A patio is blocking accessible parking in Belmont Village. Advocates say that's not fair

The patio of a Belmont Village restaurant is blocking an accessible parking spot, and that's raising questions about what people with physical disabilities may need to fully enjoy public spaces. 

Casa Rugantino is an Italian restaurant in the heart of Kitchener's Belmont Village. Their patio fences off one of the only accessible parking spots in all of Belmont Village, and that's not sitting right with resident Macie Anderson.

Anderson doesn't have any accessibility needs herself, but she said she is a frequent visitor of the area with her family, and seeing the patio block the spot made her concerned.

She noted that the parking spot has been blocked every summer since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when outdoor patios became a lifeline to restaurants needing distant spaces for their patrons. 

"We love the area, obviously love supporting local and we love the restaurant," Anderson said. When she realized the accessible space was being blocked off repeatedly during summer months, she spoke with the Casa Rugantino's owner and the city of Kitchener itself. 

Anderson said the owner, Shelly Trotta, told her that she was under the impression the city had taken care of the oversight. 

"[Trotta] assumed that because they gave them the permit and they allowed them to build the patio that the city was then going to add an additional accessible spot for the area somewhere else," Anderson said. 

CBC News reached out to the restaurant several times by phone and email but have not received a response.

The city said that they had collaborated with the Belmont Village BIA board of members and determined that "the area remains well-served with parking."

The city confirmed that Casa Rugantino operated its expanded patio on an outdoor patio permit that renews automatically unless a business informs the city of a change or discontinuation. They said Casa Rugantino was compliant with all city and legal standards. 

Anderson said that despite ample street-side parking in Belmont Village, designated accessible parking spots were few and far between. There are a total of three accessible spaces in the area, including the one being blocked. 

"It's not ideal and it's already a bit of a sore spot for the area just from going there a lot of times to the buildings myself," she said. She said she's seen many older residents grow frustrated over a lack of available parking that's designed specifically for people who need to be closer to places like medical buildings. 

"Belmont is such an inclusive small village that has been so good to the businesses in the area and the people... and then this glaring issue of completely disregarding anybody with an accessibility issue, I don't know, just stood out to me," she said. 

Kitchener city officials say Casa Rugantino is well within its rights to expand its outdoor patio to the street-side parking, but some advocates are saying that situations like these are a give-and-take.