|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
When the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out, one of the first areas of concern were small businesses — particularly restaurants.
To help out, cities such as Pleasanton in 2020 allowed businesses to construct outdoor dining areas on the sidewalks and certain streets so that residents could still enjoy their meals al fresco.
Then, in December 2021, the Pleasanton City Council adopted a formal parklet program so business owners could submit applications to construct pre-approved or custom parklet designs, so long as the designs follow certain guidelines.
According to the city’s planning department website, a parklet program “allows for outdoor dining areas and other business activities within the public right-of-way on a longer-term basis, with guidelines established to address aesthetics, traffic and utility conflicts and parklet operations.”
But as city staff were reviewing applications from downtown restaurateurs, they found that some locations would not be able to accommodate these parklets, which led to the city revising its guidelines.
“The city found that certain locations proposed in downtown had more challenging conditions, where street cross-slopes and curb heights varied to a degree greater than could be accommodated by the standard plan,” Ellen Clark, director of community development, told the Weekly. “As a result it was necessary for the city to revise the plans to ensure the standard design was workable and met all accessibility and structural requirements.”
She said the revised parklet design plans from Aug. 24 are posted on the city website for any business owner to review and use.
“Use of the city’s pre-approved plans provides a streamlined approval process, with applicants able to proceed directly to an over-the-counter review by the Planning Division, subject to approval of the proposed location and issuance of an encroachment permit by our Engineering Department,” Clark said.
Two applications that Clark said were sent during the timeframe when the city needed to revise its plans were from Icicles, which sells ice cream bowls, and Locanda Amalfi, an Italian restaurant. She said both applications will be ready to issue soon, allowing both businesses to begin construction on their parklets.
“The process has worked well, the city’s been very cooperative,” said Gino Fabbricatore, a human resources representative for Locanda Amalfi. “It’s added space to allow for customers to enjoy outdoor dining. You know, it’s something we’re looking forward to, to serve our customers and the city better.”
In terms of custom parklets, Oyo, Beer Baron and Nonni’s Bistro have been approved for and have constructed their custom parklets, according to Clark.
But for Vic’s All Star Kitchen, the notable tent in the parking lot that they had temporarily set up during the pandemic had to be taken down. Clark said these outdoor dining areas were initially required to be removed by Jan. 7, but the city worked with several owners over the following months, and ultimately required full compliance by May 11.
She said that there is a permit process available for businesses to apply for approval of longer-term outdoor dining areas on their properties.
If businesses do need financial assistance with installing outdoor dining areas, the city is offering a grant program for up to $10,000 in funding, which the council approved in March.
The month before, the council also approved another $10,000 grant program to assist businesses with the cost of design and construction for parklets.
One of the main requirements for both grants is that the businesses cannot be a chain or corporately owned but other requirements also include good standing with the city and having all the appropriate business licenses.
“We are continuing to see strong interest in the parklet and outdoor dining program in downtown, and certainly look forward to working with our local businesses to have more of these dining areas in place going forward,” Clark said.
It was my understanding that one of the reasons the city was requiring the new design for restaurant parklets was to create a more consistent look and ambiance along Main Street for outdoor dining. I thought it was a good idea. What has been executed however does not compare to what has been done in neighboring cities. A quick trip to Danville highlights what outdoor dining parklets can look like. Add to the issue that when the streets are closed one weekend each month, Main Street looks worse than what it looked like previously. There is no standard for what businesses set up. I saw tables haphazardly placed in the middle of the street with no tent, no umbrella, no ambiance whatsoever. What seemed like an admirable goal seems to have badly misfired.