The North Hill Inn has received approval to develop a patio in an alcove of the building.
The 7150 50th Ave. hotel applied to the city for permission to convert the outdoor space into an area that would be served by its Ashley’s Grill. The space will have seating for 32.
In 1994 and 1997, the commission granted the North Hill Inn relaxations of its minimum parking requirements. Those resulted in the hotel having 112 fewer stalls than the 395 it would have been required to have under the land-use bylaw.
With the addition of the patio, a further eight parking stalls would have been needed, bringing the deficiency to 120. That prompted the city’s Inspections and Licensing Department to recommend to reject the application.
But Tae Park, the North Hill Inn’s assistant general manager, said the hotel closed its North 40 Premium Lounge & Steak House in May.
Park added that the patio was actually a courtyard that would be accessible only through the hotel. He said its hours would be the same as Ashley’s Grill, which operates from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and it would only be open on a seasonal basis.
Deputy development officer Vicki Swainson confirmed that her department would probably have recommended approval of the North Hill Inn’s application had it known about North 40’s closure.
The commission voted to approve of the patio for a six-month period, conditional upon it only being used seasonally and operating between the hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.