Parklets on the chopping block?

Parklets arrived in B'game about four years ago as we noted here.  They were a good idea at the time and helped keep some of our local eateries in business.  That was then, this is now as the city council moves to reign them in.  I don't think many people believed they would still be around four years later and that the $250 per month "cleaning fee" would be insufficient to actually keep the areas around the parklet clean.  That is just one issue.  The impact on street parking, visibility for safe driving (the Rocca parklet being exhibit A) and visibility for storefronts adjacent to the parklets are also drawing council attention.  I would add one more.  The businesses that didn't cover up the orange hydro barriers are contributing to the Make Burlingame Ugly Again (MBUA) trend along with cheesy plastic bollards, floppy crosswalk signs, perpetually empty newspaper boxes, signage overkill, et al.  Add you least favorite street detritus here _____________________.  The Daily Journal is reporting on the council meeting where all of this was discussed

Originally, the parklets were a vital function of maintaining restaurant business during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve become overbearing for retailers who make important contributions to the city’s sales tax, Mayor Donna Colson said. 

“I don’t want to jeopardize our balance with hard businesses and restaurants, which are also fun, but are frankly destroying the [Avenue] right in front of the restaurants,” she said. “It’s pitch black, filthy, dirty, they’re not covering the cost, we can’t keep it clean. … I think it’s just a matter of balancing it.”  Currently, 30 parklets in the Burlingame Avenue downtown and the Broadway Commercial district are occupying 63 parking spaces, with 13 extending beyond their business frontages.

The proposed new rules will likely gut the program.

Under the draft ordinance, roofs, trellises and tent shade structures will not be allowed and structural elements will not be allowed to extend beyond the top of the walls to allow for better visibility to adjacent businesses. Curb gutters must be kept unobstructed and furnishings cannot be stored in the parklet when not in use.

Without roofs, the heaters will be much less effective on cold days and diners will be much warmer on sunny lunch hours.  Moving everything out and back in each day probably will motivate restaurants to pull the parklet plug.  We will know by October when the new rules kick in.  It's fun to see the DJ use Bgame in a headline though I prefer it with the apostrophe.

August 2024 Update:  The new rules went into effect at the end of July and many parklets have been removed.  The city notes that we are down to 14 active parklets complying with the new rules.  In other news, the FLiRT variant of Covid is increasing to seriously high levels in the Bay Area at this moment.  Here is a photo of a parklet being disassembled.

 

Comments

[Peter Garrison]

The Avenue’s renovation has made the street much more attractive. The trees have grown up, the flower boxes are well-tended, and sidewalks are cleaned regularly.

The banners demanding that we EAT, SHOP, DINE are now a bit much considering eye-clutter and PSI-OPS big “gobmint” prodding. Some pavers are getting dangerously lose.

But the Avenue is busy and fun. Yay Council.

[resident]

Watching people who don't know how to parallel park try to get into that one space between the two parklets on the Avenue is like a comedy routine.

[resident]

Here is a range of opinions. https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/mixed-feelings-on-parklet-restrictions-in-burlingame/article_ec802102-13f7-11ef-81f2-bb17f8d5f4f4.html?utm_source=smdailyjournal.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1715954419&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline

[hollyroller@ gmail.com]

Parklets are Stupid. They look Horrible. The Fact that Business on "The Ave" is GREAT is an Understatement. Lets Close the Street-Permanently and make "The Ave" an Outdoor Mall. I believe more people will visit and enjoy all the "Up Scale" Business.

[Jeniffer]

If you stroll along the avenue today, you will notice that several parklets have been removed and others are in the process of being removed.

There are several new criteria, the most significant being the following- no Roof structures, trellises or tent shades allowed AND the parklet cannot extend beyond the frontage of the storefront applying for the parklet. New parklets where there was not already an approved parklet are not permitted. Once removed, it cannot be replaced.

Businesses that choose to no longer participate in the program or have a parklet that encroaches beyond their business frontage must remove or modify their parklets by July 31, 2024.

Businesses that choose to continue in the new parklet program will be allowed additional time to apply for a new parklet permit and rebuild their parklets by October 31, 2024.

Photos to come.

[Joe]

The city confirms that we are down to fourteen active restaurants participating in the new program. They must be doing quite well with the additional space--and good for them. It's a lot of work and I'm glad it's worth it!