Burlington, Ont. — March 9, 2021 — At a Special Meeting of Council on Wednesday, March 3, Burlington CityCouncil approved an earlier start date of April 15, 2021 for the temporary patio program. Council also approved expediting the approval process for 2020 temporary patio permit holders to allow their permits to be renewed this year based on their 2020 patio approvals. Application fees for the 2021 temporary patio program are being waived to help businesses recover during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council previously approved a streamlined zoning processes for patio tents at a virtual meeting of Burlington City Council on Feb. 3, 2021. These changes included:
- removing the zoning requirement for a temporary tent to be three metres from a building or property line,
- zoning restrictions on tents larger than 60 m2 and
- waiving the requirement for a site plan approval and zoning clearance certificate
Burlington City Council has also approved an additional $5,000 to the existing grant tent permit program to reimburse the costs of related fees for an estimated total amount of $10,000 from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund. This grant will cover the City building permit fees for outdoor tent structures when an alternative solution and/or building permit is required, until Oct. 31, 2021.
Applications for the 2021 temporary patio program are being accepted until Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Business owners/operators that would like to install a temporary patio during the 2021 patio season are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications will still be accepted after this deadline but may take longer to approve.
City staff are committed to reviewing temporary patio program applications and working collaboratively with applicants to help local restaurants and businesses understand how they can safely operate an outdoor patio during the 2021 patio season.
For more information, visit burlington.ca/patios or contact the City’s Special Business Area Coordinator: Robert.Catherall@burlington.ca 905-335-7600, ext. 7445.
Burlington is ranked as Canada’s best community and best place to raise a family. It is a City where people, nature and businesses thrive. As residents continue to rediscover many of their favourite spaces and activities in the city, City services may look different as we work to stop the spread of COVID-19. The City’s commitment to providing the community with essential services remains a priority. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at Burlington.ca/Enews and download the free City of Burlington app.
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Director, Community Planning, Mark Simeoni
“As the weather gets nice again, we want to support our local businesses by turning around their patio permit applications as quickly as we can. I encourage owners who are thinking about installing a patio for the spring, summer or fall season, to submit their application as soon as possible so staff can work with them to find a solution that works for everyone.
City staff are committed to working with interested businesses on a case-by-case basis to consider how their outdoor patios can operate while maintaining COVID-19 public health and safety measures.”
Links and Resources
www.burlington.ca/patios
COVID-19
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Communications contact:
Carla Marshall
Communications Advisor
carla.marshall@burlington.ca
