Patio program born out of pandemic to become permanent in Vancouver

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the business Blue Water Cafe, it is in fact the Water St. Café

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A very popular program that has seen patios pop-up on sidewalks and streets throughout the pandemic may be here to stay in Vancouver.

City staff recommend Vancouver extend the Temporary Expedited Patio Program (TEPP) into this fall and winter and then make it permanent from April 1 to Oct. 31 every year, starting next year.

The report was approved by the Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities on Wednesday and the city will be looking at the next steps going forward.

Hundreds of patios that popped up in the @CityofVancouver during COVID may be here to stay. Report to committee today recommends making temporary patio program permanent. It's been popular w/ almost 700 patios approved April-Oct '21 compared to 400+ June-Oct '20. More @NEWS1130.

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) September 22, 2021

However, it’s not a simple green light.

Permanent changes would require a review by Development, Buildings, and Licensing, plus approval from Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. That’s in addition to an okay from provincial liquor licensing and health inspectors.

“A key difference between TEPP and the proposed ongoing patio program is the need to review applications in the context of code requirements such as occupancy, access and egress,” explains the report.

“TEPP patios were intended to enable more space to help with physical distancing during the pandemic-as a result permits were issued within existing restaurant occupant load limits and therefore did not require a building permit or fire occupancy review.”

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Versions of the TEPP have sprung up in cities across Metro Vancouver, allowing restaurants a chance to meet the health order requirements and bring a much-needed boost to their bottom line.

Vancouver would follow in the foot steps of Port Coquitlam, which took steps last week to make its program permanent, becoming the first city in Metro Vancouver to take such a move.

The report says throughout the pandemic, patios have been shown to support economic recovery and a vibrant public life, with their popularity growing. While more than 400 applications were approved from June to October 2020, the number jumped to almost 700 from April to October 2021.

“Overall, the program received positive feedback. Discussion with BIAs and the hospitality industry indicated that TEPP helped the restaurant industry survive at a critical time, and many residents felt a vibrant patio culture was created on many streets,” the report adds.

“With such a positive business response, a key challenge for the City is how to continue its rapid response patio approval program within City resources in a non-pandemic context, including ensuring the quality of submissions and that implementation meets City requirements.”

Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association president Nolan Marshall says the move is a good one.

“We have seen some really creative programs come out of the challenge of the pandemic and to see those programs continue would be great for the community,” Marshall said.

“We know that the pandemic will end, but the financial impact for some of these restaurants and small businesses will continue. So we will be going from a period of a public health crisis into a period of recovery in which the tools that we’ve seen during the pandemic will be very useful as these businesses try to recover for years to come.”

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The patios aren’t without issues, with the report highlighting accessibility concerns and their displacement of sidewalk space, parking, and bus services. There are also concerns with the privatization of public space, which can make streets less welcoming for those who are not dining.

The city will consult with stakeholders and explore more design guidelines to address these concerns before any implementation can be done.

Eli Brennan with the Water St. Café in Yaletown couldn’t be happier with the decision.

“This is great news for small businesses and great news just for the City of Vancouver, to bring back vibrancy in the streets and downtown,” Brennan says.

Since the patios were first approved, Brennan says Water St. Café customers have loved it.

“They want patios, they want sun. When the sun is shining, the Sea Wall is full, the patios are full. So I think that it’s really wonderful the bank, or city stepped up and supported the small businesses through this,” he says.

Brennan says the benefits of setting up the patios far outweigh the costs.

“We’ve invested into it — heaters and tables and chairs and awnings. For me, the positive outweighs any of that and issues that we need to go through to get it going. Our guests are telling us what they want, and they want to be outside and we want to accommodate them,” he says.