Following a wave of publicity and public outcry, the City of Toronto is deferring the enforcement of a zoning bylaw for a shop owner who said it was threatening her business.
Neighbourhood grocer Finch Store will be allowed to continue selling coffee for now — a “partial positive outcome” that owner Yana Miriev said wouldn’t have been possible without the overwhelming support of her community.
“There were so many people who came over last weekend just to share kind words,” she said. “It’s been so overwhelming and heartwarming.”
Miriev began asking neighbours this year to sign a petition in support of the shop after the city told her in February that the store, which is in a residential area near Ossington and College streets, was “not operating in compliance” with the area’s zoning bylaw. She had a licence to sell coffee and takeout foods, but the city said that licence would be subject to a hearing at the Toronto Licensing Tribunal. She previously told the Star that the store’s success is dependent on its ability to serve coffee.
At the same time that Miriev received the notice about her refreshment licence being at risk, the city had already begun consultations on a policy that would allow more small businesses like hers to operate in residential zones, with a report expected to go to the planning and housing committee later this year.
But the city changed its tune, and on Wednesday, informed Miriev that her grocery store would be allowed to keep serving coffee until the city comes to a decision about the bylaw, or until her licence is up for renewal next June — whichever comes first.
“In the interim, your business licence is ‘deemed to continue’ which means that you may continue to operate your business in the manner you have been,” read a letter from Municipal Licensing and Standards, which the Star has viewed.
For Miriev, the news only brings some relief.
“It gives us time just to … work on our business instead of trying to survive,” she said. “It’s still a possibility that the (zoning) changes might not be implemented. So it’s just an extension.”
In the meantime, she hopes people will participate in the city’s survey to express support for small businesses operating in residential zones.
“I’m getting calls from colleagues and other businesses sharing their stories, and many of them (have) similar, or maybe a little different, situations and they’re kind of hanging in the air,” she said.
Miriev said the survey may be confusing to some, but she encourages people to take their time on it because so many shop owners who invest their livelihoods in their businesses depend on it.
