Pelham Town Council approved  the temporary waiving of six parking space requirements for restaurants to allow ‘pop-up’ parking lot patios; the six spaces may be used for this purpose during the pandemic.

The decision to allow the parking lot patios comes as the Province announced the Region of Niagara will enter Stage 2 of reopening on Friday, June 19.

“We want all Pelham businesses to thrive and succeed,” said Mayor Marvin Junkin. “If we can find a way to help our businesses during this time, you can be assured we’re going to look at doing so. Whether it be a restaurant or any other local business, it’s been a difficult few months. It’s time to get going again and we’re happy we can help out, even in a small way.”

Currently, the Town has a Sidewalk Encroachment policy allowing restaurants to apply to the Town for permission to encroach on municipal sidewalks for outdoor patio use subject to meeting the policy requirements related to proof of insurance, provincial licensing requirements, pedestrian accessibility requirements, urban design zoning, and sign and building code requirements. Street parking will not be considered for these patios as the recommendation to waive parking spaces is for private parking lots only.

Approval of sidewalk patios under the Sidewalk Encroachment policy is managed through the Clerk’s Office. It is recognized that outdoor restaurant patios contribute positively to the vitality of downtowns, main streets and public spaces.

It is anticipated that the majority of ‘pop-up’ parking lot patios would occur on private property and be subject to meeting Public Health and Provincial licensing requirements related to food service and serving of alcohol.

To learn more about the Town of Pelham’s response to COVID-19, visit: www.pelham.ca/covid19