New sidewalk standards cutting it too close to patio season, businesses complain

By Laura Osman, CBC News Ottawa, March 7, 2018

Some Ottawa restaurant owners say new standards intended to make city sidewalks more accessible have arrived too close to the start of patio season.

The city's transportation committee voted Wednesday to require businesses to leave two metres of the sidewalk clear for pedestrians. In return, the city agreed to move street signs, park benches and garbage cans, and offered a 25 per cent discount on patio licence fees to help businesses recover some of the costs associated with the changes.

'It's never going to happen in three weeks' time.' - Jasna Jennings, ByWard Market BIA
Still, patio owners said there's no way they can apply for, design and build patios that meet the new requirements in time for the warm weather.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/city-ottawa-sidewalk-standards-patio-season-1.4566257

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