Covid-compliant outdoor dining areas built out into the streets.
Posted on 04/13/2022 2:28:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
City council has decided to enforce the removal of parklets despite strong disapproval by some restaurants in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Carmel declared an emergency proclamation on March 13, 2020, calling for the construction of parklets despite the violation of zoning laws.
City council voted to remove the parklets, arguing it was no longer an emergency situation. But according to businesses in favor of parklets, it still is.
"It was actually very sad and frustrating that the city does not understand to extend this until we get really out of the COVID era where like, as you see right now, China is locking down again. Shanghai shut down again," Bashar Sneeh said.
Sneeh owns three restaurants in downtown Carmel: Portabella, Catch and Dametra Cafe.
Each restaurant was given two parking spots to construct parklets. All costs were shouldered by the restaurants. In addition, the city charged about $800 per parking spot.
"The city has charged a lot of money and they justified it, saying, 'well, it helps pay for the enforcement of having it,' while there's only one guy who walks around town and enforces. And I'm pretty sure that 42 restaurants who are paying $7,500 each every month more than pays for his salary," said Ashley Wolff, the general manager of Pangea Grill.
While businesses had to meet certain guidelines, most of the design and material of construction were left to the restaurant's discretion.
Some restaurants in downtown Carmel invested more money than needed, adding raised decks, roofs and landscaping.
Sneeh, the owner of three restaurants, spent about $60,000.
Sneeh and other Carmel restaurant owners have to remove their parklets by 5 p.m. on April 20.
"Imagine having to break this down now for me, how much it's going to cost?" Sneeh said.
The city sent out a survey, asking residents, businesses and visitors, "how consistent is the dining type with the character of Carmel-by-the Sea if allowed in the future?"
On a scale of one to five, five being the most favorable of parklets, 47% of 1,391 respondents noted a five.
"This brought so much vibrant vibe and positive energy," said Sneeh. "You walk around people like dining, having a glass of wine. You like laughing. It's so much good energy in town. So it was an amazing addition. So there was a change, but it was a great change forward."
In an interview with Action News 8, Mayor Dave Potter explained the reason for removing the parklets.
"They've been there for quite a while honestly. Some of them are looking a little dilapidated. There seems to be major interest now in inside dining," said Potter. "We are going to bring it back to council for further deliberations for what the future of dining is. It's not as if it's going to go away permanently. We're going to refer it to the planning commission. In 30 days we're going to have a recommendation from the council what the process is going to look like when we refer it to the planning commission. In 90 days we want recommendation from the planning commission," Potter said.
Still many restaurants in Carmel are pessimistic that parklets will become permanent.
"Not only did business owners and managers push hard, but the residents of not just Carmel-by-the-Sea, but Monterey and Pacific Grove. Everyone pushed hard," Wolff said. "They said that they were going to come up with a long-term solution, but they only said that so that there was going to be no pushback."
"Let's get back to respecting the general plan," said Councilmember Bobby Richards in a statement to Action News 8. "We respectfully recognize outdoor dining is a possible part of our future. Let's work together, with retail, restaurants and residents considering safety and health. All of these are important parts of our community."
parklet???
How many times is the article going to say “parklets” before it says what a “parklet” is??
Micropark
I like these outdoor seating areas. It’s one of the few things coming out of the coof that I actually like!
Google it. I did.
Oh, that explains everything! LOL!
Local term, local article.
You would think the writer explains.
Covid-compliant outdoor dining areas built out into the streets.
The worthless writer’s credo: Who what when and where? Nah! Google it!
Basic stupidity on the part of the local government. If it works...why cut it off for no real reason.
Good. I’m guessing this is where restaurants spill out into the parking spaces for outside Covid seating. Carmel doesn’t have enough parking anyway.
Parklets are dining areas in street parking places.
You lose 2-10 metered spots. You sit there two feet from traffic. Normally there is a wall; tables. Chairs.
Some are cute and interesting. Some are decrepit shanties.
All of them take up parking places and put diners in the actual street.
In case you can’t tell I hate them. San Francisco has dozens. I have seen some smashed ones too. Wonder if anyone got hurt or killed.
I am all for patios and outside dining if the restaurant owns the space and it’s not on the street and removing yet more parking for the majority who want to use cars.
A parklet is a sidewalk extension that provides more space and amenities for people using the street. Usually parklets are installed on parking lanes and use several parking spaces. Parklets typically extend out from the sidewalk at the level of the sidewalk to the width of the adjacent parking space.[1][2] Parklets are intended for people. Parklets offer a place to stop, to sit, and to rest while taking in the activities of the street. In instances where a parklet is not intended to accommodate people, it may provide greenery, art, or some other visual amenity. A parklet may accommodate bicycle parking within it, or bicycle parking may be associated with it.[2]
Didn’t these restaurants get a lot of Restaurant Recovery Fund bailout money?
You can even download the data file and scroll through the info. A hyooj Excel file. Very interesting.
Ah, thanks. So then, no parking goes on in those spaces. More like a little park in a parking space.
Carmel doesn’t have any addresses.
See. Not even a wall there. Planters. Would you like to sit and eat your lasagna with cars whizzing by and nothing but a planter between you and them?
So it was perfectly okay to construct a new smaller restaurant on parking spots? I guess so if the city was raking in 7500 bucks a month from every restaurant. What a scam.
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