In response to the Stage 2 COVID-19 Re-opening measures announced by the Province of Ontario on June 8, 2020, the City of Orillia Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) has implemented Phase 1 of the Patio and Public Realm Program.
Two focus groups were held and a survey was circulated to downtown business owners. The resulting project is therefore built by Orillia businesses for Orillia businesses.
This program was designed to achieve four objectives:
1. Facilitate and expedite the expansion of retail/restaurant capacities through the use of patio and use of the public realm across the City; and
2. Reduce and/or offset the financial costs of expanding private operations into the public realm for the 2020 season; and
3. Support Orillia businesses by promoting local retail and dining establishments as a safe place to shop and dine; and
4. Enable downtown retail/restaurant operators to expand their operations into the public realm while protecting space required to maintain the physical separation and safety of pedestrians.
The ERTF will report back to Council on the second phase of this initiative, which contemplates a potential road closure in the downtown core, as well as the use of artists, musicians and entertainers to activate the street.
| Application Process for Patios |
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Existing patios which have received formal municipal approval (such as through a Site Plan Agreement process) do not require further approval unless a patio expansion is proposed.
All other patios within the City of Orillia require municipal approval. Applicants may request approval for patios on private property through the Patio Acknowledgement and Undertaking Form. Through this form, applicants will have the opportunity to review and attest that they meet all provisions, by-laws and legislation for which the municipality has authority.
Please refer to the following section for patio approval for patios proposed on municipally owned land.
It should be noted that while this form is designed to expedite the patio approval process, it is difficult to determine the estimated approval timeline for patio approvals as timelines for any permits or applications are greatly dependent on the quality and completion of the application and the extent of information provided by the applicant. |
| Application Process for Patios on municipally owned land |
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Any person wishing to set up a patio on City property must submit a Patio Acknowledgement and Undertaking Form to the City. A detailed, scaled drawing depicting the sidewalk patio must be submitted with the application. The drawing must show the number of proposed seats on the patio, dimensions of proposed patio area, width of pedestrian walkway, gap width between deck boards for the walkway, existing sidewalk, curb, parking spaces, street and any applicable items/encumbrances such as signs, stairs, trees, catch basin, and gas meter. Reflective decals are required on each post of the pedestrian walkway and therefore, please also identify the decal locations on the drawing. A detailed drawing enables City staff and others to evaluate the potential impacts, and the functionality of the proposed patio design.
After submitting a completed application, it will be vetted by the following agencies/departments:
If approval is received from the above agencies/departments, the applicant must then enter into a patio lease agreement with the City. The terms of the lease agreement include:
The applicant must also submit Liquor Licence and Health Unit approvals to the City (these items are not required to be submitted initially with the application). |
| Patio Undertaking and Acknowledgement Form |
| Patio Undertaking and Acknowledgement Form |
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Downtown Tomorrow CIP Grant Program |
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In order to reduce the fees associated with constructing patios on municipally owned land, Council has allocated $30,000 to the 2020 Building Improvement Grant Program and $20,000 to the 2020 Fees Grant Program.
New patios and/or sidewalk "bump-out" structures in the City's Downtown Tomorrow CIP Project Area may be eligible for a Building Improvement Grant to offset costs related to patio construction (up to 50% of costs up to $15,000) and/or a Fees Grant to offset costs related to Sidewalk Patio Application Fees (up to 100% of costs up to $5,000).
Applications for patios built in 2020 are exempt from the 2020 intake deadlines and may be submitted at any time. Please note that the 2020 patio season ends in October 2020, and the application process and execution of agreement may take several weeks to complete (depending on the quality and completeness of the submission).
It is important to note that DTCIP Applications for Patios for Building Improvement Grants must be submitted prior to the commencement of any work and prior to application for building permit in order to be eligible for this program.
For more information, visit the Downtown Tomorrow CIP Grant Program webpage or contact Laura Thompson at 705-325-5818. |
| Call to Artists for Street Animation |
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Calling all muralists, sculptors, carvers, painters, musicians, dancers, and other creatives! The City of Orillia is looking for local artists to add vibrancy to the Emergency Recovery Task Force’s (ERTF) Patio and Public Realm Project this summer.
Together with the Downtown Orillia Management Board, the City of Orillia is looking to create space for local artists, at key locations along the road closure, to enhance the patio and downtown experience.
In an effort to infuse the creativity of individual artists into the program, those interested are invited to submit their own idea(s) for animating the street.
Proposals will be reviewed on a case by case basis and selected to maximize program diversity to the extent possible given health and safety guidelines and budgetary constraints. Those selected will be paid an honorarium congruent to the services described in their proposal. To learn more, visit orillia.ca/publicart. |
| Reports |
| Report ERTF-20-02 - Patio and Public Realm Project - Phase 1 (Special Council June 18, 2020) |
| Other Resources |
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PDF of the Patio Acknowledgement and Undertaking Form Recording of the Patio Q & A Session (June 24, 2020)
Sample Patio Drawing for patios on private property* *Drawings for downtown patios with structures (for patio or pedestrian traffic) must also show the number of proposed seats on the patio, dimensions of proposed patio area, width of pedestrian walkway, gap width between deck boards for the walkway, existing sidewalk, curb, parking spaces, street and any applicable items/encumbrances such as signs, stairs, trees, catch basin, and gas meter. Reflective decals are required on each post of the pedestrian walkway and therefore, please also identify the decal locations on the drawing. A detailed drawing enables City staff and others to evaluate the potential impacts, and the functionality of the proposed patio design.
AGCO Bulletin - Extension of Patios for Liquor Sales Licencees
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| Patio Task Force |
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The City of Orillia Patio Task Force consists of staff from the Development Services and Engineering Department, Fire Department, Business Development and Communications Department and Environment and Infrastructure Services Department as well as the DOMB (as applicable).
To contact the Patio Task Force for assistance, please contact Cheyenne Johnson at 705-325-2221.
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Contact(s)
