Two local restaurants are asking city council to allow them to use street or parking lot space for outdoor seating as they deal with social-distancing restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The written requests from the Dirty Northern and Miner’s Daughter on Main Street and the Wayfarer Oyster House on Sixth Avenue were read out to city council by staff at Monday’s council meeting.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disseminated the restaurant industry globally, and the Yukon is not immune,” writes Eddie Rideout of the Wayfarer Oyster House.

“The Wayfarer has been closed to the public since early March, with all staff laid off until further notice.

“While Yukon’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is now permitting us to open again, the guidelines make it uneconomic to rehire the team and open the doors.”

With social-distancing requirements, Rideout said, he’s only able to seat 24 customers inside, compared to the maximum seating capacity of 48.

At the reduced seating capacity, it’s not viable to call back staff and reopen the doors, he said in his submission.

Rideout said if the city were to allow the Wayfarer to use the city parking lot in front of his building for outdoor patio seating, it could make the difference.

The outdoor seating, he said, may be preferable for some customers during the COVID-19 recovery as there is less likelihood of community transmission outdoors.

“It may provide the margin we require to rehire staff and get the doors open again,” said Rideout’s submission.

Rideout said he’s hoping the city is agreeable to allowing restaurants and cafés to use city-owned land to provide opportunities for café/patio seating.

He also asked council to waive the $275 application fee.

“In addition, if application fees for this process could be waived, these funds can be allocated to the safe set up of an outdoor eating space,” Rideout said.

“This will help us get open and restart this vibrant sector of the Whitehorse economy.”

Members of council offered encouraging words of support on Monday, suggesting they know the businesses are hurting.

‘I would like the city to provide whatever support it can to the business community,” said Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu.

Senior administrative staff, however, said there is much to consider, from issues of liability to street closures and the use of parking spaces other businesses may object to.

Katja Schmidt of the Dirty Northern asked council to pass a motion in light of the pandemic to open up seating onto the streets to allow restaurants to accommodate the social distancing needed between tables.

“I co-own the Dirty Northern and Miner’s Daughter and would like to either take over the parking spots this year in order to place more tables there or, in an ideal world, shut down that entire side of Main Street and allow us to expand our patio,” Schmidt wrote in her letter to council.

She said cities across Canada are passing motions that allow for more outdoor seating.

Other businesses on Main Street are in support of her proposal, as parking is not expected to be an issue with the lack of tourism, Schmidt said.

She said one consulting business next door supports the use of their sidewalk for patio seating, and the closure of Main Street between Second Avenue and Front Street.

“Cities all over the world are reclaiming public spaces and roadways to support physical distancing, outside activities and our local businesses,” Schmidt writes.

“Unfortunately, our summer season in the Yukon is limited, so I ask that you find a way to pass such a motion for this year so that we can continue to grow and provide a service to this city.”

Schmidt said there is the risk of restaurants going under and the city losing eating establishments that contribute to the vibrancy of the community.

City manager Linda Rapp said the issue of creating more outdoor seating opportunities in light of COVID-19 restrictions is relatively new. In addition to the two submissions Monday night, the city has received other requests from local businesses looking for the same opportunities.

She said city staff have begun looking into it and will report back to council with what they come up with.

Mike Gau, the city’s director of development services, told council they have in the past looked at the possibility of using portions of a street for seating and found that it’s not allowed under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Street closures are generally used for special events like the Western Canadian firefighting competition held a couple of years ago on Main Street between Second Avenue and Front Street, he pointed out.

Even then, he said, there was not unanimous support for the street closure from some businesses.

Gau said there is already a process in place to allow businesses to expand seating onto the sidewalk but they need to submit a plan that has to be reviewed before a decision is made.

Members of council expressed support for having administration do what it could as quickly as it could to investigate the possibility of providing more outdoor seating.

The summer season is short, they emphasized.

“Time is of the essence,” said Coun. Steve Roddick.