If you want to eat at a small Bancroft restaurant this summer, you might have to do it inside.
Restaurants may not be able to open “temporary” outdoor patios as easily as they could in recent years.
Council voted this week to have staff prepare a bylaw that tightens restrictions around outdoor eating, which were loosened during the height of the pandemic.
A proposed bylaw is expected to be written for the March 14 council meeting.
A report from Bancroft’s clerk says rules that made it easy to offer temporary outdoor dining are no longer practical, as there’s a lack of staff available to do safety inspections. The report also notes that some patios raise zoning questions.
To see the full report that was presented to council at the Feb. 28th meeting, click here.