The City of Toronto's Municipal Licensing and Standards pision has undertaken a review of the City's bylaws governing boulevard cafés/sidewalk patios as well as the operation of sidewalk stalls outside businesses. The goal is to create one bylaw for Toronto.
Each former municipality has a pre-amalgamation bylaw that regulates boulevard cafe and marketing activities. As a result, the requirements, approval processes, permit types and application fees are different depending on the area where the business is located.
As part of this review, the City is hosting a series of public consultation meetings to discuss the existing bylaws and items to consider when drafting the new bylaw.
Topics include:
- the role of residents and local business owners in the permit issuance process
- minimum sidewalk clearance to accommodate pedestrian traffic
- new opportunities for establishing on-street boulevard cafés curbside and in on-street parking spaces where feasible
- requirements concerning separation of the area including fencing, partial and full enclosures, and
- design guidelines for construction.
Public consultation meetings
Each of the following four meetings will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, February 6 in City Hall's committee room 2
- Tuesday, February 11 in East York Civic Centre's council chamber
- Thursday, February 13 in Etobicoke Civic Centre's main boardroom
- Tuesday, February 18 in North York Civic Centre's committee room 3
More information or to provide feedback: http://www.toronto.ca/haveyoursay
Staff will report to the Licensing and Standards Committee later this year on the review.
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