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A petition is circulating demanding the City of Kelowna close-off the lower blocks of Bernard sooner than planned.
Restaurants want the additional patio space and they want it a lot sooner than we've been expecting.
"We would like it bumped-up and for a longer run," said Mike Carter. He's the chef at Cantina del Centro on Bernard Avenue, which got the petition started.
"We're hoping to get the 200 block and 300 block shut down for road traffic to extend the patios which Kelowna has already approved," said Carter. "It's just the timing of it."
The desire for an earlier move to turn Bernard into a pedestrian mall comes on the heels of public health orders prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants.
"We don't know how long it's going to last for," he said. "They have said April 19, but it could be again pushed to infinity, we don't know."
The city is being asked to make the move a full five weeks ahead of schedule.
"We'd like to see sit, ideally, from May long through to September," explained Carter, "when the real summer of the Okanagan happens."
Early reaction to the petition has been positive.
"We've gone to almost all the businesses that are in the 2 and 300 blocks to get their input on it," he added. "And everyone seems to be on board."
Some members of city council may need convincing, however.
"I don't want to see us rush," said Councillor Ryan Donn. "I think staff need some time to look at our goals and objectives to ensure that if we do reopen earlier, we aren't rushing to do something that doesn't fit the spirit of the new public health orders."
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