plans council meetings on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9.
The Epicurean operates a patio on its property.
“Staff have been clear and consistent in identifying that this request represents a significant loss of required parking and the surrounding area cannot absorb the impacts,” she said Tuesday.
In an interview last week, Gina said she is glad to see the temporary program ending and opposes making any patios permanent. She and John cited heritage concerns — John said it would “change the look of the town” — as well as safety issues such as exceeding capacity limits.
They also view the situation as an issue of fairness.
“We followed the rules,” John said. “Those people, they break the rules. That’s the difference.”
Previously, the town began studying what a permanent patio program might look like. However, on Feb. 25, council voted to end the temporary patio program at the end of this year and halt work on a permanent patio program.
The motion to end the patio program directed staff to report back on budget, timing and boundaries for a Queen Street master secondary plan, which would consider the future of patios in the heritage district.
Kim and Scott Gauld, owners of Sunset Grill, installed their patio in 2020 under the temporary program. They support making patios like those at the Olde Angel Inn and the Irish Harp permanent, but are frustrated by how the town is ending the program.
“My biggest disappointment is the process that led to the program’s conclusion,” said Kim Gauld.
She noted during the Feb. 25 meeting, staff shared a report that addressed issues with the existing program — including options for annual fees, design guidelines and steps toward a permanent approach.
Instead, she said, the town hit pause on this work.
“This feels like a decision made without proper consideration of the very solutions staff had prepared,” said Gauld.
How, or whether, patios might be incorporated in the future remains unresolved.
Joki said she wishes the town had not run out the clock on the temporary patio program.
“I wish it would have continued until they found a better option.”
Short-term options were discussed at last week’s committee of the whole meeting, with Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa asking if a stopgap should be considered until the Queen Street secondary plan is done. Work on that plan may start next spring.
Cheropita argued that the patios are popular and should continue. Niven agreed but said the program needs “enhancements.”
Coun. Sandra O’Connor said she does not support extending the program before the Queen Street plan is finished. Coun. Gary Burroughs agreed. Coun. Maria Mavridis said patios are not the highest priority with one year left in council’s term.
