Patio fees

Local businesses with sidewalk cafés will need to make an adjustment to their budget this year if they plan on keeping them open.

City Council reached a decision on March 7, they hope will work for business owners as well as fit the budget.

According to Debi Croucher, executive director of the Downtown Windsor BIA, downtown businesses have had the benefit of paying $1 per year to keep their patios open for the last five years.

Originally, council promised to hold this agreement until 2018, however budget constraints caused the need for it to be brought up in 2016.  The new suggested fee was $5.80 per square foot per year, which Croucher said would be a huge setback for the small businesses.

“Those increases on the backs of small business really hurt,” said Croucher.

Council ended up settling on a plan of $0.50 per square foot for 2016, increasing every year by $0.50 increments and capping at $3.

Mike Lambros, owner of Lefty’s restaurant in downtown Windsor said he will keep his patio open, but held off on purchasing a furnace for it because he had a feeling the patio issues fee would come up before 2018.

“Having that ambience when you’re walking down the street in the spring and the summer, it really is awesome,” said Croucher about the importance of sidewalk cafés. “It creates that street life and that vibrancy in the downtown.”