It’s not practical to continue pushing for the approval of on-street patios for eating and drinking establishments this summer, city council indicated at its meeting Monday.

Council did not provide city administration with a requested resolution Monday to continue pursuing on-street patios for this year, though the initiative remains on the table for next year. Businesses are still able to apply for sidewalk patios.

It’s getting late in the summer, and city staff are already stretched thin responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as carrying out their regular duties, it was noted by members of council Monday.

Councillors suggested by the time the necessary amendments could be made to city bylaws, followed by a permitting process for individual businesses, it may be late August or early September.

It was noted the earliest council could approve the necessary bylaw amendments required would be at its Aug. 10 meeting, its last session before council’s annual three-week break.

Then there would be the time required for businesses – two in particular – to work through the process of securing the necessary permits.

There was a suggestion from councillors that placing the additional burden on city staff to do the work may be for nothing if there’s not going to be much of a season left, and it’s possible nobody would take advantage of it.

Coun. Laura Cabott said she thinks it’s just too late for approval of on-street patios to be of any real benefit this summer.

Councillors Dan Boyd and Jocelyn Curteanu voiced similar concerns.

In early June, the Dirty Northern and Miner’s Daughter on Main Street asked council to provide it with the ability to use some on-street parking spaces for patio space.

While restaurants were given the green light to open up at 50 per cent capacity, they were still required to maintain social distancing requirements.

Having the additional space would make it financially feasible to reopen, the Main Street restaurant indicated.

A similar request was presented to council the same day by the Wayfarer Oyster House on Sixth Avenue, which was seeking to use a portion of a city-owned parking area for patio space.

Several issues were identified at the time, including the restriction in the territorial Motor Vehicles Act prohibiting the use of highways – which includes all roadways – for commercial sales.

There was the concern about the impact on other Main Street businesses of removing parking spaces.

An administrative report presented to council Monday laid out the volume of work required to provide for on-street patios.

There were several bylaw amendments required, along with the question of liability the city would assume by taking the steps to close off a section of the street.

The administration report on Monday asked council to pass a resolution directing staff to continue with the bylaw amendments if that is what members of council wanted to do. Council did not pass the resolution.

Mike Gau, the director of development services, explained in an interview this morning the request for on-street patios will not proceed for this summer.

But there is interest on council to see something in place for next summer, he added.

Gau said administration will continue working on the initiative through the fall and winter.

In her comments Monday, Coun. Curteanu said the recovery for businesses from the impact of COVID-19 will take more than one summer, that it will take multiple years.

Businesses are still able to apply for sidewalk patios.