Next up: Discussion of COVID biz recovery from the city regulation perspective, which mostly includes outdoor dining.
Staff presentation: documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocVie…
Staff presentation: documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocVie…
I only have a few notes on this, bc the packet item on this was as dense as a pound cake.
88 biz benefitted from looser city rules
6% of survey respondents (542 biz) used it
6% of survey respondents (542 biz) used it
- 85% reported positive impacts (increased seating capacity, safer for customers)
- 46% mentioned negative aspects (loss of parking, lack of space for customers to get into biz, expense, uncertainty about program, harassment by transients, dining near traffic, temp changes)
- 46% mentioned negative aspects (loss of parking, lack of space for customers to get into biz, expense, uncertainty about program, harassment by transients, dining near traffic, temp changes)
It cost the city about $52,000 to implement outdoor dining. Boulder also lost approx $214,000 in lost parking revenue.
“The degree to which the BBRP effort has led to greater or sustained sales tax revenue generation by local restaurants is unclear," staff noted.
Also, clarification to above tweet: the $214,000 also includes permitting fees that the city waived or reduced during COVID to help struggling biz.
Staff noted a lot of cons to keeping outdoor dining
- Aforementioned loss of parking revenue
- Cost to waive fees ($1,000+ per biz)
- Cost of infrastructure
- Staff time
- HOP realignment: Walnut Street residents complained about noise; drops ppl off farther from Pearl
- Aforementioned loss of parking revenue
- Cost to waive fees ($1,000+ per biz)
- Cost of infrastructure
- Staff time
- HOP realignment: Walnut Street residents complained about noise; drops ppl off farther from Pearl
This is, of course, mostly in reference to West Pearl, which used to be open to cars but was shut down to allow peds, bikes and more tables/chairs for restaurants.
Elsewhere in the city (but mostly downtown) on-street parking was opened to outdoor dining even if the street was still open to traffic.
106 parking spaces were surrendered to the outdoor dining program. Cost the city an estimated $132,500 in parking revenue.
Staff is still recommending expanding current outdoor dining practices through April 1, 2022
The city is "recommending re-inspection," says Yvette Bowden, head of community vitality. Apparently there has been "creep" of outdoor dining into sidewalks, impacting mobility.
Continued fee waiver would be part of this expansion, too.
What are other places doing? It's all over the place, Bowden says.
- 92% of mayors expanded space for outdoor dining during the pandemic
- 34% said they planned to make the changes permanent.
(Source: Survey of 130 U.S. mayors of cities with more than 75,000 residents)
- 92% of mayors expanded space for outdoor dining during the pandemic
- 34% said they planned to make the changes permanent.
(Source: Survey of 130 U.S. mayors of cities with more than 75,000 residents)
Denver: Expanded through 2022
Louisville, Longmont: Nov. 1, 2021 (Louisville will keep summer parklets on Main St.)
Louisville, Longmont: Nov. 1, 2021 (Louisville will keep summer parklets on Main St.)
Yates: I'm trying to understand the math on the loss of parking revenue. I know your estimate took the max parking revenue and cut it by 1/3, due to reduced visitation. Are ppl still paying for parking, just somewhere else?
Bowden: "We're not sure. There's not a direct link right now that can prove that all the folks parking on that street are now parking in garages or in surface lots."
"We are seeing some return of visitation to the garages."
"We are seeing some return of visitation to the garages."
But ppl are still looking for free parking, Bowden says.
Yates: Why are we expanding this to April (5 months) instead of 6 months?
Bowden: We need to look at what infrastructure we might need. But we're open to discussion.
Bowden: We need to look at what infrastructure we might need. But we're open to discussion.
Also, weather is a factor. And staff is still not sure what the state will allow RE: outdoor alcohol service.
Yates: Let's come back to council, say, February and ask or say what's going to happen after April 1
Brockett would support an extension until May 1 rather than April.
"I wouldn't want to see this go away before we instituted a new program," he says. "Bring this back to us for a check-in."
Wallach Sigh-O-Meter: 3.5
Young: Have their been any biz that wanted to participate but couldn't?
Bowden: Not that we're aware of.
Bowden: Not that we're aware of.
Full council support for a 6-month extension of outdoor dining.
Weaver: "I think looking ahead and doing something permanent around this" will go a long way toward creating that "European style" practice of dif uses during dif times of the day.
"It needs to be equal and there need to be rules," Weaver says. The current design isn't great for foot traffic flow or bicycles.
On West Pearl, specifically.
That's all for this one.
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