STAFF REPORT
Date: October 11, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Mandana Motahari, City Architect
Subject: OpenBH Design and Operating Standards Update
Attachments: 1. Discussion Topics and Survey Results
2. What We Heard – Emerging Themes
3. Parklet Design Guidelines Outline
INTRODUCTION
This item is for information and discussion to provide an update on outreach efforts for business owners and residents and to discuss up-to-date survey results regarding current and future design of parklets for outdoor dining in the City.
DISCUSSION
OpenBH was created to help all Beverly Hills businesses remain open during the pandemic. One of the more popular uses of the OpenBH program was by restaurants and cafés that were permitted to provide open-air dining as a temporary solution to help them stay operational during a time when outdoor dining was the only available option.
OpenBH installations by restaurants and cafes include sidewalk dining, converted private property dining (parking lots) and parklet dining (dining in parking meter spaces or similar).
For the purposes of the Design and Operation Subcommittee discussion and the scope of work of the architectural team, the design guidelines being created will focus on the parklet dining only. As a reminder, the parklet installations during the pandemic were done quickly and constructed with easy to assemble materials to meet the urgent temporary need for additional outdoor space. The current parklets often reflect the unique character and aesthetic quality of each business; however, overall street aesthetics are not currently harmonious and cohesive. With the desire to make these temporary installations permanent, parklets need to be inviting and create people-oriented spaces that are functional and provide aesthetic enhancements to the overall streetscape. To achieve this goal, developing a set of minimum design standards is warranted and can be reinforced with considerations to the Beverly Hills brand.
BEVERLY
HILLS
•
Meeting Date: October 11, 2022
The architectural firm of Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) has been engaged to provide design consulting services for developing design guidelines for this effort.
The focus of the subcommittee has been to develop design and operational standards with full stakeholders’ input and feedback. Three outreach meetings were conducted with in-person and virtual participation of stakeholders. The outreach also included two separate online surveys. There will be future outreach with full participation of stakeholders to continue the effort of developing design guidelines.
Past meetings included presenting the path and approach to develop design standards, conversations with stakeholders in small group workshops, collecting input and feedback for developing tailored questionnaires for online surveys, continued conversation with stakeholders concerning feedback received and project parameters, as well as discussions on outline of design guidelines. At the recommendation of the subcommittee, the survey questions were posted again online to collect more input from stakeholders.
In an effort to collect community feedback, survey questions were created to reflect topics discussed in the first stakeholder workshop as well as giving participants who missed the meeting an opportunity to be heard. A total of 187 residents and 12 business owners participated in the survey and gave feedback; results are included in Attachment 1. Feedback included data on street location, parklet envelope (footprint and height), design elements, materials, parklet components and operations and maintenance. The emerging themes resulted from workshops and surveys are included in Attachment 2. It is prudent to mention that while business owner participation in online surveys was low, in-person and virtual meeting participation by business owners has been strong.
Upon approval of the planned approach by City Council, stakeholder outreach meetings including OpenBH participants and non-participants will continue during the remaining course of the project, including development of design guidelines and in creation of a sample interactive parklet mockup.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for this information item.
RECOMMENDATION
This report is for information only.
Shana Epstein,
Director of Public Works
Approved By
Attachment 1
1 of 13
7%
Residents
187 Participants
Business Owners
12 Participants
93%
SURVEY RESULTS
In an effort to collect community
feedback for the BH parklet design,
we created survey questions to
reflect the topics discussed in the
first stakeholder workshop and to
give participants who missed the
meeting an opportunity to be heard.
2 of 13
WHAT WE HEARD
SAFETY COMPONENTS SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE DESIGN & NOT OUTWARDLY VISIBLE
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
As a resident, diner, or pedestrian,
what safety measures would you like to
see in a parklet?*
*11% OTHER, 3% RAILING, 6% DELINEATION OF DINING
As a business owner, what safety
measures would you like to see in a
parklet?
SURVEY RESULTS SURVEY RESULTS
75% 49%
INTEGRATED
SAFETY ELEMENTS
INTEGRATED
SAFETY ELEMENTS
LOW WALL VISUAL SAFETY
SIGNS LOW WALL
15% 16% 25%
WHAT WE HEARD
0 0 0
3 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
SAFETY FEATURES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AS BOTH A
READY-MADE PRODUCT OR AS CUSTOM GUIDELINES AND SHOULD BE INTEGRAL TO THE DESIGN
WHAT WE HEARD
50% 50%
READY MADE
CUSTOM
MATERIALS
As a business owner, how would you like
to integrate safety measures into your
parklet?
“Make safety an integral part of the
design (not an additional element in
the street)”
“Make security elements more hidden”
“It would be nice not to see bollards
everywhere”
4 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
WHAT WE HEARD
No
<4
<3<2
46%
PARKLETS SHOULD NOT BE REGULATED BY OVERALL SIZE,
BUT RATHER BY FACTORS LIKE BUSINESS FRONTAGE AND VEHICULAR VISIBILITY Should there be a limit on parklet
size?(Response in parking spaces)
“Each street is a different condition &
dimension and needs a unique solution”
oDD
5 of 13
SOME VISIBILITY FROM STREET TO STOREFRONT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
SURVEY RESULTS SURVEY RESULTS
50%
How would you like your parklet to be
perceived from across the street?
How important is visibility between the
street and a storefront?*
WHAT WE HEARD
Focus is on storefront
Focus is on parklet
Both are equally important
41% 30%
UNOBSTRUCTED MOSTLY
UNOBSTRUCTED
NOT IMPORTANT
16%
75%
*13% MINIMAL VISIBILITY
6 of 13
CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK
PARKLET COMPONENTS SHOULD MEET HIGH DESIGN STANDARDS TO PROVIDE
A COMFORTABLE DINING ENVIRONMENT
WHAT WE HEARD
CONCLUSION
SURVEY RESULTS
ENSURING
THAT TRAFFIC
BARRIERS DO NOT
IMPACT DINING
EXPERIENCE
TRAFFIC NOISE
REDUCTION
OVERHEAD
CANOPY
PROTECTION
AESTHETICALLY
PLEASING MATERIAL
CHOICE
STURDY
MATERIALS
As a diner, which of the following
elements are most important to your
experience?
35%
12%
11%
16%
26%
“Permanent barriers should be more
aesthetic and smaller”
“Parking barriers are not beautiful
from the interior”
“Interior protection is nice, but
exterior could use improvement”
12%
7 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
DESIGN GUIDELINES SHOULD PRIORITIZE FLEXIBILITY
WHAT WE HEARD
45% NOT IMPORTANT
25% SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT
30% VERY IMPORTANT
“We don’t want them to look the same.
Each business is different. BH is
modern and historic.”
“Elegant, diverse, but needs more
diversity”
“Build in specific material
specifications to ensure long lasting
aesthetics”
How important is it for the appearance of
parklets in Beverly Hills to be distinct
from other cities?
•
0 0
8 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
7’-0”
22%
7’-6”
39%
8’-0”
39%
WHAT WE HEARD
How tall should the minimum height of
canopies be? (Current min is 7ft)
“Min umbrella height should be 6.5ft to
7ft”
“Height of umbrellas is too low ‐ needs
to be 7ft min”
“More structured features, overhead
structure for weather shield”
CANOPIES SHOULD PROVIDE GENEROUS CLEAR HEAD HEIGHT
9 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
SURVEY RESULTS SURVEY RESULTS
CANOPIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO DINER COMFORT,
& MODULATED SHADING SYSTEMS ARE PREFERABLE
WHAT WE HEARD
As a business owner, what type of overhead
canopies do you prefer?
As a pedestrian, which type of overhead
canopies is your top preference?*
Umbrellas Operable shading Umbrellas Fixed Canopies
20%
28% 45% 50% 30%
Fixed Canopies Operable shading
73% 20% 80%
*7% NO CANOPIES
10 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
GREENERY IMPROVES THE STREETSCAPE & DINING EXPERIENCE,
VEGETATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED
WHAT WE HEARD
25% not important
25% somewhat important
50% very important
How important is it for vegetation (like
plants, shrubs, flowers) to be integrated
into parklets?
“Addition of plant material would be
nice if there’s space/flexibility”
“Greenery would be a nice around the
exterior”
11 of 13
WHAT WE HEARD
SURVEY RESULTS SURVEY RESULTS
PEDESTRIAN PATHS SHOULD BE DISTINCT & UNOBSTRUCTED
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
CLEAR SEPARATION 50%
As a pedestrian, which of the following
elements are important to you
experience?
Which of the following would you like
to see implemented to ensure safe
pedestrian use of the sidewalk?
WALKABILITY
COHESIVE DESIGN
OUTDOOR DINING
PEDESTRIANPARKLET
PATH DELINEATION
VISIBILITY
40% 28% 6% 26%
FIXED FURNITURE 25%
*17% OTHER, 8% FIXED FURNITURE
12 of 13
CONCLUSION
SURVEY RESULTS SURVEY RESULTS
PARKLETS ARE MORE VALUED THAN PARKING,
BUT CLEAR VEHICULAR SPACE & DRIVER VISIBILITY NEED TO BE RESTORED
WHAT WE HEARD
VISIBILITY OF
RESTAURANTS
COHESIVE DESIGN 5% SPACE FOR
DELIVERY DROP OFF
SPACE FOR
PARKING BETWEEN
PARKLETS
NO LANE
REDUCTION
CLEAR
VISIBILITY FOR
ENTRY & EXIT
FROM PARKING
As a driver, which of the following
elements are most important to your
driving experience?
Based on what you’ve experienced to
date, what do you value more?
PARKLET IN
FRONT OF DINING
PARKING IN
FRONT OF DINING
77%
23%
15%
35%30%
14%
11%
21%
14%
13 of 13
CONCLUSION CONCLUSION
WORKSHOP | FEEDBACK SURVEY RESULTS
EXPECTATIONS FOR ACTIVE & PASSIVE OPERATIONS SHOULD BE OUTLINED
WHAT WE HEARD
As a business owner, are you willing to
allow public use of your parklet when you
are not in operation?
WILLING TO SHARE
WITH DESIGNATED
BUSINESS PARTNERS
NO
“Should parklets be used as outdoor
dining only or can it also be a public
space when it is not in use?”
75%
25%
Attachment 2
PARKLETS ARE MORE VALUED THAN PARKING, BUT CLEAR VEHICULAR
SPACE & DRIVER VISIBILITY NEED TO BE RESTORED PEDESTRIAN PATHS SHOULD BE DISTINCT & UNOBSTRUCTEDCANOPIES SHOULD PROVIDE GENEROUS CLEAR HEAD HEIGHTGREENERY IMPROVES THE STREETSCAPE & DINING EXPERIENCE, VEGETATION SHOULD BE ENCOURAGEDPARKLET COMPONENTS SHOULD MEET HIGH DESIGN STANDARDS TO PROVIDE A COMFORTABLE DINING ENVIRONMENTPARKLETS SHOULD BE REGULATED BY FACTORS LIKE BUSINESS FRONTAGE AND VEHICULAR VISIBILITY
WHAT WE HEARD - EMERGING THEMES
PARKLET ENVELOPE
STREET LOCATION
DESIGN ELEMENTS
SAFETY COMPONENTS SHOULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE DESIGN & NOT OUTWARDLY VISIBLESAFETY FEATURES SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AS BOTH A READY-MADE PRODUCT OR AS CUSTOM GUIDELINES AND SHOULD BE INTEGRAL TO THE DESIGNCANOPIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO DINER COMFORT, & FLEXIBLE SHADING SYSTEMS ARE PREFERABLESOME VISIBILITY FROM STREET TO STOREFRONT SHOULD BE MAINTAINEDEXPECTATIONS FOR ACTIVE & PASSIVE OPERATIONS SHOULD BE OUTLINEDDESIGN GUIDELINES SHOULD PRIORITIZE FLEXIBILITY
PARKLET COMPONENTS
MATERIALS
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Attachment 3
PARKLET DESIGN GUIDELINES - OUTLINE
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
SITE
IDEA
SIZE
DESIGN
MATERIALS
DETAILS
USE
APPLICATION
2 1
3 4
5 6
7 A
PARKLET ENVELOPE
STREET LOCATION
PARKLET COMPONENTS
MATERIALS
DESIGN ELEMENTS
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
PERMIT APPLICATION
INTRODUCTION
DESIGN GUIDELINES OUTLINE