(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
April 13, 2021 - 5:03 PM
The downtown and North Shore patio program is going to benefit from more funding from the City of Kamloops.
In response to 'circuit breaker' health restrictions in B.C. which shuttered in door dining at restaurants, the City acted quickly to add more sidewalk expansion but the demand exceeded expectations.
City council approved an additional $150,000 to expand sidewalks and help implement more patios today, April 13. That's in addition to the $200,000 approved in November 2020.
The price tag to complete the required sidewalk extensions for the 20 businesses that have made requests so far is $250,000. That leaves the City with a buffer of $100,00 to accommodate future requests for patios from the business community.
READ MORE: Kamloops restaurant owners welcome expanded patios but doubts remain
CAO David Trawin says the funding includes the cost of removal, but they were also designed so that they can remain permanent if council decides against removing them in the future.
The cost for each patio ranges from $6,000 to $25,000 and all funds have been sourced from the provincial COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant.
Each patio funded by the City, as noted in the proposal, must be located on City property. Whereas any expansions on private property are at their own expense.
Parking is sacrificed for the increased sidewalks in the downtown core and North Shore business area, but Trawin isn't concerned about a lack of spaces.
"It appears restaurants are spread out enough, I think people aren't having issues finding parking," he said, noting that there could be less need for parking as provincial health restrictions loosen and many people may continue working from home.
READ MORE: Kelowna restaurateurs pushing to close Bernard Avenue before summer
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