A request for a licensed outdoor patio on the outskirts of Little Italy is raising concerns that it could be noisy and disruptive to the quiet residential neighbourhood.
Giovanni’s Snack Bar, located at the corner of Booth and Willow streets, is a small Italian coffee shop that attracts customers from all over the city, says owner Francesco Pannucio.
“We are different from Preston Street. We’re offbeat, and it would be nice with a corner patio,” says Pannucio.
The blueprint shows that the patio will extend 21 feet down the Willow Street side of the building in addition to being along store front on Booth Street.
But Eric Darwin, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, is urging city officials to contain the proposed patio to the front of the building along Booth Street. If it extends around to Willow Street the way Pannucio wants it to, the outdoor seating area will disturb residents, he says.
Pannucio isn’t the only restaurant owner in downtown Ottawa who wants to create a patio.
It is one of many requests that have arisen in Centetown despite a city bylaw that usually requires patios to be located 30 metres away from a residential area.
“The patio on Willow Street would only go about halfway down the side of the building and wouldn’t be disruptive,” insists Pannucio, who has plans for it to wrap around where customers usually stand outside and talk anyway.
But Darwin says Willow Street is a narrow residential street where noise will be much more noticeable than on a busy street such as Preston or Elgin.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, who has previously not supported applications for other patios near residential areas in Centretown, is in favour of the patio being along Booth Street, but not along Willow Street.
“I know there is opposition from residential neighbours on Willow,” says Holmes. “They’re concerned about the amount of noise if it is extended along Willow.”
Marcel Allen lives directly across from where the proposed patio would be. He says that he has no problem with the patio extending onto the residential part of the street, because the regular patrons are such a positive part of the community.
“The people who tend that place are extremely responsible and extremely friendly,” he says.
Darwin agrees that the current clientele of older, Italian men drinking coffee during the day would not be disruptive. He warns, however, that the owner could use the patio to attract a younger crowd at night.
“It’s easy to look at it and say, ‘That’s a harmless little place,’” says Darwin. “But you don’t know what business plans they have in the background.”