Parklet timeline extended to make changes on Coast Village Road in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After a letter from city hall in September with an October deadline, businesses on Coast Village Road have been given an extension to reshape their large parklets. The goal is to take up no more than two side by side spaces right in front of their address.

This will create more parking spaces, which had been a concern from some businesses, mainly non-restaurants who said there was a shortage with the parklets.

The outside dining areas were created quickly during the COVID-19 crisis, when inside seating was a health concern.

The recent letter with the extension on the size reduction came out October 26.

The current city policy approves parklets until Dec. 31, 2023.

Some businesses asked for the parklet change in the last few months when the customer flow was picking up again and parking was tight.

The city and business owners met two months ago to talk about the issues and the parking needs.

Eight businesses were using 28 parking spaces. Coast Village Road has 131 spaces overall.  

After today's original deadline to make changes, is now Tuesday. Then there will be an inspection and review.

The compromise solution still allows outside for outside dining, but it's unclear how many actual seats will be lost.

Jeannine's Restaurant and Bakery Owner Alison Hardey is planning to comply with the city's rule and change her parklet. To do so, however, the current one, with a white picket fence, a unique centerpiece window design, and planters on all side, will be completely taken out.

"We're disappointed of course. We put a ton into trying to make it a lovely experience,"  she said.  "We'll make it as beautiful as possible, the two spaces, and we will open up two more for parking and then I think,  I hope, we will keep it that way for awhile."

It will be reconfigured from the flooring up.

She said, "we'll keep the picket fence. We will make it a flat ramp so you can leave the sidewalk and you can head on to the deck, ( to comply with access rules.)"

The Coast and Olive restaurant at the Montecito Inn had already done most of the work when the extension letter arrived.  It  lost about six tables, and a canvas cover, but retained the classic ambiance.

Owner Jason Copus said, "we lost the beautiful tent  just because it went over into the other space so we had to reduce that, but we still have a warm cozy and intimate environment here."   

Without the tent, other coverings are being considered. The dining area also has multiple heaters.

The side area where the tent stretch out into, is empty creating a parking space adjacent to the dining and next to the driveway.

As changes are being made, the  Halloween weekend is expected to be busy, with children doing a special trick-or-treat visit on Monday for "Ghost Village Road."

Copus said, the family-owned hotel and restaurant wants to work with the city on improvements, but is incurring new costs with this latest decision. Going forward, "we are ready for Ghost Village road and Halloween weekend and  to take people in on our patio and we're ready to hand out candy on the 31st."

Next door Lucky's restaurant is using a portion of its patio for seating but no disassembly as begun.

Renaud's in the middle of Coast Village Road has just over two parking spots, and a portion of the parklet is in the red parking zone.

Tre Lune has more than two parking spaces of dining outside and concrete barriers that will have to be made if adjustments take place.

Failure to comply could result in action from the City Attorney's office.

One of the diners Roxie Solakian said she enjoyed the parklets throughout the city. "One of the positive things that happened out of Covid were these parklets for the City of Santa Barbara.  It has helped downtown and it's only helped Coast Village Road."

She said it is a good image for the city. "We can be known all over the world as the little city with the parklets, where people can come and eat because the weather permits it."

A former restaurant owner says, the emergency COVID-19 parklets have served their purpose.

Guy Hamilton says, "for now it's over and I think we need to kind of restore life. I used to own a business on this street and I sympathize with the businesses but the pandemic is over."