Another meeting in the future about the patios in Collingwood’s downtown revitalization.
Mayor Chris Carrier says the completion date will hopefully be by Canada Day, which would be in time for the holiday, festivals, and the tourists coming to town.
He says the issues over patios came to the town’s attention late in the process, and Carrier says he believed that the discussions between the Business Improvement Association and stake holders resolved any issues.
Carrier says there were still issues, however.
He says there was a direct meeting with concerned restaurant owners, and there will be another meeting with those owners to talk about a report coming forward to council.
Carrier says there isn’t a rush to find a solution in the next 3 weeks, though, because construction won’t be finished until next year.
He believes the report coming back to council will make the restaurant owners happy, and also be satisfactory to the BIA.
Carrier says the main concern is about liquor licence issues that will arise for restaurants who serve liquor, and would have to cross the open sidewalk to an enclosed patio.
He says there is no licence issue if the patio is attached to the restaurant, though.
Carrier says if a restaurant doesn’t serve liquor, the patio doesn’t have to be fenced in, and he believes that is a better situation.
He says the patio owners will be presented with an option, and they will make a decision from there.
Carrier says hopefully the issue will be resolved, and there’s no chance the patios will disappear.