Dear editor:
The Jan. 16 edition of The Lake Report indicated that the “patio program will stay” for as long as it takes council to approve a new permanent patio program for Queen Street.
For an initiative that was designed to help restaurants during and after COVID, from what was to be a one-year program, it has now turned into years of extensions, extensions, extensions. It does not appear that this program is about to end any time soon.
Niagara-on-the-Lake should embrace a standard of excellence instead of a standard of mediocrity.
At present, there are no outdoor patios along Queen Street that are aesthetically attractive in my opinion. Outdoor patios should complement the character of the community and contribute to the well-known identity of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Our identity is our built heritage, beautiful annual displays along Queen Street, well-maintained gardens and parks, attractive streetscapes and many other attributes that help to make our town special.
Our identity will not be enhanced with the retention or addition of more outdoor patios along Queen Street. With no plans in place as to how many curbside patios should be permitted along Queen Street, things will only get worse. Plain and simple.
During a recent trip to Palm Springs, Calif., there are still a few patios intermittently found along Palm Canyon Drive, the main street of this city.
This community has experienced some of the same issues that Niagara-on-the-Lake has encountered in the past. Tourism is a very important economic engine for us as well as Palm Springs.
Here, dining establishments need to apply for a permit and have it carefully reviewed by the architectural review committee. This committee thoroughly reviews every design as well as the applicants’ attention to operational standards.
Palm Springs has excellent design and operational standards for their “parklets” — that’s what curbside patios are called in this city. Each business, as of October 2023, is required to pay $1.85 per square foot per month for the privilege of having an outdoor patio on public property.
Finally, it’s important to note that some of the other merchants along Palm Canyon Drive who are not involved in food services are not happy about the preferential treatment given to restauranteurs as valuable parking space is taken away for potential customers who might like to otherwise patronize their stores for business.
The town needs to carefully think about what makes Niagara-on-the-Lake special to us and others. The town needs to protect the identity of our community in the long term and continue to embrace a standard of excellence, not mediocrity.
We are not like other communities and our uniqueness should be preserved. Council needs to consider these factors when making future decisions. Enough said.
John Morley
NOTL