What鈥檚 the value of a sidewalk?
That鈥檚 the question the municipality is trying to answer as it finalizes its new bylaw regulating the commercial use of public land to allow activities like busking, sidewalk seating and farmer鈥檚 markets.
Over the past several years, the municipality has approved a number of pilot projects as a way of getting around legal roadblocks preventing businesses and organizations from using public space for private gain within the townsite. Through the creation of a bylaw the municipality is now working to formalize those projects, as well as their permitting processes.
The challenge now is to determine the cost of using public spaces.
The draft bylaw was before council for further discussion and amendments, March 22, during a biweekly committee-of-the-whole meeting and included a possible fee schedule based on similar ones used in other communities.
The suggestion is that there be a base fee to cover the administrative cost of issuing a permit, as well as an additional cost for using the land. Depending on the use, there will be a sliding scale. For instance, the cost of a two-day busking permit will be significantly less than a season-long permit for sidewalk seating.
The challenge will be striking a balance, said Mark Fercho, the town鈥檚 chief administrative officer.
鈥淚 know when we鈥檙e going through the permits we will have push back from both sides, [the cost] is going to be too high for some people and it鈥檚 going to be too low for others, depending on what they鈥檙e paying,鈥� he said, referring to leaseholders whose rent already includes outdoor space.
鈥淪ome businesses currently have an outdoor patio space that鈥檚 in their leasehold that they maintain themselves all year around, that they pay taxes on, and they will be looking at those businesses that are using the public space and whether the fee attached is fair in comparison to what they鈥檙e paying,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 anticipate no matter which way we go there鈥檚 going to be people unhappy this summer.鈥�
After extensive discussion, including numerous suggestions of how to value the space, council requested that administration come up with an administrative cost to charge as a base rate, as well as a cost per square foot of public land.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e looking for is some kind of price per square foot that we can apply across the board,鈥� said Coun. Gilbert Wall.
鈥淚 think the key is to make it fair and strive for that,鈥� said Coun. Dwain Wacko.
Once the fees are determined, Fercho said there is always the opportunity to adjust them in future years.
Charitable and not-for-profit organizations would be exempt from the fees.
The bylaw will be presented to council for first reading in April. It has to pass three readings and a review by Parks Canada before it can be adopted.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
