San Anselmo parklets need a consensus

The pushback San Anselmo Town Hall is getting from retailers who are not enthralled by plans to make restaurant parklets a permanent and possibly increased part of the local landscape should not be a big surprise.

Many of those store owners are losing the convenient storefront parking they have counted as one of the assets of the location where they decided to conduct business.

Staysea Colteaux, owner of Dogville, framed the argument well when she told the Town Council that parklets are not used 24-hours a day, but they are taking up valued parking space 100% of the time.

At times, during wet weather, when outdoor dining understandably loses some of its charm, merchants are losing the storefront parking to rows of empty tables.

Restaurants that serve only dinner are taking up those spaces during most of the time neighboring stores are open.

Colteaux and other local merchants are worried that the town is adopting policies to allow parklets -- the turning of parking spaces into dining areas -- to the detriment of their businesses. The council recently directed staff to draft policies making parklets permanent after a town survey showed that 90% of town residents favored them.

The parklets were created as an emergency measure to help bolster restaurants due the COVID crisis when public-health restrictions forbid indoor dining, but allowed them to serve customers outside.

The town’s goal was to save those restaurants from having to close, possibly permanently.

There’s no question that San Anselmo’s restaurants are a major attraction in the town’s economy. Local stores also draw people who also wind up dining in local restaurants.

Town residents obviously liked the outdoor seating and want to support local restaurants that are depending on it. Some parklet supporters think that the outdoor dining creates more economic vibrancy for downtown, one that should benefit all businesses.

The draft policy considered by the Town Council had no limit on the number of parklets that could be created.

San Anselmo isn’t the only Marin town facing this issue, but it was the first to order policies to make parklets permanent.

But the trick is striking a balance, recognizing the possible effects on neighboring stores whose owners have invested time, talent and money in San Anselmo.

That’s why the Town Council sent the draft policies back to the drawing board, including looking at possible limitations.

The town would be wise to make sure the voices from both restaurants and other businesses play a role in this planning process. Perhaps a strong consensus could be struck before it returns to the Town Council’s agenda.