8820 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

LocalMom's back! 

[bugeyed]

LocalMom's back! 

What's LocalMom's?

[Redd42]

What's LocalMom's?

 

See post #6220

[grantpalin]

The upcoming Bubby's in Quadra Village just gained another smaller fenced patio space (pictured at left). May as well, lots of sidewalk available here.

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[29er Radio]

Good Afternoon Vibrant Victorians

Our latest Food and Beverage themed podcast The Table Nine Podcast with myself and John Reese is available for your listening pleasure and this show we continue our chat with Phillips Brewing GM Jim Lister and explore taking advantage of well established brands in order to expand your customer base and more data crunching. Hell Yeah. We hope you enjoy the show. https://www.buzzspro...isodes/8791355 

[Kapten Kapsell]

The building that used to house Floyd's downtown @ Quadra/Yates has been completely repainted in preparation for its next tenant (identify unknown- at least by me).   It's gone from hot pink to a blueish grey colour...

[Rob Randall]

^It was an extensive restoration lasting several months; sounds like they have a specific long-term tenant. We shall see.

[Victoria Watcher]

On Thursday, councillors passed a motion to facilitate permanent lane closures in the 1300-block of Gladstone Avenue in Fernwood Village where restaurants have expanded onto the road, making the street one-way.

Council also asked city staff to report back on how it can work with businesses to find a permanent approach to the more than 100 new patios when the pandemic is over.
The pandemic emergency bylaw allowing the patios expires in October. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said Thursday she expects staff will recommend extending the bylaw to June 2022 to match the duration of a temporary pandemic-related provincial liquor policy that allows all patios to have liquor licences.

The best-case scenario is for the province to make the liquor policy permanent, said Helps.


https://www.timescol...nent-1.24340221

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 July 2021 - 03:41 PM.

[On the Level]

On Thursday, councillors passed a motion to facilitate permanent lane closures in the 1300-block of Gladstone Avenue in Fernwood Village where restaurants have expanded onto the road, making the street one-way.

Council also asked city staff to report back on how it can work with businesses to find a permanent approach to the more than 100 new patios when the pandemic is over.
The pandemic emergency bylaw allowing the patios expires in October. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said Thursday she expects staff will recommend extending the bylaw to June 2022 to match the duration of a temporary pandemic-related provincial liquor policy that allows all patios to have liquor licences.

The best-case scenario is for the province to make the liquor policy permanent, said Helps.


https://www.timescol...nent-1.24340221

 

While I am not generally a fan of lane closures that aren't well thought out, I do like that they are keeping patios going.

[marks_28]

Rode up Fort Street past the old Wrap n Roll location, and noticed a sign saying a Papa Johns was moving into the space.

[Bob Fugger]

While I am not generally a fan of lane closures that aren't well thought out, I do like that they are keeping patios going.

Councilors were mostly supportive. Except for Comrade Ben, who was super concerned about the unintended rise in property values this might create for those businesses, should street patios be made permanent. Funny, this would also lead to a rise in property taxes that businesses pay, which is essentially a redistribution of wealth. Except for those restaurants that you know, went under due to COVID-19. It’s almost as if he has zero real life experience at all…

[Rob Randall]

Fugger, out of retirement like MJ with the three-pointer, correctly showing that a more vibrant street with more people, less car storage and financial security is a win for everybody. 

[Sparky]

^^ That is a good point Bob. (And welcome back) If patios located upon a roadway somehow become “permanent” and the operator somehow has “rights” to that land/space…that might create a similar situation where recently landowners that use a lake surface for a dock now have a general foreshore use record.

The BC government now taxes the landowners for that use. No one complains as the taxes are low and it does provide a morsel of legitimacy for the use.

[Barrrister]

The problem is one of equity for other business owners. If you give roadway use to one than should you also not give it to the shop next door or the restaurant up the street. Why one street and not another? It becomes rather tricky at best.

[Rob Randall]

Once things stabilize, yes, we must examine that closely so that competing restaurants (and the taxpayer) are treated fairly. This is a very valuable taxpayer asset that is given (temporarily?) to a private owner.

[Victoria Watcher]

exactly. lots of restaurants had no street to expand onto. that does not mean deny those that have streets access, but consider that there should be a charge for the fortunate.

redistribute the wealth!

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 July 2021 - 11:23 AM.

[Rob Randall]

Councilors were mostly supportive. Except for Comrade Ben, who was super concerned about the unintended rise in property values this might create for those businesses, should street patios be made permanent.

 

I need to know exactly what Ben's beef is here because we were told enthusiastically that bike lanes would also be a boost for adjoining business owners. 

[Mike K.]

Told, but has that benefit been calculated? Lots of business closures up and down Pandora since the first lane opened there in 2017 (I think it was). Even the restaurant that famously opened the first bike-through in the 700-block went kaput.

Also, who is responsible for injuries if a vehicle is struck, and rolls into a street patio, injuring patrons? The tables are sitting on the roadway on what is legally a highway. Mixing such uses could create quite a legal quagmire that puts taxpayers on the hook.

This scenario reminds me of the City’s rush to “legalize” marijuana dispensaries which then collided with federal and provincial regulations, forcing dozens of businesses to operate in what became a City-created non-compliance situation that cost businesses significant sums of money, and many (most) closed.

[Bob Fugger]

I don’t think that any restaurants are expecting to have dominion over public property and are expecting a reasonable licensing and regulatory regime. I hate to pick on Comrade Ben (lol that’s a lie), but local small businesses have zero interest in exacerbating the tragedy of the commons, unlike more realistic fears of him wanting to nationalize everything.

Look, there’s no reinvention of the wheel, here. Prior to covid, there was already a sidewalk cafe bylaw - the path of least resistance is to use this as a starting point for making the concept more ubiquitous. Both the businesses and the public seem to want this, as does the City.

With respect to the local men’s boutique (for example) wanting to set up shop on the sidewalk or what happens to when a car plows into a sidewalk cafe, I asked my ol’ pal Rex Herring, who seemed unconcerned. Personally, I wouldn’t object to the resurrection of the sidewalk sale (although let’s be honest, that’s not gonna happen downtowns, for obvious reasons). And the liability question is the same as if someone gets mowed down on a sidewalk or on a patio on private property.

But these are great questions to ask and it’s why council has asked staff to go into policy development mode for this. That’s where these kinds of issues are addressed.

Edited by Bob Fugger, 10 July 2021 - 04:24 PM.

[Mike K.]

Very good, thanks Bob.