An obvious amount of research went into the background report prepared by the Town’s Marketing and Economic Development Officer Lindsay Wilson, who shared the document with Municipal Council and won its nod for the creation of a Patio Pilot Project in downtown Arnprior at Monday’s meeting.
Three proposed options were modelled, and an analysis of square footage use, conflicts of functionality, and parking space constraints was done for each.
That there will be no Sunday Market in 2021 simplified discussions.
Deputy Clerk Kayla Zamojski outlined the staff recommendation.
Councillors voted for Option One, with construction barricades delineating the portion of public street incorporated into each patio.
The cadillac Option Three, in which the barrier separating the outdoor dining space from the roadway was a public boardwalk was deemed impractical due to the hike in lumber prices.
The middle choice was food-court seating at sidewalk’s edge.
A restaurant approved for a patio under the proposal would be able to incorporate two on-street parking spaces into its patio.
The Town would supply the concrete barriers on three sides of the approved patio, with the proprietor picking up the price for the fourth, but there is a trade-off.
The deadline is this Friday, and should all five eligible restaurants apply, the Town’s cost is $17,500, to come from the Marketing and Economic Development Fund.
A report on the program’s perceived successes or failures would be done in the fall.