A Day In The Parklet
Austin suburb considers using sidewalks as patios in 'parklet' program
Some businesses are already create their own parklets.
Some parking spaces in downtown Georgetown may soon trade cars for café tables.
City officials are exploring a new pilot program to transform some street parking spots into “parklets,” which are removable patios with public seating and dining areas.
Following a November 25 Georgetown City Council workshop, city staff were directed to develop a pilot program that would allow downtown businesses to use the sidewalks and adjacent parking spaces in front of their storefronts.
“It’s basically a street patio,” explained Kelly Trietsch, Georgetown’s Chief Development Officer. “So there's movable furniture and seats. It can create waiting areas, provides buffer space between traffic and where the public is utilizing space, and then also, it just engages spaces that might be underutilized.”
While some businesses have already “unofficially” begun utilizing sidewalks as outdoor café spaces, the pilot would formalize the process.
“We see some of these businesses kind of spilling out into our sidewalks already with chairs and benches and things," Trietsch said. "So just seeing how we can, maybe clean that up a little bit."
During the workshop, council members showed interest in exploring the program, but not everyone’s on board. Some residents told KVUE they worry it could make parking and traffic worse in the already-busy downtown area.
"I really don't like it because traffic is already not good here and parking is even worse,” said Georgetown resident Pedro Pizzo. “So I feel like taking away these parking spots, I don't feel like it will be a good idea at all.”
Others see the parklets as a way to enhance the downtown experience and attract more visitors.
“Whenever the weather’s nice, we want to be outside,” said visitor Austin Dodson. “So that's just another driver for us to be outside, to be downtown, to be in the community. So it would be a great opportunity."
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Read the full story at KVUE.com.
