Half Moon Bay may make parklets permanent

Over the past two years, the city has allowed retail stores and restaurants to temporarily use outdoor space to continue business during the pandemic. Many shops suffered from closures due to pandemic restrictions and loss of business and have used the outdoor business to help make up for indoor closures. Downtown businesses have expressed interest in making temporary outdoor dining areas permanent, prompting the city to look into the permanent program. The city hopes it will improve safety and comfort for pedestrians, encourage more walking downtown and improve downtown.

The streets would be from the Main Street Bridge to halfway through the 700 block of Main Street, Purissima Street between Kelly Avenue and Miramontes Street, Miramontes Street between Johnston and Purissima streets, and Mill Street between Johnston and Purissima streets.

Vice Chair Rick Hernandez supported the parklets as a public good to increase foot traffic and concentrate development in the downtown core. He wanted the parklet program to match up with future downtown land use plans around a town boulevard and ensure enough parking remained.

“I’d like to see us take a phased approach. Let’s do what we can do now. Let’s do it quickly and intelligently,” Hernandez said. “I would like to see us move with due haste to get something in place.”

Under the proposed program, an applicant would go through a pre-application eligibility process, application, a term license agreement and building permit process. Parklets would only be allowed to use up to 20% of available parking space per block to prevent parking problems. Businesses’ parklets will also accommodate special events like parades and the Pumpkin Festival. Most parklet installation interest has been on Main Street. Parklets would not have the ability to be passed on to new businesses that open at the same location. They would also have the ability to be taken down during city construction. Barterra Winery and Fattoria e Mare currently have parklets in place.

Commission Chair David Gorn favored a time limit on parklets to ensure other restaurants could apply for use. He also expressed concern about taking away too much parking from businesses. Any ADA parking space removed must be replaced along the same block or intersection area. The parklets and sidewalk cafe structures cannot interfere with public streetside EV charging stations.

“When you talk to downtown business owners, it’s the number one thing. They always want more parking, Gorn said. Everyone always talks about how there is not enough parking.”

Commissioner James Benjamin supported the program but wanted a comprehensive and detailed program for all permitting scenarios and situations.

“It’s the breadth of the permitting that we are contemplating here that feels like we really have to think it right because once it gets started, it’s going to be challenging to modify,” Benjamin said.

The commission also favored allowing the general public to use the parklets when not needed by businesses. However, it did not want public use to be disruptive to restaurants. The city will now conduct business outreach before bringing updated information back to the commission.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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