Patio bylaw public hearing next month
Posted Sep 24, 2014 08:19:12 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Halifax Regional Council has voted in favour of some revisions to a proposed bylaw for sidewalk patios.
The proposal had asked for bar owners to have a required liability insurance of $5-million, up from a current $2-million, but an amendment tabled by Councillor Reg Rankin put the new figure at $3-million.
Councillor Waye Mason said he’s okay with the decision for now.
“I expect staff will come to us in a couple years and say, ‘We’re having issues and we need to $5-million’, I think that’s going to come eventually, but it’s okay to phase it in,” said Mason.
Council is also going ahead with a supplementary staff report which will look at a tiered fee structure and possible subsidies for small patios.
Mason said he fears council will approve year-round patios for those that qualify, shortly after they’ve been taken down for the year.
“We might be able to get the bylaw rushed through quickly enough, that it’s approved in time for those patio owners so they don’t have to take them down,” said Mason. “But that’s looking a lot less likely after today because council asked for some changes and we’ve scheduled the public meeting that won’t happen until a week at the end of October.”
Mason said having outdoor patios year round would be a huge deal for Halifax, and will add to the attractiveness of the city.
