An outdoor patio is an area that creates or provides additional patron capacity for a business such as a restaurant or bar.
The City is undertaking a comprehensive review of zoning regulations for outdoor patios located on private property and will present a staff report to City Council by the end of 2023.
Outdoor patios that are located on private property are regulated by applicable Zoning By-laws and are the subject of this review.
Outdoor patios that are part of the CaféTO program, which are located on public property such as curb lanes, are regulated by the Municipal Code and are not part of this review.
Background & Scope of Work
All temporary use zoning by-laws, which expanded permissions for outdoor patios during the COVID-19 pandemic, will expire on December 31, 2023, and staff have been directed by City Council to consider potential permanent modifications of zoning regulations for outdoor patios on private property.
Other purposes of the study include but are not limited to:
- Supporting businesses by enabling expanded outdoor patio areas associated with eating establishments, take-out eating establishments and other commercial uses;
- Evaluating the performance of city-wide temporary use by-laws enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic;
- Supporting Official Plan policies regarding a diverse mix of employment types and potentially increasing dining options and economic opportunities for eating establishments, take-out eating establishments and other commercial uses;
- Supporting Official Plan policies regarding an active public realm; and
- Easing the implementation of outdoor patios in the event of future pandemics.
Areas for Review
The following topic areas may be considered in this review:
- Potential new commercial uses to which an outdoor patio can be combined with;
- Revisions to the permitted maximum size of an outdoor patio;
- Regulations governing entertainment uses, such as performances, music and dancing;
- Fence and screening requirements;
- Permitting outdoor patios in the Residential Apartment Commercial (RAC) zone and Commercial Local (CL) zone;
- Regulations governing outdoor patios located in parking lots of commercial plazas;
- Permitting certain structures within a required setback area if they are used for an outdoor patio;
- Winterization of outdoor patios;
- Requirement for outdoor patios to be “open to the outside”;
- Location;
- Public health considerations; and
- Temporary site-specific by-laws enacted for various outdoor patios (where the city-wide temporary use by-laws did not provide full relief from zoning regulations)
Public Consultation
What we did
- Two virtual public consultation sessions were held on April 24 and 27, 2023, for the public and businesses to learn more about potential changes and to share their opinion.
- An online survey was also available from April 4, 2023 to May 6, 2023.
Who we heard from
- 659 people completed responses to the survey, and 18 people participated in the virtual consultations.
What we heard
- Enjoyable active spaces encourage more local active travel and less reliance on driving to other locations;
- A strong majority of respondents support the continuation of outdoor patio permissions on private property that were enacted on a temporary basis in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as expanding their permitted maximum area and removing barriers to outdoor patios in parking lots; and
- People are concerned about noise that can sometimes be associated with outdoor patios.
Next Steps
Staff will report to the Planning and Housing Committee with final recommendations in the Fall of 2023.
