Vancouver approves more than 300 temporary patios as calls to extend program mount

In just over two months the City of Vancouver has issued hundreds of temporary patio licenses for bars, restaurants and breweries aprogramthat's been a lifeline for many business owners while igniting calls for permanent changes to city bylaws.

Since June 1, the city has approvedmore than 360 temporary patio permits. Theprogram is aimed atallowingsafe physical distancing inside and outsideestablishments while bringing in more customers.

Restaurant owners like Shaun Layton say the program haschanged the face of Vancouver, callingitone of the few silver linings to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"You've got some really cool restaurants that have beer gardens, with outdoor games," said Layton, owner of restaurant Como Taperia. "I think it's injected a ton of culture in a time when it's healthy to be outdoors into the neighbourhood."

"It's just more vibrant out there," he said.

A timely lifeline

The temporary patio program was green-lit by the provincewhich allowed businesses like restaurants, pubs, and breweries to apply to expand their service licenses after being hard hit by the pandemic. The largerservingareas arenot meant to increase occupancy levels, but to allow for physical distancing.

Municipalities, however, must sign off on each application to ensure they're in compliance with local bylaws. Several businesses in Vancouver ran into immediate roadblocks trying to get approved.

Como Taperia was one of them.

Layton's application was denied initially after submitting patio plans on private property. The city eventually overhauled restrictive bylaws to allow establishments likeComo Taperiato qualify for a temporarylicense.

"It's really cool to see people eating and drinking on a sidewalk that normally was bare and boring," said Layton. "The city has been quite boring when it comes to anything outside forever, [Vancouver has]a bit of a reputation for it."

Post-October concerns

Layton says a swatch of businesses have utilized their licenses to create innovative spaces. The KeeferBar, for example, built a mini-golf course in its outdoor space, surrounded by murals on its concrete surroundings.

But uncertainties still loom over what might happen when the project ends on Oct.31.

Business owners like Ryan Parfitt of LuppoloBrewing Company don't expect physical distancing concerns to go away anytime soon especially given the recent uptick in of COVID-19 casesB.C., and the seemingly inevitable second wave.

"The unknown of what's going to happen after Oct.31is somewhatworrisome," said Parfitt. "In the rainy months and in the winters, we're not going to want to be cramming people indoors."

Parfitt has a temporary patio on a lot adjacent to his existing one. He's in favour of extending the program, and says he would outfit his outdoor space with a canopy and heat lamps to maintain safe distancing over the winter months.

"I think it would be a lot more comfortable and safer," he said.

In the meantime, a motion to ask staff to review the results of the temporary patio project will be broughtto Vancouver city council on Sept.15. It also asks to review options for an annual seasonal patio program.

For owners like Parfitt and Layton, it's a step in the right direction.

"It's kind of sad that it took a pandemic to make our city do something fun and cool," said Parfitt.