Patrons enjoying a drink on the patio on Victoria Street this week (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

EXTENDED PATIO FEES?

Businesses mixed on keeping extended patios downtown, bringing back parking

Sep 21, 2022 | 3:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — Outdoor dining during the peak of the pandemic was keeping most restaurants afloat. Even a couple extra tables were enough to stop the bleeding from COVID-19 restrictions.

The city, with funding from the province’s COVID-19 Restart fund, extended sidewalks in certain areas of the downtown core, allowing for those extra tables.

“I think it’s been really good, especially with the pandemic,” said owner of Casa Azul Cesar Maldonado. “First, we could not have tables inside — dine-in — so we have only the patio, so that was really great support from the city.”

However, Maldonado is facing the decision of keeping his extended patio — likely thousands of dollars a month — or freeing up two parking spots in front of his Mexican restaurant.

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With the COVID-19 funding running out, the city has been talking about charging permitting fees to business who keep their extended patios. It hasn’t yet determined a price tag for proposed fees, but Maldonado says he wouldn’t pay more than $500 a month.

“I used to have three tables before the pandemic and now I have four, sometimes five, so it’s not a big difference,” he said.

Many other businesses told CFJC Today they don’t want to pay the city and feel it’s a “cash grab.”

From the city’s perspective, it’s trying to recoup money from lost parking revenue — estimated at $15,000 a month from about 40 fewer spots. The city hasn’t solidified the fee, but Kelowna currently charges $2,400 a month.

The Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association recently conducted a survey on the topic. Among the respondents that have extended patios, eight said they would keep their patios with a fee, six noted it would depend on cost, and eight said no.

“What is the balance?” noted KCBIA executive director Howie Reimer. “Do we want to get rid of all the extended patios? Do we want the parking back? There are a lot people in ‘Camp Parking.’ There are a lot of people in ‘Camp Patios.'”

Jardines Domaine and Fratelli Foods are among those in ‘Camp Parking.’ Retailers realize the benefits of the extended patios during COVID to help the restaurants get by, but they feel it’s time to return the parking spaces.

“We have 18-foot sidewalks. Kamloops has beauty wide sidewalks downtown to begin with and I think the restaurant owners can still have nice, big patios,” noted owner of Jardines Domaine Anthony Salituro.

Retailers have noticed a big impact on fewer parking spaces, including nine alone in the 200-block of Victoria Street.

“In Kamloops, people are used to parking in front or downtown the street from your business and zip in to make a purchase, so I think we’re noticing that with all these closed spots that people are driving by and they are getting distracted or they’re defeated, they can’t find and they drive away,” said Salituro.

The city will bring forward a proposal to the new city council, which will have the ultimate say on what should happen with the extended patios.