Written Communications
Public Comments – Diez de Bonilla
Received 9/3/2024
From: Nayeli Diez de Bonilla
Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2024 10:45 AM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Disapproval of parklet removal in downtown
Hello,
Respectfully, I would like to voice my opposition to the decision to remove the parklets on third Avenue. As a lifelong resident, I’ve seen the effect that these parklets have had on third Avenue and I would confidently say that they have added to the sense of community in downtown. These parklets made walking through downtown more inviting and it was nice to see my community members sitting outside enjoying our beautiful weather. The removal of these on the basis that it is inequitable to smaller businesses seems like an illegitimate claim to me. Why not provide all businesses with a parklet space? It would make more sense to me to lean to a walkable downtown area, as increased foot traffic would probably lead to increased business. For example, I’m not going to pull over and park to look around a store but if I’m walking by it is much easier to justify a quick look. This change to a car oriented downtown seems like a step in the wrong direction. There is plenty of parking in the area. Plenty. Many parking lots and a big parking structure that is never nearly full. The parking-lot-ification of our downtown will lead to less sense of community, less foot traffic, and people spending less time in downtown overall. I can’t help but feel like the city is serving Ace Parking Services over its own citizens. I feel betrayed and like my city is working against our interests. I understand if the city feels it needs to redo the parklets idea to ensure it is equitable and maybe address some issues but to remove them with no future plan of installing them feels like a punishment from my city.
If it were up to me and the people I’ve spoken to, third Avenue would cater more towards pedestrians and less to cars. We want to be able to walk through downtown and sit outside and enjoy a beverage or a snack. It’s our right to enjoy public land and for it not to be designated car parking.
How sad to see our city center lose a space for the public to congregate in order to placate Ace parking. Just say you don’t value community spaces; at this point it feels like the city doesn’t want us to be in public.
Respectfully,
Nayeli Diez de Bonilla