Burlingame City Council adds new fees for parklets

But citing increased street and sidewalk cleaning costs and lost parking revenue, the council agreed it was now time to start charging for the use of the public space. The new charges will begin April 1.

“I do think we are being fair,” Councilmember Ann O’Brien Keighran said. “We’ve had 22 months helping the businesses but at some point we do need to put the onus on the businesses.”

The city estimated a $262 cleaning cost per parklet, equating a slight subsidy given the fees to be charged. The council last month had considered a $300 monthly charge. 

According to the city, additional labor has been needed as street sweepers have had to maneuver around parklets, and some debris has required manual removal. Sidewalks have also required additional cleaning due to an “unsightly combination of grease, food and drink spills,” according to the city. Costs to maintain water-filled barrier walls required to surround parklets for safety were also included in the estimate. 

City Manager Lisa Goldman said initial costs associated with installing the protective barriers was close to $320,000. She estimated also that parking revenue lost from the time of the parklet program’s start to the end of this year would be upwards of $600,000.

Responding to concern that not all parklets required the same level of cleaning, Michael Heathcote, deputy director of Public Works Operations, said it would be impractical to determine individual costs based on which parklets required more time to clean on any given day. The estimate, he said, was an average of all 43 parklets currently operated in the city. 

Councilmember Michael Brownrigg questioned whether there could be separate charges for parklets downtown versus those on Broadway. Heathcote responded that he was unsure there would be drastic difference in the costs for the two areas, but noted it could be looked into. 

The council decision was not supported by the Broadway Burlingame Business Improvement District. District President John Kevranian in a letter emphasized ongoing added costs of doing business, including staffing shortages and minimum wage increase, supply chain issues and product costs, and composting and other mandates. 

“The cleaning fee of $250 has to come from somewhere such as reducing the hours of workers or increasing prices on customers,” the letter stated.

The parklet program has been approved to run through at least December of this year, and the council has indicated it would likely be extended beyond that. 

The council also approved reduced permit application costs. Application fees separate from the already required sidewalk encroachment application will not be levied. The sidewalk encroachment application cost is $431, plus $1 for each square foot over 200 square feet of space used. Last month, the council had considered a $769 new application fee and $205 permit renewal fee.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

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