Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue will allow eateries to open terraces on sidewalks along the village strip.
A new Ste-Anne council bylaw permits the occupation of a public domain rule, which places restrictions and requires a permit for sidewalk terraces. It is being described as a step in the right direction, according to owners of restaurants on the north side of Ste. Anne St.
Jim Beauchamp, who operates Cunninghams Pub, is looking forward to seeing a few sidewalk terraces, adding he’d like to see the city to go even further and possibly close a section of Ste. Anne St. to vehicles over the weekend and make it a pedestrian strip in the village.
“For me it would only mean six extra seats, but I think it would look nice,” he said. “We’ll look into it this week and see what the Régie (des alcools) says. I think for the look of the town, it’ll be fantastic. Hopefully, in the long run, we’d like them to close main street on Saturday and Sunday, make it into a pedestrian walkway. It would kind of make it like Old Montreal. People on weekends would come down to Ste-Anne, the street would be closed, terraces would be open, there could be live music, it would be nice.”
Last year, Beauchamp said he had put some chairs and tables outside but took them back in when he was told it was not permitted.
“I had put them out there for the ‘look,’ ” he added.
“It’s not a money-maker thing. It’s more about a new look for the town,” he said of sidewalk terraces.
Beauchamp mentioned that perhaps only a handful of establishments could or would take advantage of the new sidewalk terraces. The spots on the south side have their own back terraces facing the boardwalk along the lake, while some others have front terraces on their own property and in some locations there might not be enough sidewalk space to accommodate one.
Melanie Eichholz, who co-owns Café Twigs, said they probably will add a sidewalk terrace but added their business actually picks up outside of the summer months.
“We are thinking of taking advantage of it. We had a sketch drawn up about two years ago. It’s a few extra seats,” she said.
She added they had in recent years tried to set up chairs and tables outside but had to remove them after some village merchants complained.
“The ground work was there. It was going up but there was so many problems with people that we had to take it down,” she said of their previously planned sidewalk terrace. “They complained it was an eyesore, they were so negative. So in the end we had to take it away.”
The new rules stipulate sidewalk terraces can open in front of an eatery from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week between April 15 and Oct. 31 particular to a commercial zone on Ste. Anne St. The bylaw requires a sidewalk terrace will only be allowed if a 1.5-metre wide pedestrian corridor is kept open at all times.