By Emily Fobert
The Centretown Citizens’ Community Association has given its seal of approval to a patio application for MacLaren’s bar on Elgin Street despite having opposed numerous similar proposals.
In the past year, the CCCA has opposed a number of applications for development on Elgin, including an application for a patio from The Fox and The Feather pub, located across the street from MacLaren’s. That has created the appearance of support for a moratorium on development.
“In principle, we’re not opposed to patios,” says CCCA president David Blaine. He says the group does strive to maintain a residential neighbourhood focus.
The Fox and the Feather’s patio application was rejected after the CCCA opposed its approval because it would lead to the removal of green space on the city right-of-way – the green area between the street and the sidewalk – and it would crowd an already congested sidewalk, says Blaine. But each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
MacLaren’s bar owner Brian Karam applied three months ago for a small patio to seat about 30 people to improve his hospitality and accommodate the smoking bylaws.
He says if he can’t provide his customers with a place to sit outside, they will find somewhere else that will.“People for some reason or another like to sit outside to eat,” says Karam.
Although gaining the support of the CCCA is a significant step towards Karam’s application approval, the patio is not yet a done deal.
A report on the comments from the CCCA and neighbouring property owners and residents will be sent to the area councilor and finally to the city council for approval – a process that Karam says he’s expecting will take about a year.
The city sent the application to the CCCA for comments because of the proposed patio’s proximity to residential buildings. If the patio is built, it will come within 30 metres of residential properties, which violates a city bylaw.
However, exceptions are often made because Elgin Street is a developed commercial area, says Ermis Durofil, the city’s program manager of right-of-way bylaws, permits and inspections. The CCCA’s comments are used to “decide whether or not there is an appetite to go forward to waiver the bylaw,” he says.
Although the CCCA is in support of the MacLaren’s patio application, not all its members agree. For example, Albert Galpin, a resident of Frank Street, says Elgin is already too saturated.
“One of the reasons I personally live here is because of Elgin Street.” says Galpin. “There’s great shopping, Elgin Street public school and it’s a great residential neighbourhood,” but Galpin is concerned by too much commercial development.
Galpin says there are a lot of problems with noise and vandalism in the area and on Saturday mornings the streets are littered with beer bottles and remnants of the Friday night bar-scene.
“I don’t want to set the clock back 10 years, but I think we need to take a pause,” he says.
Karam disagrees.
“I believe if people are sitting outside you’re going to have a nicer environment, you’re going to keep it clean and you’re going to have plants and flowers,” he says.
Karam acknowledges that there are some problems on Elgin, but says he runs his business responsibly and it should not be “run into the ground” because of problems arising elsewhere on the street.
He says his business caters more to office parties, sports fans and pool players, and his food sales meet his alcohol sales.
“I don’t have trouble inside my bar, so I don’t know why I would have trouble outside,” he says.