With summer rays here and some COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, restaurant patios are expected to be the place to be as of tomorrow.
According to the City of North Bay, because patios are so far the only way people can enjoy sit-down restaurant food, the City is waiving all fees associated with the creation of new or expanded outdoor patio spaces. This includes any potential building permit fees, applicable parking fees under the existing Sidewalk Patio Program and municipal alcohol license approvals and extensions issued through the City Clerk’s Office for the 2020 season.
“Many businesses have been hard hit by this pandemic and we remain committed to helping our local bars and restaurants, retailers and other establishments recover,” said Mayor Al McDonald. “We were able to act very quickly following Monday’s provincial announcement to implement this measure and help make reopening a little easier.”
City officials add that in addition to the waiving of fees, the expansion of the Sidewalk Patio Program downtown will support the use of sidewalks for outdoor retail space was also approved by Council Wednesday during a Special Meeting.
“We’re working to assist businesses with reopening as safely as possible by making it easier for them to create more space for their customers,” said Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch. “We hope that this will be one less worry for them as they work to restart their operations.”
To find all the City guidelines on the program, click here.
