Businesses hoping to place a permanent parklet in front of their shop will no longer require approval from community neighborhood groups, City Council decided on Tuesday night, along with other changes to the guidelines surrounding parklets.
The permanent parklet program, which has existed in Long Beach since 2009, became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic due to indoor dining regulations. At its height, there were 112 temporary outdoor dining parklets in use within the city.
Since January 2022, 78 of those structures have been taken down as the temporary program was phased out. Businesses were given the option of taking down their parklets or entering the permanent application process. So far there are 21 businesses with approved permanent parklet permits and 26 businesses in different stages of the application process.
Businesses attempting to receive a permanent parklet permit were required to obtain approval from neighborhood groups that fell within the same boundaries, although Public Works Director Eric Lopez said there were “inconsistencies” in the regulations of those approvals.
“There is a need for a written consent from applicable community organizations, but [City code] did not specify which and how community organizations and neighborhood associations are defined or how they approve it,” Lopez said. “Each neighborhood group on the list self-defines its own geographic boundaries.”
Lopez said the lack of guidelines resulted in some businesses requiring written approval from multiple organizations, while some had no groups to abide by.
Belmont Shore and the surrounding third district account for 17 of the pending parklet permits, while the downtown area of district one has four permits pending, district two has four and district five has one.
“When temporary parklets went up they had to go up quickly and we couldn’t put the same time and effort into the ordinance and I appreciate the time and work that went into this,” said district three Councilmember Kristina Duggan. “I believe this is our opportunity to provide transparency.”
Former third district Councilmember Suzie Price brought the guidelines forward in December 2022 for the council to reevaluate how much power was given to community groups. Businesses will now be required to post signage outside of their store, notifying the public of its pending application for at least 30 days.
During this time, anyone can send their written support or disapproval of the permanent parklet. One or more letters of opposition will send the discussion to the City Council, which will have final decision-making power—assuming that the business meets all other application requirements in the City handbook.
Public Works will coordinate and facilitate the creation and posting of required signage, which businesses will be required to pay for. If no letters of disapproval are received within 30 days, the decision will be made by the Public Works Department.
“This change allows for public input, I think it actually makes it more accessible for the public to know what’s going on. I don’t think it’s good practice to give veto power to any one group.”
District three councilmember Kristina Duggan
If a resident or group wishes to appeal an approved permit, they will have to pay a fee of $1,000, while the business will have to pay a $2,310 fee.
“Parklets improve the vibrancy of all social districts,” said Kurt Schneiter, president of the Belmont Shore Business Improvement Association. “I applaud the City staff on the new language because it was absurd before to give so much power to any one group, no matter who they represent.”
Schneiter asked the council to consider extending the time before a permit has to be renewed, saying that the one-year period of approval discourages business owners from creating long-lasting structures since the permit can be revoked the following year.
Lopez laid out three reasons why the Public Works Department might not approve a permanent parklet permit: the design of the parklet doesn’t conform to the Sidewalk Dining and Parklet Handbook, the applicant has documented issues that are “detrimental to the quality of life of nearby businesses or residents” or the Local Coastal Commission can deny a permit based on its own set of regulations.
Council also approved a change to the speed limit requirements on a business applying for a permit. City code previously required a speed limit of 25 mph or below for a street to be considered for a parklet, but the approved change gives the City Traffic Engineer discretion to make exceptions.
With approval from the Traffic Engineer, a business can extend the sidewalk outside of its store and then apply for a sidewalk dining permit on the newly constructed sidewalk. The City Traffic Engineer can also suggest “alternative safety measures,” all of which will require public notice through signage for 30 days.
“This change allows for public input, I think it actually makes it more accessible for the public to know what’s going on,” Duggan said. “I don’t think it’s good practice to give veto power to any one group.”
The item was passed unanimously by City Council 8-0.
