Item-20-Parklets-and-reso-ext-permits — Fairfax City Council, March 2, 2022

1 AGENDA ITEM #20

TOWN OF FAIRFAX

STAFF REPORT
March 2, 2022
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Jonathon Goldman, Interim Public Works Director
Janet Coleson, Town Attorney
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution extending the current terms for Temporary Use Permits and Temporary Encroachment Permits to March 1, 2023; and direct staff regarding next steps Framework for Long-Term Outdoor Dining Structures ______________________________________________________________________________

RECOMMENDATION
That the Town Council receive this report, ask questions of Staff, receive public comment, discuss and direct Staff to:

1. Prepare an ordinance amending the Fairfax Town Code, TITLE 12: STREETS, SIDEWALKS, AND PUBLIC PLACES to add Chapter 12.48 PARKLETS, and draft accompanying guidelines for the long-term use of outdoor dining structures known as “Parklets” and confirming design elements as identified by Staff.

2. Support the Planning Commission in recommending a streamlined process for approving encroachment permits and Parklet permits for long-term Parklets.

3. Adopt a Resolution Extending the current term for Temporary Use Permits and Temporary Encroachment Permits such that they shall all expire no later than March 1, 2023 without further action by the Council.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In June 2020, in response to COVID-19 restrictions, the Council authorized Staff to issue temporary encroachment permits (TEPs) for outdoor dining and business uses in the public rightof-way (including Town-owned lands, parks, and parking spaces), and an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary use permit (TUP) process to allow businesses to apply to use their outdoor private spaces (e.g., parking lots) for their business activities. There is no fee for the TEP or TUP. Both permits are approved administratively by Staff.

On May 5, 2021, Council adopted resolutions extending the term for TEPs and TUPs such that they shall all expire not later than May 8, 2022, without further action by the Council. In addition, the Council directed Staff to conduct a community-wide online survey to solicit input from the community regarding the uses of the outdoor public spaces. 2 AGENDA ITEM #20
The results of the survey were presented at the September 1, 2021, Council meeting and Council directed that Staff come back to Council with a framework to make outdoor dining options into long-term Parklets that adhere to building codes and accessibility as well as exploring options for other public use of space downtown.

Proposed Framework
The proposed long-term Parklet program has two complementary components:

1. The Parklet ordinance would authorize long-term Parklets upon the approval of a Parklet Permit, an encroachment permit, and payment of fees, and contains standard requirements.

2. The Parklet Guidelines provide a more detailed description of requirements and criteria, including design and safety standards. Parklet applications will be reviewed by the Public Works Director or designee and approved by the Planning Commission.

The Parklet Guidelines give the Town the ability to review and condition each application as appropriate for the site and neighbors, considering issues such as safety and design. A summary of Design Features is provided as a worksheet (Attachment A) of the main points of the proposed Parklet program.

For ease of reference, Sections “A” through “E” below correspond with the headings in San Anselmo’s proposed Parklet Guidelines (see Attachment B).

A. Siting and Location

1. Location and Size Criteria
The location and siting of a long-term Parklet must take into consideration public safety, and the final Parklet location must be approved by the Public Works Director or designee based on the safety issues of each specific location. A Parklet must leave at least a minimum 4-foot unobstructed adjacent sidewalk width to allow for pedestrian use, and the Parklet may not interfere with the visibility of pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicle operators.

Parklets would be allowed along the frontages of storefronts in commercial zones where the speed limit is no more than 25 miles per hour and maybe allowed in areas with higher speed limits on a case-by-case basis.

Parklets shared with an adjacent business may be considered on a case-by-case basis as appropriate for the site, but the total Parklet area may not exceed the frontage for the combined businesses. The proposed Parklet Guidelines contain requirements for the use of both parallel and angled parking spaces, with a maximum of two parallel parking spaces or four perpendicular parking spaces allowed for each Parklet. Corner locations and Parklets adjacent to a crosswalk or driveways must provide sufficient lines of sight to ensure safety based on the particulars of each case. Parklets must be setback at least 1 foot from the edge of the adjacent lane of travel, and setback from adjacent parking spaces as necessary for safety and access purposes, depending on the site. 3 AGENDA ITEM #20

2. Fire and Safety Access
A Parklet may not block or obstruct fire hydrants or public utilities. Additionally, fire and emergency access is required by either providing a 5-foot wide opening from the street to the walkway every two adjacent Parklets or by providing a door in the middle of an individual Parklet. Finally, all Parklets must satisfy the California Fire Code and related fire safety requirements adopted by the Ross Valley Fire Department.

B. Design
The design of a Parklet includes four main components: 1) a platform to serve as an extension of the adjacent sidewalk; 2) railings that visually and physically define the Parklet exterior; 3) traffic safety protections; and 4) furnishings and fixtures to serve customers or members of the public. Below, please find an overview of the requirements and standards for these components.

1. Platform Design
Platforms must be constructed to withstand wear, tear, and weather and treated with a non-skid coating. Outdoor carpeting/artificial grass, and poured concrete platforms, are prohibited. The platform threshold must be flush with the sidewalk or ramped, as appropriate for safety. The Parklet must provide adequate access under the platform to allow for maintenance, repair, and gutter clearing. All platforms must provide adequate curbside drainage flow and may not block gutters.

Regarding flood safety, platforms must be designed and anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement and allow for the free flow of water in the floodway as required by the Town’s Floodplain Ordinance1. To ensure stability in the event of a high water event, platforms must be bolted or otherwise permanently affixed to the roadway for safety purposes. The platform must comply with applicable ADA and related legal requirements, including maintaining an accessible entry, wheelchair turning space, and wheelchair landing.

2. Railing and Enclosure Improvements
The Parklet railing or enclosure provides the boundary between the Parklet and the street and sidewalk It provides a safety barrier and also serves the aesthetic purpose of being visually appealing and appropriate to the surrounding area.

Parklets should have a notable, defined edge along the street front and adjacent parking stalls, which can include planters, railings, or similar improvements. Railings must be sufficiently stable (capable of withstanding 200-lbs. of force), and at least 36 inches in height, unless otherwise appropriate based on the site considering safety. Railings may not block the view of vehicle or pedestrian traffic, nor block traffic signals. Railings should be visually appropriate, and may not consist of lattice (wood or plastic,) or plastic or vinyl.

Staff seeks direction regarding overhead Parklet coverings. Some jurisdictions allow overhead Parklet coverings for weather protection. As a starting point for discussion, overhead covering requirements are included on page 5 of the Parklet Guidelines. As suggested, overhead coverings for weather protection are allowed. Materials could include canopies, awnings, or umbrellas. A minimum overhead clearance of 8 feet is 1 TOWN OF FAIRFAX, CALIFORNIA, MUNICIPAL CODE, CHAPTER 17.068: FLOODPLAINS, https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-7824 4 AGENDA ITEM #20
required. Overhead coverings are not permitted over the sidewalk, nor may they extend over the Parklet edge onto the street. Coverings must not significantly impede visibility.

3. Traffic Protections
As noted above, Parklets shall provide a minimum one foot clearance from the lane of travel, as measured from the parking striping adjacent to the lane of travel. Parklets shall have vertical elements to make them visible to traffic, which may consist of posts or bollards, both of which require reflective tape. Structural bollards may be required if deemed necessary for safety. Wheel stops in Parklets located in parallel parking spaces may be required if appropriate and necessary for the safety of the site.

4. Furnishings and Fixtures
Parklet furnishings and fixtures provide elements for seating, dining, and related amenities such as heating and lighting. These components should be both safe and visually appealing.

1. With respect to appropriate aesthetics, plastic or vinyl outdoor furniture is not permitted. Built-in seating is encouraged and can be integrated in creative ways, including combining with planters, the structure, or other creative features within the Parklet. Landscape elements must be included and may consist of elements such as a container planter that serves as a buffer along the street-facing edge, hanging planters, green walls, or similar features. Lighting is encouraged, and must not be directed towards the roadway to cause glare. String lights must be hung to allow for sufficient safety clearance above the Parklet platform and sidewalk.

2. Regarding safety, outdoor space heaters are allowed if approved for outdoor use, located in accordance with the manufacturer’s safety instructions, and maintained at sufficient distance from the edge of any overhead covering foliage, or any flammable object per the manufacturer’s requirements and the Building and Fire Code. Outdoor heaters must be stored inside when there is a reasonable chance of a heavy rain event, including flooding. Movable furniture should be removed and stored after-hours, or locked with cables to the Parklet structure. Wiring and electrical cords must be exterior-rated and may not be placed in a manner that creates a tripping hazard or constitutes a barrier to wheelchair access. At no time should the Parklet be used for storage and furnishings may stay out if set up for their intended use only.

Staff seeks direction regarding signage. The Town’s Parklets currently include business signage, and many jurisdictions allow commercial signs on Parklet fronts.

As a starting point for discussion, staff has included language regarding Parklet signage on page 6 of the Parklet Guidelines. As suggested, Parklet signage is allowed if the total area does not exceed 6 square feet (24 x 36 inches). Illuminated signs are prohibited. Signage design must correlate with the signage on the primary building. Public Parklets must have two Town-designated signs indicating that the space is open for general public use. Street numbers to identify each 5 AGENDA ITEM #20
individual business frontage as required by Fairfax Municipal Code, § 15.12.0202 are required on the street-facing side of Parklets to allow for first response and business identification.

5. Other Design Criteria
All Parklet materials should be constructed of durable materials that are aesthetically appropriate and in keeping with the site and may include materials such as steel, finished wood, and salvaged building materials. Visible pressure-treated wood and plywood are not allowed. Sustainable and locally-sourced materials are encouraged. Use of plastic material is strongly discouraged.

C. Operational Standards
Operational standards govern the maintenance of a Parklet. In general, the permittee must maintain the Parklet in good condition and repair, and free from debris and damage.

For safety, no outdoor food preparation is allowed, nor any open flame. Alcohol service is allowed if the business has a valid license from the California State Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (“ABC”) and the operator complies with all applicable ABC requirements.

D. Permit Requirements
Given a Parklet Permit, Parklets will be allowed pursuant to an encroachment permit for Parklet use, on a form, and with submittals, as required by the Public Works Department.

Plan sets must also include the dimensions of the structure, location of adjacent utilities, and curb drainage, and must meet all ADA requirements, comply with Building and Fire Codes, and all other applicable codes. Evidence of current insurance coverage is required, including all Town required insurance certificates and endorsements.

A permittee with a Temporary Outdoor Activities permit would be permitted to continue to operate for an additional 12 months from the effective date of the Parklet ordinance, after which time the Parklet must comply with all requirements or be removed. Private Parklets would operate during the same hours of operation as the sponsoring business, and would not be open to the public after-hours.

E. Enforcement, Emergencies, and Removal
It is important that Parklets are maintained in compliance with Town rules and the conditions on each individual encroachment permit. As such, a Parklet permittee who fails to comply with the Parklet ordinance, Parklet Guidelines, and/or the conditions of the encroachment permit, may be subject to citation for violations and fines in the Town Code.

The Public Works Director may also suspend or revoke a permit if it is determined that Town rules or encroachment permit conditions are being violated. When the operation or condition of a Parklet constitutes an immediate hazard, such as during a flood event, the Town may abate the hazard as provided for by existing Town CodeP Chapter 1.123. 2 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-4823 3 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-183 6 AGENDA ITEM #20
Upon the termination of the parklet, the permittee must remove all improvements and furnishings at its own expense, and return the space to its original condition. The permittee shall reimburse the Town for any expenses it may incur in removing or repairing any residual items or damage.

F. Fees
Staff seeks direction regarding fees. In allowing temporary Parklets, the Town has not charged fees for the use of public parking spaces. As business activity transitions away from distancing requirements, Parklets are no longer as necessary for COVID-19 reasons, but have enhanced and activated the commercial areas of Town. The elimination of on-street parking spaces for the benefit of a private business warrants consideration of fees for the use of public space.

As proposed in a draft ordinance, a permittee for a Private Parklet would be required to pay an application fee and an annual fee in an amount determined by Town Council Resolution. Public Parklets are not subject to fees. Regarding the application fee, Staff suggests that a fee be based on staff hours spent to process the application. Staff suggests that the annual Parklet fee could be based on the amount to cover the costs of Town Staff monitoring the permit. Any fee approval would require an amendment to the Town’s Fee Schedule. Once directed, Staff will return to the Town Council with a Resolution amending the fee schedule at a future date.

G. Insurance and Indemnification
Each permittee must maintain required insurance as set forth in the Parklet ordinance, which will be included as a condition of the encroachment permit, with a combined general liability single limit of at least one million dollars per occurrence covering the permittee’s operations in the Parklet area. Additionally, the permittee will be required to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Town and associated parties from and against any claims of injury, damage, or loss resulting from the operation of the Parklet.

H. Temporary Extension
As noted above, any business operating a Parklet under a temporary permit will be allowed to continue this use for an additional 12 months from the effective date of the Parklet ordinance. In order to continue to use the public right-of-way for Parklet purposes after this time, an application and long-term permit would be required under the new rules and fees.

BACKGROUND
As last summarized at Council’s September 1, 2021, regular meeting, in June 2020, in response to COVID-19 restrictions, the Council took actions to allow outdoor dining and business uses in the public right-of-way. Specifically, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing staff to issue temporary encroachment permits (TEPs) for outdoor dining and business uses in the public rightof-way (including Town-owned lands, parks, and parking spaces), and an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary use permit (TUP) process to allow businesses to apply to use their outdoor private spaces (e.g., parking lots) for their business activities. There is no fee for the TEP or TUP. Both permits are approved administratively by Staff. 7 AGENDA ITEM #20
Each applicant for a TEP associated with outdoor dining agreed to abide by the following conditions as part of their application:
• Dining and retail activity and merchandise display area must be limited to the street frontage width of the business unless otherwise permitted by the Town. • For use of the public sidewalk, minimum, unobstructed width of four (4) feet must be permanently maintained for public pedestrian passage. Furnishings and merchandise shall not be placed in a manner that obstructs access to this pedestrian passage. • No items shall block visibility for required street signs, crosswalks, and intersections. • Movable racks and furniture must be adequately secured so that they do not roll or are easily tipped over.
• The area shall be maintained in a sanitary condition free from litter, infestation from pests, and the storm drain must be kept clear.
• All building exits and exit pathways must be kept clear. • Access to building fire protection equipment (PIV, FDC, Riser) and sidewalk fire hydrants must be kept clear.
• No use of extension cords in the sidewalk area.
• No stacking of furnishings in outdoor areas.
• A fire extinguisher inside the building must be quickly accessible. • Open flame (such as candles) is not permitted.
• All other applicable requirements/conditions including insurance & Marin County Health permits.

With the action of May 5, 2021, during the course of its regular meeting, the Council adopted Resolutions No. 21-12 and 21-13 extending the term for TEPs and TUPs such that they shall all expire not later than May 8, 2022, without further action by the Council. In addition, the Council directed staff to conduct a community-wide online survey to solicit input from the community regarding the uses of the outdoor public spaces.

The results of the entire survey were presented at September 1, 2021, Council meeting (Attachment E), and Council directed that Staff come back to Council with a framework to make outdoor dining options into long-term “Parklets” that adhere to building codes and accessibility as well as exploring options for other public use of space downtown.

There were 1,070 responses to the online survey. The key question:
• "Would you like to see outdoor dining spaces become long-term in the Town of Fairfax?" o Overall: 91.41% said "Yes" and 8.59% said "No"
Additional Guidelines
Staff has identified a number of potential longer-term issues with the long-term use of portions of the public right-of-way for outdoor dining (or other commercial uses). Those can be divided into two general areas: use of existing public sidewalks, and use of paved areas normally traveled by motor vehicles and bicycles.

San Francisco’s current process and guidance for temporary parklets can be found here:
https://sfpublicworks.org/services/permits/parklets. Their guidance and process for long-term “shared spaces“ can be found here: https://sf.gov/topics/shared-spaces. Their design guidelines for shared spaces are here: https://sf.gov/sites/default/files/2021- 11/Shared%20Spaces%20Manual%20-%20November%202021.pdf. Rules for the locations 8 AGENDA ITEM #20
where shared spaces are permitted in San Francisco can be found here: https://sf.gov/checkrules-about-where-you-can-have-shared-space?nid=2042. Responsibilities for shared spaces in San Francisco are posted here: https://sf.gov/information/shared-spaces-responsibilities.

Sausalito’s City Council recently received a Staff Report regarding potential issues and process associated with transitioning from temporary to long-term outdoor dining facilities. A copy of that report and attachments is provided as Attachment C to this Staff Report4. Similarly, the City of Novato is developing a process and design guidance for transition from temporary to long-term outdoor dining facilities.

At it’s October 6, 2021 meeting, the City of Larkspur’s Council heard a recommendation from Staff regarding widening sidewalks as part of a previously-approved accessibility project as a transitional opportunity going from temporary outdoor dining facilities to long-term5. The City Council directed Larkspur Staff to proceed with the Magnolia Avenue ADA Project without widening the sidewalks.

At it’s November 9, 2021 meeting, the San Anselmo Town Council considered an ordinance amending its code to add a Chapter to its Public Works code section and adoption of a resolution establishing guidelines for the allowance of long-term parklets6. The minutes of that meeting are available here: https://docs.google.com/gview?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsananselmoca.granicus.com%2FDocumentViewer.php%3Ffile%3Dsananselmo-ca_590bc3de-1968-4ca9- b785-c6f1a3681faf.pdf%26view%3D1&embedded=true. The item was continued with direction to Staff.

DISCUSSION
There are several elements of best practices or other principles that Staff recommends be taken into account in both developing the Town’s process for receiving applications for and approving permits for outdoor use of the public right-of-way and private property for commercial purposes.

1. There are significant portions of Bolinas Road and Broadway that lie within the Town’s regulatory floodplain (“area of special flood hazard“)7. All construction in the Town’s regulatory floodplain is required to conform to Fairfax Town Code § 17.068.210 which establishes heightened standards of construction to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions.

2. The current California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices8 contains guidance and represents the standard of care for the safe operation of streets and roads for vehicle operators, bicyclists, and pedestrians. As depicted in Figure 3B-21CA from the California MUTCD 2014 Edition, parking (and therefore arguably any structure) should be prohibited 4 Sausalito City Council meeting of October 21, 2021, Item 5B https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/sausalito/f3cc00eab4a3b02fb9d1e94116666c580.p df
5 Staff Report is available here: https://www.cityoflarkspur.org/DocumentCenter/View/13875/83-MagnoliaSidewalk-Widening . Presentation is available here:
https://www.cityoflarkspur.org/DocumentCenter/View/13911/83-Presentation. 6 https://sananselmo-ca.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=673&meta_id=82383 Fairfax Town Code § 17.068 7 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-7824 8 https://dot.ca.gov/programs/safety-programs/camutcd
9 AGENDA ITEM #20
for a minimum of the first 20 feet of the curb before and after any intersection9. This is intended to provide adequate sight distance for turning vehicles and pedestrians as well as a safe turning radius for vehicles to prevent conflict with parked vehicles or other obstructions.

3. Fairfax Town Code Chapter 8.3210 expressly prohibits the discharge of anything other than stormwater to the Town‘s storm drain system unless a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the discharge has been issued or an exemption applies.

Staff recommends that any permit issued for the use of the public right-of-way or private property for commercial purposes outside a building require the development, submittal to the Town and implementation of a Stormwater Control Plan (SCP) as provided for in Fairfax Town Code § 8.32.020 (E)(5). Staff has contacted Marin Sanitary Service about the possibility of providing both street sweeping and pedestrian surface cleaning services to aid in Town compliance with its Stormwater Permit. In addition, the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA) lists one Marin County Recognized Surface Cleaner on its website11. Staff has contacted that individual and will attempt to facilitate Stormwater-permit-compliant surface cleaning for Fairfax businesses using reclaimed water.

4. The Town and the utilities that serve it have significant infrastructure underground beneath streets and sidewalks including sanitary sewer laterals and cleanouts, water services, natural gas, and electrical services, telecommunications cables, storm drains, and street lighting and traffic signal cables. Should a longer term structure be approved and constructed over these facilities, it should only be permitted if access to that infrastructure for maintenance or repair is safe and convenient for the owner of the utility.

Zoning Ordinance
The Town’s current Zoning Ordinance requires that permitted commercial uses be conducted entirely within a building 12 unless a Conditional Use Permit is granted by the Planning Commission and the Town Council13. The Town Attorney’s Office recommends that a slightly different process be used for the purpose of providing for the post-pandemic use of the public right-of-way or private property for commercial uses outside a building. The Town may still impose requirements and conditions with respect to location, construction, appearance, maintenance or operation, in addition to those aspects expressly stipulated in the ordinance for the particular use, as the Council may deem necessary for the protection of adjacent property and the public interest.

At a minimum, Council may wish to ask the Planning Commission to evaluate the processes used by other jurisdictions for handling applications for outdoor dining and especially those involving more long-term structures that do not rise to the level of “buildings“. Similarly, to the extent that food service establishments are the principal commercial uses interested in using the public right-of-way in this manner, the process would have to take into account whether the 9 See California MUTCD 2014 Edition, November 7, 2014, Chapter 3B – Pavement and Curb Markings, Page 688 10 Fairfax Town Code § 8.32 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-23106 11 https://basmaa.org/featured-programs-projects/surface-cleaning-program/ 12 Fairfax Town Code § 17.040.060 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-7189 13 Fairfax Town Code § 17.032 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairfax/latest/fairfax_ca/0-0-0-7043 10 AGENDA ITEM #20
approval results in an increase in the number of seats approved for each establishment. The number of seats affects a number of other regulatory aspects of food service including the number of plumbing fixtures in the restroom facilities that serve the restaurant. According to the City of Sausalito‘s Staff Report (see Attachment C), the Marin County Health Department reviews operational details of any restaurant expanding its seating. This review may affect required water heater capacity, dishwashing capacity, cookline capacity, handwashing facilities for staff, wait stations, janitorial facilities, etc.

In addition, Council may wish to consider a program of widening sidewalks -- eliminating vehicle parking in certain road segments while providing additional width for both pedestrians and bicyclists. As an example, Bolinas Road in the vicinity of Broadway is approximately 50-feet in width from building-face to building-face. The existing sidewalks are approximately 6-feet in width from the building face to face of the curb, and the parking stalls are marked at approximately 7-feet from the face of the curb to the beginning of 12-foot wide shared bicycle/motor vehicle lanes in each direction. If the sidewalks were widened to 8-feet from the face of the building, there would be room for a 5-foot bicycle lane in each direction while retaining the 12-foot vehicle lanes. Additional increments of sidewalk width would also be feasible, eliminating marked bicycle lanes but widening the shared lanes. If the shared lanes were 15- feet wide, the sidewalks could be 10-feet in width. Bulb-outs at crosswalk locations would reduce the sight distance issues within 20 feet of the crosswalk landings. The Town may also wish to consider a circulation alternative that would render some of the central business streets to be one-way. This would create additional potential for widened sidewalks and more pedestrianfriendly uses of the public right-of-way.

Should sidewalk widening be preferred, Staff recommends that the existing underground utilities under asphalt now be evaluated and potentially replaced wherever curb, gutter, and sidewalk would be constructed in order to reduce or eliminate the potential that a new curb, gutter, or sidewalk has to be cut and patched in the following 20 or more years. Widening the sidewalks would allow for the installation of electrical outlets, street trees, pedestrian lighting, and other amenities that parking and pavement do not currently allow. These amenities could potentially include drinking water and sanitary sewer connections. The electrical capacity to provide heat and light to users of the sidewalks will also warrant consideration. The Town may wish to create an outdoor dining district that would allow it to control the electrical and other utilities available and recover its costs for use of the right-of-way and those services from the commercial users.

Similarly, an improvement district would allow payback of Town investments in improvements utilized for commercial purposes.

PUBLIC SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
The Chiefs of Fairfax Police and Ross Valley Fire have contributed to this report. Assuming compliance with the applicable Building, Floodplain Management and Fire Code requirements, the question of adequate roadaway width in the event of an evacuation has been raised by some community members. The pre-parklet/streatery width for vehicles on Bolinas Road in the vicinity of Broadway was 12-foot lanes in each direction of vehicles occupying the parking spaces on both sides. Within certain constraints, either widening sidewalks or permitting long-term structures in the parking spaces would not reduce that width and therefore there is no adverse impact to the capacity of that road segment for evacuation or emergency vehicle access/egress. 11 AGENDA ITEM #20

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Depending on the final structure of the Parklet program, appropriate analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) will be required. To the extent that federal funds are contemplated for construction, an analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) likely would be warranted.

FISCAL IMPACT
The Council will need to recommend fees associated with the application process including outdoor dining permit, encroachment permit, alcohol service fee, environmental review, and other related fees associated with using Town sidewalks and parking spaces.

Recognizing that some businesses have invested significantly in the cost of temporary facilities, and will have to invest further in removal and other transitionary expenses to make longer term improvements, the Town may wish to consider temporary abeyance of fees for the more longterm uses being permitted in order to facilitate the transition.

RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Town Council receive this report, ask questions of Staff, receive public comment, discuss and direct Staff to:

2. Support the Planning Commission in recommending a streamlined process for approving encroachment permits and Parklet Permits for long-term Parklets.

ATTACHMENTS
A. Parklet Design Feature Worksheet
B. Staff Report from San Anselmo Town Council meeting of November 9, 2021, with attachments.

C. City of Sausalito Staff Report, Discussion of Expiration of Issued Temporary COVID-19 Outdoor Dining and Activities Permits and Policy and Direction on Establishing a Permanent Parklet Program, October 21, 2021.

D. Draft Resolution 22-__ Extending the Term for Temporary Use Permits and Temporary Encroachment Permits such that they shall all expire no later than March 1, 2023, without further action by the Council.

E. September 1, 2021, Staff Report and Community Survey Response Parklet Design Features Worksheet
Staff seeks direction regarding the following design elements:

Frontage: Dining and retail activity and merchandise display area must be limited to the street frontage width of the business unless otherwise permitted by the Town. o Agree
o Modify
Materials such as steel, finished wood, and salvaged building materials. Visible pressure-treated wood and plywood are not allowed. Sustainable and locally-sourced materials are encouraged. The use of plastic material is strongly discouraged. o Agree
o Modify
Railings should be visually appropriate, and may not consist of lattice (wood or plastic,) or plastic or vinyl.
o Agree
o Modify
Coverings: Parklet coverings suchas a roof provide weather protection from the sun or rain. As a starting point should Fairfax permit overhead coverings for weather protection? Materials could include canopies, awnings, or umbrellas. A minimum overhead clearance of 8 feet is required. Overhead coverings are not permitted over the sidewalk, nor may they extend over the Parklet edge onto the street. Coverings must not significantly impede visibility.
o Agree
o Modify
Furniture: should be removed and stored after-hours, or locked with cables to the Parklet structure. Plastic or vinyl outdoor furniture is not permitted. o Agree
o Modify
Landscape elements must be included and may consist of elements such as a container planter that serves as a buffer along the street-facing edge, hanging planters, green walls, or similar features.
o Agree
o Modify
Lighting is encouraged, and must not be directed towards the roadway to cause glare.

String lights must be hung to allow for sufficient safety clearance above the Parklet platform and sidewalk.
o Agree
o Modify
Space Heaters must be located in accordance with the manufacturer’s safety instructions, and maintained at sufficient distance from the edge of any overhead covering foliage, or any flammable object per the Building and Fire Code. Outdoor heaters must be stored inside when there is chance of a heavy rain event o Agree
o Modify
Wiring and electrical cords must be exterior-rated and may not be placed in a manner that creates a tripping hazard or constitutes a barrier to wheelchair access. o Agree
o Modify
Storage: At no time should the Parklet be used for storage and furnishings may stay out if set up for their intended use only.
o Agree
o Modify
Signage Parklet signage if allowed, should not exceed 6 square feet (24 x 36 inches).

Illuminated signs are prohibited. Signage design must correlate with the signage on the primary building.
o Agree
o Modify
Wheel stops in Parklets located in parallel parking spaces may be required if appropriate and necessary for the safety of the site.
o Agree
o Modify
Existing Parklets: A permittee with a Temporary Outdoor Activities permit would be permitted to continue to operate through March 1. 2023. o Agree
o Modify
Approval Process: Parklet applications will be reviewed by the Public Works Director or designee and forwarded to the Planning Commission for evaluation and approval. o Agree
o Modify
Waiver of Fees: The fee should be based on staff hours spent to process the application and based on the amount to cover the costs of Town Staff monitoring the permit. Fees include, but not liited to: Design Review Permit, Minor Use Permit, Encroachment Agreement, and Outdoor Dinning fee. Recognizing that some businesses will have to invest further in removal and other transitionary expenses to make permanent improvements, the Town may wish to consider temporary abeyance of fees for the more permanent uses being permitted in order to facilitate the transition. o Agree
o Modify
1 TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO

STAFF REPORT
For the Meeting of November 9, 2021
TO: Town Council
FROM: Sean Condry, P.E., Public Works Director
Dmitriy Laptev, Public Works Project Coordinator
Emily Longfellow, Assistant Town Attorney
SUBJECT: Introduction and first reading of an Ordinance amendment to the Town of San Anselmo Municipal Code, Title 7 “Public Works” adding Chapter 14 “Parklets”; and adoption of a Resolution approving “Parklet Guidelines”

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. That the Town Council hold a public hearing to consider adoption of an Ordinance amendment to the Town of San Anselmo Municipal Code amending Title 7 “Public Works” adding Chapter 14 “Parklets”; and a Resolution approving “Parklet Guidelines”, allowing permanent parklets.

2. Motion to read the Ordinance amendment by title only. The Town Clerk will read aloud the full title of the Ordinance.

3. Motion to approve the first reading of the Ordinance amendment and waive future readings of the Ordinance in its entirety.

4. Motion to adopt Resolution approving Parklet Guidelines.

5. Give direction to staff as necessary.

BACKGROUND
Parklets repurpose public space, such as on-street parking, into areas for public and commercial use. The development of parklets, particularly for outdoor dining and retail purposes, dramatically expanded at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to allow restaurants and retail businesses to safely operate outdoors. Beyond responding to Covid-19, parklets provide benefits such as increasing outdoor community space, promoting walkability, and encouraging pedestrians to linger in business areas.

To serve the community and local business, the Town of San Anselmo swiftly implemented a temporary Outdoor Activities Program in the Spring of 2020 that authorized outdoor dining and retail activities in on-street parking locations. Parklets developed under this temporary program have enlivened and activated the downtown area, and increased pedestrian activity and a sense of community.

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2 Staff has received positive feedback about the temporary parklet program by both businesses and members of the community, and survey results show that about 90% of Town residents, and about 56% of businesses, are in favor of permanent parklets. Additionally, a few businesses have made significant investments to create attractive parklets that benefit the Town by boosting retail and restaurant activity, and providing increased outdoor pedestrian space.

Because the current parklets in San Anselmo are operating on a temporary basis, on September 28, 2021, the Town Council held a public hearing to consider the adoption of a permanent parklet program and give direction to staff. After hearing feedback from the community and holding a discussion, a majority of the Town Council directed staff to return with guidelines for allowing permanent parklets.

Pursuant to this direction, staff now returns with a proposed draft Parklet Ordinance and associated Parklet Guidelines that will allow the development of permanent parklets. Both private commercial and public parklets are allowed.

DISCUSSION
The proposed permanent parklet program has two components that work together. First, the Parklet Ordinance broadly authorizes permanent parklets upon the approval of an encroachment permit and payment of fees, and contains standard requirements. Second, the Parklet Guidelines provide a more detailed description of requirements and criteria, including design and safety standards. Parklet applications will be reviewed by the Public Works Director or his designee.

The Parklet Guidelines give the Town the ability to review and condition each application as appropriate for the site and neighbors, considering issues such as safety and design. There would be no limit to the number of parklets the Town would approve.

Below please find a summary of the main points of the Parklet program. For ease of reference, Sections “A” through “E” below correspond with the headings in the proposed Parklet Guidelines.

A. Siting and Location

1. Location and Size Criteria
The location and siting of all parklets must take into consideration public safety, and the final parklet location must be approved by the Public Works Director or his designee based on the safety issues of each specific location. A parklet must leave at least a minimum 4-foot unobstructed adjacent sidewalk width to allow for pedestrian use, and the parklet may not interfere with the visibility of pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicles. Parklets would be allowed along the frontages of storefronts in commercial zones where the speed limit is no more than 25 miles per hour and may be allowed in areas with higher speed limits on a case by case basis.

Parklets shared with an adjacent business may be considered on a case-by-case basis as appropriate for the site, but the total parklet area may not exceed the frontage for the combined businesses. The proposed Parklet Guidelines contain requirements for the use of both parallel Item 10

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3 and angled parking spaces, with a maximum of two parallel parking spaces or four perpendicular parking spaces allowed for each parklet. Corner locations and parklets adjacent to a crosswalk or driveways must provide sufficient lines of sight to ensure safety based on the particulars of each case. Parklets must be setback at least 1 foot from the edge of the adjacent lane of travel, and setback from adjacent parking spaces as necessary for safety and access purposes, depending on the site.

2. Fire and Safety Access
A parklet may not block or obstruct fire hydrants or public utilities. Additionally, fire and emergency access is required by either providing a 5-foot wide opening from the street to the walkway every two adjacent parklets, or by providing a door in the middle of an individual parklet. Finally, all parklets must satisfy the California Fire Code and related fire safety requirements.

B. Design
The design of a parklet includes four main components: 1) a platform to serve as an extension of the adjacent sidewalk; 2) railings that visually and physically define the parklet exterior; 3) traffic safety protections; and 4) furnishings and fixtures to serve customers or members of the public. Below, please find an overview of the requirements and standards for these components.

1. Platform Design
Platforms must be constructed to withstand wear, tear, and weather and treated with a non-skid coating. Outdoor carpeting/artificial grass, and poured concrete platforms, are prohibited. The platform threshold must be flush with the sidewalk or ramped, as appropriate for safety. The parklet must provide adequate access under the platform to allow for maintenance, repair, and gutter clearing. All platforms must provide adequate curbside drainage flow and may not block gutters.

Regarding flood safety, platforms must be designed and anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement and allow for the free flow of water in the floodway as required by FEMA.

To ensure stability in the event of a high water event, platforms must be bolted or otherwise permanently affixed to the roadway for safety purposes. The platform must comply with applicable ADA and related legal requirements, including maintaining an accessible entry, wheelchair turning space, and wheelchair landing.

2. Railing and Enclosure Improvements
The parklet railing or enclosure provides the boundary between the parklet and the street and sidewalk It provides a safety barrier and also serves the aesthetic purpose of being visually appealing and appropriate to the surrounding area.

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4 Parklets should have a notable, defined edge along the street front and adjacent parking stalls, which can include planters, railings, or similar improvements. Railings must be sufficiently stable (capable of withstanding 200-lbs. of force), and at least 36 inches in height, unless otherwise appropriate based on the site considering safety. Railings may not block the view of vehicle or pedestrian traffic, nor block traffic signals. Railings should be visually appropriate, and may not consist of lattice (wood or plastic,) or plastic or vinyl.

Staff seeks direction regarding overhead parklet coverings. Some jurisdictions allow overhead parklet coverings for weather protection. As a starting point for discussion, staff has included overhead covering requirements on page 5 of the Parklet Guidelines. As suggested, overhead coverings for weather protection are allowed. Materials could include canopies, awnings, or umbrellas. A minimum overhead clearance of 8 feet is required. Overhead coverings are not permitted over the sidewalk, nor may they extend over the parklet edge onto the street.

Coverings must not significantly impede visibility.

3. Traffic Protections
Noted above, parklets shall provide a minimum one foot clearance from the lane of travel, as measured from the parking striping adjacent to the lane of travel. Parklets shall have vertical elements to make them visible to traffic, which may consist of posts or bollards, both which require reflective tape. Structural bollards may be required if deemed necessary for safety.

Wheel stops in parklets located in parallel parking spaces may be required if appropriate and necessary for the safety of the site.

First, with respect to appropriate aesthetics, plastic or vinyl outdoor furniture is not permitted.

Built-in seating is encouraged and can be integrated in creative ways, including combining with planters, the structure, or other creative features within the parklet. Landscape elements must be included and may consist of elements such as a container planter that serves as a buffer along the street-facing edge, hanging planters, green walls, or similar features. Lighting is encouraged, and must not be directed towards the roadway to cause glare. String lights must be hung sufficiently to allow for safety clearance above the parklet platform and sidewalk.

Second, regarding safety, outdoor space heaters are allowed if approved for outdoor use, located in accordance with the manufacturer’s safety instructions, and located from the edge of any overhead covering, foliage, or any flammable object per the manufacturer’s requirements and the Building and Fire Code. Outdoor heaters must be stored inside when there is reasonable chance of a heavy rain event, including flooding. Movable furniture should be removed and stored after-hours, or locked with cables to the parklet structure. Wiring and chords must be exterior rated and may not create a tripping hazard. At no time should the Parklet be used for storage and furnishings may stay out if set up for their intended use only.

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5 Staff seeks direction regarding signage. The Town’s parklets currently include business signage, and many jurisdictions allow commercial signs on parklet fronts. As a starting point for discussion, staff has included language regarding parklet signage on page 6 of the Parklet Guidelines. As suggested, parklet signage is allowed if the total area does not exceed 6 square feet (24 x 36 inches). Illuminated signs are prohibited. Signage design must correlate with the signage on the primary building. Public parklets must have two Town-designated signs indicating that the space is open for general public use.

5. Other Design Criteria
All parklet materials should be constructed of durable materials that are aesthetically appropriate and in-keeping with the site, and may include materials such as steel, finished wood, and salvaged building materials. Visible pressure treated wood and plywood are not allowed.

Sustainable and locally-sourced materials are encouraged. Use of plastic material is strongly discouraged.

C. Operational Standards
Operational standards govern the maintenance of a parklet. In general, the permittee must maintain the parklet in good condition and repair, and free from debris and damage. For safety, no outdoor food preparation is allowed, nor any open flame. Alcohol service is allowed if the business has a valid license from the California State Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (“ABC”) and the operator complies with all applicable ABC requirements.1

D. Permit Requirements
Note above, parklets will be allowed pursuant to an encroachment permit for parklet use, on a form and with submittals as required by the Public Works Department. Plan sets must also include the dimensions of the structure, location of adjacent utilities and curb drainage, and must meet all ADA requirements, comply with Building and Fire Codes, and all other applicable codes. Evidence of current insurance coverage is required, including all Town required insurance certificates and endorsements.

A permittee with a Temporary Outdoor Activities permit may continue to operate for an additional 12 months from the effective date of the Parklet Ordinance, after which time the parklet must comply with all requirements. Private parklets would operate during the same hours of operation as the sponsoring business, and would not be open to the public after-hours.

E. Enforcement, Emergencies, and Removal
It is important that parklets are maintained in compliance with Town rules and the conditions on each individual encroachment permit. As such, a parklet permittee who fails to comply with the Parklet Ordinance, Parklet Guidelines, and/or the conditions of the encroachment permit, may be 1 In response to the popularity of parklets and to assist business, Governor Newsom recently signed legislation, Senate Bill 314 (the “Bar and Restaurant Recovery Act”), which extended many aspects of the Governor’s emergency order regarding alcohol service, including alcohol service in parklet areas.

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6 subject to violations and fines in the Town Code. The Public Works Director may also suspend or revoke a permit if it is determined that Town rules or encroachment permit conditions are being violated. When the operation or condition of a parklet constitutes an immediate hazard, such as during a flood event, the Town may immediately abate the hazard.

Upon the termination of the parklet, the permittee must remove all improvements and furnishings at its own expense, and return the space to its original condition. The permittee shall reimburse the Town for any expenses it may incur in removing or repairing any residual items or damage.

F. Fees
Staff seeks direction regarding fees. In allowing temporary parklets, the Town has not charged fees for the use of public parking spaces. As business activity transitions away from socialdistancing requirements, parklets are no longer necessary for Covic-19 reasons, but have enhanced and activated the commercial areas of Town. The elimination of on-street parking spaces for the benefit of a private business warrants consideration of fees for the use of public space.

As proposed in the draft Ordinance, a permittee for a private parklet would be required to pay an application fee and an annual fee in an amount determined by Town Council Resolution. Public parklet are not subject to fees.

Regarding the application fee, staff suggests that a fee be based on staff hours spent to process the application.

Staff suggests that the annual parklet fee be based on the amount to cover the costs of the parking meter revenue lost to the parklet, and an amount to cover the costs of Town staff monitoring the permit.
2 Any fee approval would require an amendment to the Town’s Fee Schedule. Once directed, staff will return to the Town Council with a Resolution amending the fee schedule at a future date.

G. Insurance and Indemnification
Each permittee must maintain required insurance as set forth in the Parklet Ordinance, which will be included as a condition of the encroachment permit, with a combined general liability single limit of at least one million dollars per occurrence covering the permittee’s operations in the parklet area. Additionally, the permittee will be required to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Town and associated parties from and against any claims of injury, damage, or loss resulting from the operation of the parklet.
2 Please note that the amount of an application fee may not exceed the costs of processing the permit, and the amount of an annual fee may not exceed the Town’s cost to administer the permit and the projected loss of parking revenue due to the loss of parking spaces that will be converted to parklets.

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7 H. Temporary Extension
As noted above, any business operating a parklet under a Temporary Outdoor Activities Permit will be allowed to continue this use for an additional 12 months from the effective date of the Parklet Ordinance. After this time, any party who wishes to continue the parklet use may apply under the new rules and fees.

CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt the Parklet Ordinance and approve the Resolution to adopt the Parklet Guidelines. Alternatively, staff seeks direction regarding the proposed Parklet Ordinance and/or Parklet Guidelines. Staff also seeks direction regarding the establishment of a fee, which will be returned to the Town Council for consideration at a future date.

CEQA
The proposed Parklet Ordinance and the Parklet Guidelines are categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(c), as a minor alteration to existing public or private facilities.

CONSISTENCY WITH GENERAL PLAN
The proposed Parklet Ordinance and the Parklet Guidelines are consistent with the goals and policies of the Town’s General Plan to preserve, maintain, and enhance the character and quality of life in San Anselmo; and are consistent with the Town’s Climate Action Plan since it will encourage pedestrian use of the downtown area and utilize outdoor spaces.

NOTICE
A copy of the public hearing notice for this item was published in the Marin Independent Journal newspaper.

Respectfully submitted,
Sean Condry, P.E., C.B.O
Public Works Director
Dmitriy Laptev
Public Works Project Coordinator
Emily Longfellow
Assistant Town Attorney
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8 Attachment A: Ordinance Amendment to the Town of San Anselmo Municipal Code amending Title 7 “Public Works” adding Chapter 14 “Parklets”.

Attachment B: Town Council Resolution approving “Parklet Guidelines”.

Attachment C: Parklet Guidelines
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ORDINANCE NO. ________

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO AMENDING TITLE 7 (PUBLIC WORKS) OF THE SAN ANSELMO MUNICIPAL CODE ADDING CHAPTER 14 “PARKLETS”
WHEREAS, parklets repurpose public space, such as on-street parking, into areas that allow use by local restaurants and retail businesses, and also provide public community space; and WHEREAS, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Town implemented a temporary Outdoor Activities Program that authorized temporary outdoor dining and retail activities in public spaces, including approving the development of temporary parklets in on-street parking locations based on specified development and safety requirements; and WHEREAS, parklets have allowed Town businesses to continue to operate in a safe manner during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing a space for outdoor dining and retail activity; and WHEREAS, parklets have also increased pedestrian activity in the downtown, and have played an important role in activating and enlivening the downtown and other commercial areas; and WHEREAS, based on the success of the Town’s temporary parklet program, the Town Council wishes to allow for permanent parklet installations pursuant to the ordinance amendment herein (the “Parklet Ordinance”) and consistent with Parklet Guidelines; and WHEREAS, A copy of the public hearing notice for this item was published in the Marin Independent Journal newspaper; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council held a duly noticed public hearing on November 9, 2021 to consider the Parklet Ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council finds and determines that the Parklet Ordinance is in the public interest as it will encourage pedestrian activity in the downtown area, enliven and activate the downtown, and support local business and public activity; and WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that the Parklet Ordinance is consistent with the goals and policies of the Town’s General Plan to preserve, maintain, and enhance the character and quality of life in San Anselmo; and is consistent with the Town’s Climate Action Plan since it will encourage pedestrian use of the downtown area and utilize outdoor spaces.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: Environmental Review. The Town Council finds and determines that adoption of the Parklet Ordinance is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(c), as a minor alteration to existing public or private facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing use.

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SECTION 2: The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated as findings herein.

SECTION 3: A new Chapter 14 “Parklets” is hereby added to Town Municipal Code Title 7 “Public Works” as follows:

Chapter 7.14 – Parklets
7-14-01 – Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to establish requirements for parklets within the public right-of-way, and to ensure for the public health, safety and welfare with respect to the use of such parklets.
7-14-02 – Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following definitions apply. (a) “Parklet” shall mean a small area utilizing one or more on-street parking spaces and may include adjacent public walkways or other right-of-way areas, that combines elements such as seating, tables, landscaping, and lighting. (b) “Parklet, private” shall mean a parklet designated for private commercial use such as dining or outdoor retail activity.
(c) “Parklet, public” shall mean a parklet designated for public use including community gathering and seating.
7-14-03 – Encroachment Permit Required. No person shall use or occupy the public walkway or other right-of-way for the establishment or use of a parklet without first obtaining an encroachment permit as provided by this chapter and paying any required fees. 7-14-04 – Encroachment Permit Application. In addition to all encroachment permit application requirements as provided for in the Town Municipal Code, an application for an encroachment permit for a parklet use shall be submitted to the Department of Public Works on a form provided by the Public Works Director. Application submittal requirements are further detailed in the Parklet Guidelines and as reasonably required by the Public Works Director or his/her designee. Permits shall be subject to the review of the Public Works Director or his/her designee.
7-14-05 – Fees. A permittee for a private parklet shall pay an application fee and an annual fee in an amount determined by Town Council resolution. There shall be no fee for a public parklet. 7-14-06 – Bond. Prior to the issuance of an encroachment permit for parklet use, the permittee shall post a bond with the Town to cover the cost of restoring the right-of-way or other public property to its original condition upon the removal of the parklet improvements. The bond amount shall be determined by the Town. On termination of the permit, the bond shall be released upon restoration of the right-of-way or public property to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director.
7-14-07 – Location. Parklets may be installed only on commercial frontages in zones designated commercial, along the curbside on public streets where on-street parking spaces exist.

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Parklets are limited to streets with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Director to be safe on a case-specific basis. 17-14-08 – Encroachment Permit for Parklet Use Form and Term. (a) An encroachment permit for parklet use shall be in a form provided by the Public Works Director. Permits shall be issued for an initial period not to exceed one (1) year. Upon expiration, a new permit must be obtained on the basis of a new application or a renewal permit must be obtained. Notwithstanding anything in this section, an encroachment permit for parklet use may be terminated by the Town upon thirty days’ notice of the Public Works Director.
(b) Each encroachment permit for parklet use shall be personal to the permittee, is not transferrable, delegable, or assignable. Any attempt to transfer, delegate, or assign such permit shall be void. In the event that the permittee is a business and there is a transfer of that business, the transferee shall obtain a new encroachment permit for parklet
17-14-09 – Insurance and Indemnification.
(a) The applicant shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain in force policies of commercial general liability insurance with a combined single limit amount of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence covering the applicant’s operations in the parklet area as defined in the parklet area shown on the encroachment permit. Said insurance shall be procured from an insurer authorized to do business in California; shall be subject to the approval in writing from the Town; shall name the Town, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers and the property owner as additional insureds; shall provide primary and non-contributory coverage to additional insureds; and shall contain a provision for thirty days’ prior written notice of cancellation to the Town in accordance with policy terms and conditions. The applicant shall provide to the Town a current Certificate of Insurance along with the proper policy endorsements and/or policy language evincing the above-required insurance coverage and terms prior to development and operation of the parklet. Insurance required herein shall not be deemed to limit the permittee’s liability.
(b) An encroachment permit for parklet use under this chapter shall provide that the permittee shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Town and its officers, agents, and employees free from any claims of injury, damage, loss or liability arising out of or in connection with the operation or condition of the parklet. 17-14-10 – Parklet Standards. In addition to complying with all requirements set forth in the Town’s Parklet Program Guidelines, all parklets shall comply with the following standards. The Public Works Director may require additional conditions for the location, design, and operation of the parklet in his/her discretion as consistent with chapter and the Parklet Guidelines. (a) The final approved parklet location shall be established by the Public Works Director based on the public safety issues of each specific location.

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(b) The minimum width of public walkway directly adjoining a parklet shall not be less than four feet (4’) and said parklet improvements must provide at least four feet (4’) of unobstructed area of public walkway.
(c) Parklet improvements shall not be located in a manner or location that interferes with the flow of pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle traffic; interferes with pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicle visibility, including interference with the visibility of a crosswalk, driveway, or other traffic control device; or creates a potential threat to public safety as determined by the Public Works Director.
(d) The parklet must comply all applicable American with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requirements, and any similar local, state, or federal regulations, and must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
(e) All applicable Fire Department regulations, including but not limited to regulations regarding lighting, heating, and power, shall be met.
(f) Parklet improvements shall be maintained in a good state of repair, and in a safe and sanitary condition.
(g) Notwithstanding anything in this section, modifications to these standards may be approved by the Public Works Director or his/her designee if the modifications are consistent with the public health, safety, and welfare. (h) All applicable building permit requirements must be satisfied. (i) Parklet improvements shall not interfere with any public utilities including storm water drainage, fire hydrants, transit stops, manhole covers, or public utility valves/covers.
(j) An encroachment permit for parklet use shall specify the area of allowed use on an exhibit approved by the Public Works Department attached to the permit. 17-14-11 – Public Parklet Requirements. A public parklet must be maintained open for public use and may contain improvements subject to approval pursuant to this chapter that include, but are not limited to, seating, tables, bicycle parking, and landscaping. A public parklet must contain a sign in a form approved by the Public Works Department indicating that it is open for public use. Private restaurant or retail business activity may not occur in a public parklet including food and drink service. Hours of use are subject to the approval of the Public Works Department or his/her designee.
17-14-12 – Enforcement and Emergency Action
(a) The Public Works Director or his/her designee may deny a permit application, or revoke or suspend the permit in his/her discretion pursuant to this section if it is determined that the provisions of this chapter and/or the provisions of the Town’s Parklet Program Guidelines are not satisfied; if the conditions in the associated encroachment permit have been violated; or the operation or condition of the parklet constitutes a public nuisance pursuant to the San Anselmo Municipal Code or state law.
(b) Notice of a violation shall be made in writing to the permittee by the Public Works Department. If the violation is not cured within ten (10) days after issuance, the Public Works Director or his/her designee may revoke or suspend the permit. The Item 10
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Public Works Director or his/her designee may immediately revoke the permit of any permittee who has committed three violations within a twelve (12) month period. (c) When the operation or condition of a parklet constitutes an immediate hazard or threat to the safety of persons or property, the Town reserves the right to immediately abate the hazard, which may include, but is not limited to, dismantling or removing parklet improvements in whatever manner the Town chooses to address the emergency and the Town assumes no responsibility for returning the parklet to its original condition. Prior to taking such action, the Town shall make a reasonable attempt under the circumstances to contact the permittee to address the emergency, if conditions allow.
(d) A violation of this chapter and/or the provisions of the Town’s Parklet Program Guidelines constitutes a public nuisance and may be enforced as such under San Anselmo Municipal Code Title 1, chapter 2, and any other applicable local or state law. A violation of this chapter and/or the provisions of the Town’s Parklet Program Guidelines is subject to the administrative penalty provisions of San Anselmo Municipal Code Title 1, chapter 6. The Town’s remedies are cumulative. 17-14-13 – Restoration and Removal of Parklet. Upon termination of an encroachment permit for parklet use, the permittee shall remove at its own expense, all improvements, personal property, furnishings, and equipment associated with the parklet within a reasonable time as established by the Town Public Works Director or his/her designee. All outdoor barriers shall be removed and the sidewalk and right-of-way returned to its original condition. Any personal property remaining in the parklet area shall be removed and disposed of by the Town pursuant to the laws of the State of California. The permittee shall reimburse the Town for all expenses incurred in removing any remaining improvements or restoring the property, including reimbursement for costs and attorneys’ fees as applicable. 17-14-14 – Temporary Continuation of Existing Parklet Use. Any permittee who has received a Temporary Outdoor Activities Permit pursuant to the Town’s Outdoor Activities Program, developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, may continue to operate under the conditions of the temporary permit for an additional twelve (12) months from the effective date of this Ordinance. Any party who wishes to continue with the parklet use may apply for an encroachment permit pursuant to the San Anselmo Municipal Code and the requirements of this chapter.
17-14-15 – Interpretation. Where there are conflicting requirements between this Ordinance and/or the Parklet Guidelines, and the Town Municipal Code, the provisions of the Parklet Ordinance and/or Parklet Guidelines shall control, unless the conflict involves public safety issues in which case the Town Municipal Code will control.

SECTION 5: Severability. The Town Council hereby declares every section, paragraph, sentence, clause, and phrase is severable. If any section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of these ordinance amendments are for any reason found to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity, or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases.

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SECTION 6: Effective Date. This Ordinance Amendment shall go into effect thirty (30) days from its adoption and shall be posted or published as required by state law.

INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED AT A PUBLIC HEARING at a regular meeting of the San Anselmo Town Council on November 9, 2021 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

RECUSED:

APPROVED:________________________________
Brian Colbert, Mayor
ATTEST: _______________________________
Carla Kacmar, Town Clerk

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1 TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO
RESOLUTION NO. _______

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO

ESTABLISHING PARKLET GUIDELINES
WHEREAS, parklets repurpose public space, such as on-street parking, into areas that allow use either by local business for restaurant or retail purposes, and also to provide public community space; and
WHEREAS, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Town implemented a temporary Outdoor Activities Program that authorized temporary outdoor dining and retail activities in public spaces, including approving the development of temporary parklets in on-street parking locations based on specified development and safety requirements; and WHEREAS, parklets have allowed Town businesses to continue to operate in a safe manner during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing a space for outdoor dining and retail activity; and WHEREAS, parklets have also increased pedestrian activity in the downtown, and have played an important role in activating and enlivening the downtown area; and WHEREAS, based on the success of the Town’s temporary parklet program, the Town has adopted a Parklet Ordinance to provide for the establishment of permanent parklets pursuant to an encroachment permit; and
WHEREAS, the Town desires to adopt guidelines for the establishment, required standards, and operation of parklets (“Parklet Guidelines”); and
WHEREAS, the Town Council held a duly noticed public hearing on November 9, 2021; and WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that the Parklet Guidelines are consistent with the goals and policies of the Town’s General Plan to preserve, maintain, and enhance the character and quality of life in San Anselmo; and are consistent with the Town’s Climate Action Plan since it will encourage pedestrian use of the downtown area and utilize outdoor spaces; and WHEREAS, the Town Council finds that that adoption of the Parklet Guidelines is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(c), as a minor alteration to existing public or private facilities

NOW, THEREFORE, THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SAN ANSELMO HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:

1. The above findings are true and correct, and incorporated herein by reference.

2. The Town Council adopts the Parklet Guidelines attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution, which Guidelines may be modified by the Director of Public Works consistent with the Parklet Ordinance.

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2 3. All parklet installations must be consistent with the Parklet Guidelines, unless otherwise provided in the Town Municipal Code.

4. The Parklet Guidelines shall be immediately effective upon the adoption of this Resolution.

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2021
Town of San Anselmo
Town of San Anselmo Parklet
Guidelines
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1 Introduction
Parklets repurpose public space, such as on-street parking, into areas for public and commercial use.

While some California jurisdictions have long-established parklet programs (San Francisco, for example), parklets dramatically increased throughout the state and the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic as a way to allow dining and retail business to occur outdoors safety. To support local businesses and the community, San Anselmo swiftly implemented a temporary Outdoor Activities Program in response to Covid-19 that authorized temporary outdoor dining and retail activities in public spaces, including temporary parklets located in on-street parking spaces. Parklets developed under the Town’s temporary program have enlivened and activated the downtown area, creating a sense of community space and increasing pedestrian activity.

Given the positive feedback from the public and many members of the business community, the Town of San Anselmo has developed a program to allow permanent parklet installations after the expiration of the Town’s Temporary Activities Program.

These Parklet Guidelines outline the requirements and standards for parklet installations to be used in conjunction with Parklet Ordinance in the Town’s Municipal Code. Due to the unique circumstances of each proposed parklet location, not all standards will apply in each case. Similarly, there may be instances where Town staff will require additional elements not contained in these Guidelines to ensure that concerns such as safety and appropriate design are satisfied. The San Anselmo Public Works Department will review parklet applications and approve only those determined to satisfy the standards in these Guidelines, the Town’s Municipal Code, and all applicable building, safety, traffic, ADA, and fire requirements.

All parklet installations, including those installed under the Town’s Temporary Activities Program, will require an encroachment permit for parklet use in compliance with these Guidelines and the Parklet Ordinance within twelve (12) months of the adoption of the Town’s Parklet Ordinance. Parklets may be either for private restaurant or retail use, or for general public use.

The Parklet Program goals include:
• Activating and enlivening the downtown area.
• Enriching the downtown streetscape and providing for increased public use. • Encouraging pedestrian and community activity.
• Supporting local businesses.
• Encouraging non-motorized and multi-modal transportation.

Siting and Location
The siting and location of a parklet must take into consideration health and safety issues for the public, and satisfy all applicable safety standards.

A private parklet is a parklet designated for the patrons of a private business (such as outdoor dining or retail activity), whereas a public parklet is open to all public use and includes improvements for community gathering and seating. Parklets may be located on commercial frontages in zones designated as commercial, along the curbside on public streets where on-street parking spaces exist. As explained Item 10
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2 below, parklets may be considered in areas where there are spaces for on-street parallel, angled, or perpendicular parking.

Parklet applications will be reviewed by the Public Works Director or his/her designee.

Location and Size Criteria
• General Requirements – The specific design and location of parklets will be considered on a caseby-case basis. Factors including line-of-sight, existing utilities, traffic speeds, etc., may result in additional design requirements by Town Staff to ensure safety and aesthetic compatibility with the surrounding area.
• Adjacency to Storefront – Parklets for restaurant use will only be allowed along the frontage of the existing or proposed restaurant business that is applying for the parklet to provide outdoor dining for patrons. Parklets for retail use will only be allowed along the frontage of the storefront that is applying for the parklet to provide appropriate outdoor retail space for customers.

Parklets are not allowed to use the frontage of adjacent businesses to expand their territory; however, encroachments on adjacent storefronts areas may be allowed depending on the dimensions and configurations of the parking stalls being used for the parklet installations upon Town approval. Parklets shared with adjacent businesses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The shared parklet area cannot exceed the frontage for the combined businesses. Public parklets are allowed along storefronts consistent with these Guidelines with the application and sponsorship of the business owner.
• Maximum Parking Stalls/Length – A maximum of two parallel parking spaces or four perpendicular or angled parking spaces may be used for each parklet. Proposals for additional parking stalls/length (more than 40 feet in length) may be approved on a case-by-case basis. • Parallel Parking Spaces – Parklets located in parallel parking spaces can be the length or one or two parallel parking spaces. An inner buffer may be required by the Public Works Department when adjacent to another parallel parking space to ensure safety and access. A minimum 2-foot buffer is required when adjacent to a driveway, motorcycle parking, or designated bicycle parking, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Department. The maximum depth for parklets located in parallel parking spaces is 7 feet measured from the curb, or as determined by the Public Works Department.
• Perpendicular and Angled Parking Spaces – Parklets located in perpendicular or angled parking spaces can be the length of two to four parking spaces. The edge of the parklet must be set back from the adjacent parking space on either side sufficient for public safety as determined by the Public Works Department.
• Corner Locations/Crosswalks/Driveways – Parklets located adjacent to intersections, crosswalks, and driveways must provide sufficient lines of sight to ensure safety as determined by the Public Works Department. Determinations will necessarily be site-specific and factors include, but are not limited to, the maintenance of vehicle and pedestrian visibility at the intersections of streets, sidewalks, and driveways considering the terrain, topography, and the volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
• Fronting Driveways – Parklets may be installed in front of a driveway only if the applicant owns the property served by the driveway, or obtains written permission from the property owner and so long as the project does not eliminate any parking required under Title 10, Zoning, of the Municipal Code.. If the driveway is no longer in use, the driveway may be levelled and used as Item 10
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3 conditioned for the parklet project. Parklets may not obstruct any driveway or entrance to public parking facilities.
• Restricted Parking – Parklets are not allowed in ADA/Handicap parking spaces or red curb zones.

Parklets proposed in loading zones may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Setback Requirements
• Setback from Lane of Travel – Parklets shall have a minimum 1-foot setback from the edge of the adjacent the lane of travel, as measured from the parking striping adjacent to the lane of travel for vehicle use, or if no parking striping is present, pursuant to the Public Works Director or his/her designee sufficient for safety.
• Side Setback – Parklets shall have a setback from the nearest parking space as necessary for safety purposes as determined by the Public Works Department.

Fire Safety and Access
• Bike Lanes – Parklets shall not obstruct a designated bike lane or path. • Fire Hydrants and Fire Connections – Parklets shall not block or obstruct a fire hydrant. Fire hydrants are required to maintain a total clearance of 15 feet, with 7.5 feet on either side.

Parklets shall not interfere with fire connections or any other equipment or improvements associated with fire protection. A distance of 3 feet is required from all fire protection equipment improvements. Parklets may not be located where the minimum turning radius sufficient for fire equipment access will be impacted.
• Fire Department and Emergency Access – Fire and emergency access is required as determined by the Public Works Department and may include a 5-foot wide opening from the street maintained every 2 adjacent parklets and no more than 75 feet apart, or an access door in the middle of an individual parklet of approximately 4 feet in width.
• Utilities – A parklet cannot obstruct public utility and service connections. • Fire Safety – Parklets must satisfy all applicable provisions of the California Fire Code and all similar fire safety requirements in local, state, and federal law. Parklets may be subject to inspection by the Ross Valley Fire Department. All material used in parklet construction must satisfy applicable local, state, and federal standards for fire-safe materials.

Design
Like the siting and location of a parklet, the design of the parklet must satisfy all health and safety requirements, as well as be aesthetically appropriate for the neighborhood and suitable for its intended purpose. Parklets generally include the following key elements:
a) A Platform that allows the parklet to serve as an extension of the adjacent sidewalk. b) Railings and enclosure improvements that visually and physically define the exterior of the parklet from the street and surrounding parking spaces. c) Traffic safety protections for safety.
d) Furnishings and fixtures to serve the customers or members of the public.

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4 Platform Design Criteria
• Materials – Platforms must be constructed of durable materials to withstand wear, tear, and weather. Surface materials must be textured or treated with a non-skid coating to ensure a safe walking surface. Outdoor carpeting or artificial lawn is prohibited. Poured concrete platforms are prohibited.
• Platform Threshold – The platform threshold must be flush with the sidewalk or ramped, as appropriate. The platform may not leave a gap greater than inch, nor a vertical separation of greater than inch from the adjacent sidewalk.
• Maintenance Access – Parklets must be designed to provide adequate access under the platform to allow for maintenance including repairs, and debris, and gutter clearing. Access may be provided through removable access panels or similar means. • Drainage – Platforms must allow for curbside drainage flow and shall not block street drainage, or block gutters. The platform clearance must equal the curb height and the gutter pan width.

Parklet platforms must provide access through the platform or threshold to the gutter adjacent to the curb.
• Flood Safety – Platforms must be designed and anchored to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement due to water action, including hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads, and buoyancy. If located in a flood zone, platforms must be designed to allow water to flow through the area utilizing materials such as hog wire or other materials that may be removed during high flood risk rain events. The platform and associated improvements must comply with FEMA flood regulations and allow for the free flow of water in the roadway.
• Bolting Required – Platforms must be bolted or otherwise permanently affixed to the roadway for safety purposes, unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Department. Platforms may not be affixed to any structure (including, but not limited to, buildings, fire hydrants, street trees, streetlights, parking meters, or traffic poles).
• Substructure – Platform substructure designs may vary and depend on the slope of the street and design for the parklet structure. The substructure must accommodate the crown of the road and provide a level surface for the parklet.
• ADA Accessibility – All accessibility elements of the proposed platform shall conform to the applicable provisions of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related California Building Code guidelines.

Wheelchair Turning Space – shall be 60 inches in diameter and located within the platform.

A 12-inch maximum overlap on the curb and sidewalk is acceptable.

Wheelchair Landing – a 30 x 48-inch clear floor area must be provided for a wheelchair landing area. It may overlap with the Wheelchair Turning Space by a maximum of 24 inches in any orientation.

Accessible Entry – must be 48 inches in width.

Accessible Platform Surface – the portion of the platform connected by the accessible path of travel to the wheelchair turning space and wheelchair resting space must be level. The accessible platform surface maximum cross slope (perpendicular to the sidewalk or curb) and running slope (parallel to the curb) must not exceed 2%.

Accessible Path of Travel – must connect the sidewalk to the accessible entry, platform surface, wheelchair turning space, and wheelchair resting space.

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5 Railing and Enclosure Improvements
The parklet railing or enclosure marks the boundary between the parklet and the street and sidewalk. It serves the safety purpose of providing a safety barrier, and also an aesthetic purpose by being visually appealing, permeable, and inviting. The following standards apply to railing and enclosure designs. • Edge Buffers – The parklet should have a notable, defined edge along the side of the parklet facing the street and adjacent parking stalls. This can take the form of planters, railings, cabling, or other similar appropriate enclosure.
• Stability – Railings and enclosures must be sufficiently stable not to fall or be pushed over (e.g., capable of withstanding 200-lbs. of force).
• Height – The height of the railing/enclosure is dependent on context, and should be at least 36 inches in height from the platform floor to the top of the railing/enclosure, unless approved by the Public Works Department.
• Visibility – A railing/enclosure may not block the view of conflicting movements of traffic, including pedestrian traffic, nor block the view of traffic control devices such as traffic signs, traffic signals, and other traffic warning devices. All railings/enclosures must have reflective or reflective tape located on the corners of the parklet facing the lane of travel such that they are visible by vehicle traffic at night.
• Materials – Railing/enclosure materials may not consist of lattice (wood or plastic); plastic or vinyl fences or trellises, or consist of metal pet enclosure material. The enclosure may not be a pop-up tent.
• Overhead Covering – Overhead coverings for weather protection are allowed to make the parklet comfortable for year-round use.

Materials – Overhead weather protection can be provided through a variety of fixed and retractable mechanisms such as canopies, awnings, or umbrellas, as approved by the Public Works Department.

Clearance – a minimum overhead clearance of 8 feet is required as measured from the parklet platform.

Overhead Coverings – Coverings over the sidewalk are prohibited.

May Not Extend over Street Edge – An overhead covering may not extend beyond the street edge of the parklet.

Visibility – Overhead coverings must not significantly impede visibility.

Traffic Protections
• Lane of Travel Clearance – Parklets shall provide a minimum1-foot clearance from the edge of the lane of travel, as measured from the parking striping adjacent to the lane of travel, to ensure safe separation from traffic.
• Posts or Bollards – Parklets shall have vertical elements that make them visible to traffic such as flexible posts or bollards, both which must contain reflective tape. A suggested element is a safe hit post (shown below). Vertical elements required under this section shall be placed 1 foot from the edge of the parklet on both sides of the parklet adjacent to the lane of travel. Structural bollards may be required if deemed necessary by the Public Works Director or his/her designee for safety reasons.
• Wheel stops – Wheel stops in parklets located in parallel parking spaces may be required if appropriate and necessary for the safety of the site. Parklets located in angled or perpendicular Item 10
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6 parking spaces will not require wheel stops unless otherwise specified by the Town during the application review process. Permittees must repair any damage to the roadway caused by the installation of wheel stops when removed.

Furnishings and Fixtures
• Heating Elements – Outdoor space heaters are permitted if they are approved for outdoor use, located in accordance with the manufacturer’s safety recommendations, and located away from the edge of any overhead covering (including foliage, canopies, umbrellas, or any other object) in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements and any applicable provision of the Building or Fire Code. Heaters are not allowed directly under umbrellas. All heaters must comply with applicable requirements and safety codes set forth in local, state, and federal law. Outdoor heating elements may be subject to the approval of the Ross Valley Fire Department. • Electrical Connections – All wiring and electrical cords must be exterior rated, GFCI protected, and UL listed. Cords shall not create a tripping hazard on a sidewalk or platform. If the cord crosses above the sidewalk, there must be a minimum 10 feet clearance above the sidewalk and platform of the parklet. The use of adapters is prohibited. Permittees are not allowed to tap into existing Town electrical connections such as twinkle light outlets or streetlight poles. Generators are not allowed in association with parklets.
• Lighting – Lighting is encouraged and may be provided through electrical connections to the permittee's building. Solar powered lighting is strongly encouraged. Lighting shall not be directed towards the roadway, to cause glare for vehicles. String lights must be hung to allow for sufficient clearance for safety purposes above the sidewalk and platform of the parklet. Lighting is limited to white and flashing are prohibited.
• Landscaping – Parklets are required to include strongly encouraged to include landscaping aspects such as container plantings that can serve as a buffer along the street-facing edge of the parklet.

Landscaping elements may be incorporated as planter boxes, hanging planters, green walls, or similar features. Drought-tolerant and native plants are encouraged. • Signage –
Not withstanding anything to the contrary in the Town’s Municipal Code, including Title 10, Chapter 10 “Signs on Town Property”, parklet signage is allowed provided the total area does not exceed 6 square feet (24 x 36 inches). Illuminated signs are prohibited. Private parklets must include hours of service, and sign copy is otherwise limited to business identification unless otherwise approved by the Public Works Department. Signage design and aesthetics should correlate in design with the signage on the primary building. Public parklets must also have two Town-designated signs indicating that the space is open for general public use, one to be located on each end of the parklet.
• Outdoor Furniture
Design and Materials – Plastic or vinyl furniture is prohibited. Outdoor furniture such as tables, chairs, and benches, should be designed to withstand weather exposure.

Built-In Seating – Parklets should incorporate built-in seating, which can be integrated in a variety of ways. For example, seating may be part of the structure, planters, or combined with creative features within the parklet.

Storage – Movable furniture should be removed and stored after business hours, or locked with cables to the parklet structure. All outdoor heaters must be stored inside when there is a reasonable chance of a heavy rain event, including flooding.

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7 Other Design Criteria
• Materials – The parklet should be constructed of durable, aesthetically appropriate material in keeping with the site and surrounding structures, and may include materials such as steel, finished wood, and salvaged building martials. Pressure treated wood or plywood is not allowed if visible, but is permitted as a component of non-visible elements including the platform. • Sustainability – Permittees are encouraged to utilize sustainable materials including locally-sourced and low-emission materials, including paints, stains, and glues that have zero or low levels of volatile organic compounds (VO Cs). Plastic materials are strongly discouraged.

Operational Standards
• Private Control – Parklets, both private and public, will be considered under the control of the permittee. The permittee is responsible for securing the parklet, and any fixtures and furnishings contained within in during the hours when not in operation. • No Outdoor Food Preparation – Outdoor food preparation is prohibited including, but not limited to, heating, use of open flames, barbecues, or other methods of cooking or preparing food. • No Open Flames – Open flames including candles, oil lamps, or similar devices, are prohibited. • Alcohol Service – Restaurants and food establishments licensed by the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC), and holding a current conditional use permit for alcohol service from the Town, will be allowed to sell and allow on-premise consumption of alcoholic beverages consistent with applicable state law. Alcoholic beverage service is only allowed under full restaurant service conditions (not bars) and alcoholic beverages consumed in parklets are not allowed in to-go containers. Establishments serving alcoholic beverages shall meet all requirements from ABC, and all other applicable local, state, or federal laws and regulations. • Site Maintenance – The permittee must maintain the parklet in good condition and repair. The parklet must free of litter, debris, graffiti, and any other refuse or damage. Any damage or disrepair to any element of the parklet, including the platform, railing, seating and table elements, planters, landscaping, and any improvements, must be made in a timely manner. Parklets that include outdoor dining must be cleaned daily to remove any food or drink. • Hours of Operation – The parklet must adhere to the same approved hours of operation as the associated business.
• Inspections – The Town and/or the Ross Valley Fire Department may make periodic inspections of parklets for compliance with these Guidelines, the Parklet Ordinance, and the permittee’s encroachment permit, and reserves the right to require adjustments or removal of any elements if deemed unsafe or inconsistent with said regulations and permits.

Permit Requirements
Permit Submittal Requirements
An encroachment permit for parklet purposes is required for all parklet installations, including parklets that were installed pursuant to a Temporary Outdoor Activities Permit. Any permittee who has Item 10
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8 received a Temporary Outdoor Activities Permit pursuant to the Town’s Outdoor Activities Program developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, may continue to operate for an additional twelve (12) months from the effective date of the Town’s Parklet Ordinance. Permit applications must be submitted prior to the construction or any new parklet or the modification of any existing parklet.

The following submittals are required:
• Plan Sets – It is recommended that plan sets are prepared by a design professional such as an architect or engineer. The plans must show the proposed layout of the parklet including:

Location, including site address, paring location, etc.

Dimensions of structure, including platform, railings, stormwater and drainage access, etc.

Traffic protection measures and setbacks from adjacent parking spaces.

Location of any adjacent utilities, including curb drainage, manhole covers, water shut-off valves, sidewalk utility boxes, streetlight poles, parking meters, etc.

Plans must demonstrate ADA accessibility compliance and compliance with all similar local, state, and federal accessibility regulations, and show dimensions of required clearances. • Materials – Plans must include a materials palette including:

Materials and landscaping/planters.

Railing materials.

Platform materials.
• Business License – The application must include evidence of a current San Anselmo business license.
• Insurance – The application must include evidence of current insurance coverage, including all insurance certificates and endorsements required in the Parklet Ordinance and as required by Town Staff.

Enforcement, Emergencies, and Removal
• Enforcement – A parklet permittee who fails to maintain the parklet pursuant to these Guidelines, the Parklet Ordinance, and the associated encroachment permit conditions, may be subject to violation and fines as further described in the Parklet Ordinance and as provided in the Town Municipal Code.
• Public Safety Emergencies – When the operation or condition of a parklet presents an immediate safety hazard, the Town reserves the right to immediately abate the hazard, which may include, removing or dismantling parklet improvements. The Town will use reasonable efforts to contact the permittee prior to taking any such actions, if conditions allow. The permittee is responsible for the cost of re-installing and restoring any damage to the parklet. • Removal – The Town reserves the right to require the temporary removal of parklet improvements at the permittee’s expense for events including utility work and street paving/slurry seal projects. Additionally, the permittee is required to remove all improvements and furnishings associated with the parklet upon termination of the encroachment permit at permittee’s expense.

The permittee must restore and clean the area to its previous condition.

More Information?
For questions or additional information regarding parklets please contact:

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9 Sean Condry, Public Works Director
[email protected]
(415) 258-4600
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STAFF REPORT

SAUSALITO CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: October 12, 2021
AGENDA TITLE: Discussion of Expiration of Issued Temporary COVID19 Outdoor Dining and Activities Permits and Policy Direction on Establishing a Permanent Parklet Program
LEAD DEPARTMENT: Community Development
RECOMMENDED MOTION:

Staff recommends the City Council take the following actions:

1. Temporary Agreements: Allow the Temporary Agreements to remain in place for the time being and direct staff to return at the first City Council meeting in April 2022 to provide an update regarding the need for the agreements and their potential termination and the progress on developing a permanent parklet program

2. Sidewalk Dining: Direct staff to revise the annual sidewalk dining fee to update the annual fee for all businesses with permanent sidewalk dining and implement collection of the fee to coincide with the repeal of the Temporary Agreements

3. Parklets: Direct staff to work with the Planning Commission, or a subcommittee of the Planning Commission, to develop a recommended set of standards and processes for “permanent” parklets in Sausalito, for review and consideration by the Council including waiver, reduction or collection of existing and future fees for use of public property for outdoor dining and activities

SUMMARY
As the State of California’s economy continues to open, Sausalito residents and businesses have been shaping and reshaping their futures after the devastating impacts of COVID-19. This report aims to provide options for transitioning out of shelter-in-place and allow business to rebound and thrive while at the same time ensuring the City’s streets and sidewalks are a place for everyone to enjoy. This report provides a discussion of parklet and sidewalk dining/retail activities in Sausalito. The City’s pilot program for the partial closure of Caledonia Street is on a separate discussion path, headed by the Department of Public Works and returning to Council in the first part of November to discuss whether the pilot project was successful by providing more space for restaurant patrons and allowing this section of Sausalito to revitalize.

BACKGROUND
On June 4, 2020 the City Council adopted a resolution which ratified Director of

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Emergency Services Order No. 2020-1 temporarily suspending certain regulations in the Sausalito Municipal Code in order to allow local restaurants and businesses to use public and private outdoor spaces to expand their operations and to resume operations in compliance with social distancing requirements. At the time, Marin County was moving into the next round of its COVID-19 pandemic response, with further reopenings under the Marin County Health Officer’s May 15, 2020 shelter-in-place order.

The shelter-in-place order had a dramatic impact on local businesses. For example, restaurants and other food service businesses were only able to operate by providing delivery or take out services, and retail businesses were unable to provide indoor inperson sales.

The Council’s action did the following:
 Temporarily suspended City laws and regulations that would otherwise prohibit businesses from engaging in business activities outside in order to facilitate the re-opening of businesses during the Covid-19 shelter in place order in a manner that was consistent with State and local social distancing requirements.  Suspended Zoning Ordinance requirements for temporary signage;  Allowed businesses to apply to enter into a Temporary COVID-19 Outdoor Activities and Encroachment Agreement (“Temporary Agreement”) with the City with a description of their proposed outdoor activity. The City Manager could modify the proposed activities to ensure public health and safety are met after review by the Community Development Department and the Public Works Department confirming that encroachments and use of outdoor spaces do not impede traffic flow, create fire hazards or interfere with public access.  Streamlined the process for encroachments in the public right-of-way by temporarily suspending the requirement to obtain an encroachment permit or encroachment agreement.
 Required the consent of private property owners if the business proposes to use private property that it does not own or otherwise have the right to use.  Required a building permit if a building permit would be otherwise required for proposed structures or improvements.

Additionally, the Council has taken action to
close a portion of Caledonia Street to
encourage outdoor dining in compliance with
social distancing requirements. Based on
Council's direction on July 27, 2021 Public
Works has restriped Caledonia to close the
south bound vehicle movement between Pine
and Johnson Street. The north bound vehicle
travel and parking on the east side of
Caledonia between Johnson and Pine are reestablished and in place 24/7. A contra-flow bike lane has been installed on the west side of
the closure to allow bikes to travel the full

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length of Caledonia without having to access Bridgeway as recommended by the Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee. Removable bollards are in place with signage on the north side of the closure to prevent vehicles from traveling into the closure area.

Delineators are in place along the frontage of the restaurant area to demark the dining area compared to the contra flow bike lane. Restaurants may utilize the remaining area on the west side of the roadway including the asphalt and parklet area. The closure of the south bound traffic lane is considered a pilot project and City Staff will be returning to Council in the first part of November to discuss whether the pilot project was successful by providing more space for restaurant patrons and allowing this section of Sausalito to revitalize.

CURRENT STATUS OF EXISTING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PERMITS
As indicated above, the Temporary Agreements for outdoor dining allowing the use of the city right of way were issued beginning in June 2020 to assist with re-opening of businesses while the shelter in place order was in effect in a manner that was consistent with State and local social distancing requirements. To accomplish this goal, the Order temporarily suspended City laws and regulations that would otherwise prohibit businesses from engaging in business activities outside.

The Temporary Agreements the City has issued can be placed in two different categories:
temporary set-ups (sidewalk dining/vending) and semi-permanent improvements (parklets). A parklet is a small public sidewalk extension created by the conversion of street frontage parking spaces to multi-use public spaces for passive and active use.

Parklets generally use non-permanent materials and include elements such as seating and landscaping to provide space for people to sit, relax, and enjoy the surrounding area, especially where narrow and/or constricted sidewalks would otherwise limit such activities.

There is usually a strong component of public use (i.e., no restrictions on who may use the space, or alternatively, areas for all public to use whether they are patronizing a business, or not). Like many communities across the country, parklets have been constructed during COVID on a temporary basis to provide outdoor dining in the City’s right-of-way, and, although some parklets were developed and used by a collective of businesses, overall, they do not contain a public use component.

Since June 4, 2020, the City has issued
34 Temporary Agreements for a variety
of temporary outdoor activities (see
Table 1 below). The Agreements were
issued in an expedited, streamlined
fashion with no permit fees after
coordinated review by the Community
Development, Public Works and Fire
Departments. Staff who reviewed these
applications focused on ensuring that the
outdoor activities do not create a safety
hazard, do not impede traffic flow, do not
create fire hazards or interfere with

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public access. The Temporary Agreements do not automatically expire and the Council must take action to repeal them.

Table 1: Temporary Agreements Issued to Date
Type of
Approval Location
Business Name
Outdoor Retail
Sidewalk
Adele Gilani
Baba Yaga
Games People Play
Hubba Hubba
Only in Sausalito
Versailles Gallery
Outdoor Dining Private Property Avatar's Barrel HouseJoinery Sausalito Taco ShopSaylors
Sushi Ran
Public Property - Sidewalk Bacchus Venus
Café Tutti
Copita
Fish and Chips
Golden Gate Market
Hamburgers
Hansons Gallery
Lapperts
No Name Bar
Public Property - Surface parking SYC - 2020 Umbrellas
SYC - 2021 Tent
Public Property - paper street Bar Bocce
Other
Public Property - Sidewalk Sausalito Animal Hospital –
AwningArt of Detail – Coffee
Cart
Parklet1 Public Right-of-Way (street) Caledonia Collective (serving Divino, F3,Sandrino, Sartaj)
Drivers Market2
Real Napa (serving Real
Napa, Versailles,and
Munchies)
Sausalito Bakery

REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
Current Public Health Orders. Public health orders issued on August 2, 2021, by Marin

1 The first parklet in Sausalito, the Bridgeway parklet at 621-633 Bridgeway (serving Angelinos, Venice Gourmet, Venice Pizza, and Bridgeway Café) was approved by the Council prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in May 2014, as a part of a “pilot program” and required a subsequent review by the Council to determine if the temporary project should be extended, converted into a longer term project, or removed. If the project is converted into a longer-term project, the upgrades of the project features (e.g., railings, landscaping, public benches) could be required. This review by the Council did not occur. 2 Not yet constructed

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County and six other Bay Area counties currently require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions. The order pertains to customers as well as employees and is in effect until modified or rescinded. Persons who are actively eating or drinking are not required to wear face coverings but are strongly urged to be fully vaccinated. Mask wearing in outdoor dining areas are not required; but rather strongly encouraged, especially in crowded environments where it may be difficult to distinguish someone's vaccination status.

Current Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Regulations. ABC most recently issued their Eighth Notice of Regulatory Relief on June 3, 2021, which itemizes relief measures that remain in effect until December 31, 2021 (i.e. expansion of licensed footprint), and which were rescinded on June 30, 2021 (i.e. delivery hours extended to midnight). The complete listing of changes made is documented on the ABC’s website3.

City of Sausalito Regulations. All retail/dining outdoor activities are currently covered under temporary Agreements. However, a number of businesses are interested in the process to make their temporary approvals permanent. The City’s Municipal Code requires specific permitting processes for permanent approval of outdoor dining and retail activities, as shown in Table 2 below.

3 https://www.abc.ca.gov/eighth-notice-of-regulatory-relief/

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Table 2: City of Sausalito Existing Land Use Regulations: Outdoor Dining//Retail Category/Type Example Existing Permanent
Approval Requirement
(Planning)
Current Required Fees for
Permanent Approval
(Planning)
M
o
v
e
a
ble
s
et-u
p
s
SID
E
W
A
L
K
DININ
G
–
P
U
B
LIC
P
R
O
P
E
R
T
Y
Portable
tables,
chairs,
heaters,
stanchion,
planters,
etc
Minor use permit - Zoning
Administrator
SidewalkDining
Encroachment Permit -
Community
Development Department (if
on public property)
Minor Use Permit: $1,310
Sidewalk Dining
Encroachment Permit:
$2,730
Alcohol Service Permit:
$2,840
Public Noticing: $600
Environmental Review: $980
Plan Retention: $35
O
U
T
D
O
O
R
DININ
G
–
P
RIVA
T
E
P
R
O
P
E
R
T
Y
Minor Use Permit: $1,310
Public Noticing: $600
Environmental Review: $980
Plan Retention: $35
SID
E
W
A
L
K
R
E
T
AIL
–
P
U
B
LIC
P
R
O
P
E
R
T
Y
Clothing
racks,
merchandise,
etc
Not allowed when
associated with a
permitted business. Only
allowedfor florists,
hardware, outdoor dining
and recreation facilities
on private property4
n/a
Push carts,
food stands
Stationary and Roaming
Sidewalk vending is
regulated by Chapter

13.33 $270

4 SMC Section 10.44.300.H and I indicates that if a use is allowed to display merchandise outside (only florists, hardware shops, approved outdoor dining and recreation on private property) the permitted outdoor display uses must comply with the following conditions: 1. Use shall occupy an area no larger than five percent of that establishment’s gross floor area devoted to retail sales within the building; 2. Use shall not occupy any required parking area or any public right-of-way; 3. Use shall not interfere with safe vehicular access to and from the site, emergency vehicle access, or pedestrian access, in the opinion of the City of Sausalito Community Development Department or the Police Department; and 4. Use shall be directly adjacent to the building housing the retail establishment

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S
e
mi- p
erm
a
n
e
nt im
pro
v
e
m
e
nts
P
A
R
K
L
E
T
Structures
placed in the
public rightof-way,
typically in a
vehicular
parkingspace
in the street,
such as
poured
concrete or
other
constructed
platforms and
railings for
parklets
Design Review Permit and
Encroachment Agreement
– Planning Commission
Design Review Permit:
$3,275
Encroachment Agreement:
$6,495
Alcohol Service Permit:
$2,840
Public Noticing: $600
Environmental Review: $980
Plan Retention: $35

PARKLET BENCHMARKING EFFORTS

A subcommittee of the Planning Commission comprised of Chair Feller and Vice Chair Graef assisted the Department by conducting research into how other communities are addressing creating permanent parklet programs. The criteria they used to consider which jurisdictions to benchmark were 1) waterfront communities, 2) smaller sized cities, 3) neighboring cities, 4) California only, 5) healthy mix of tourist and local patronage, 6) permanent versus temporary. See Table 3 on the next page, with staff notes/highlights.

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Table 3: City of Sausalito Existing Regulations: Outdoor Dining//Retail Jurisdiction Reference Materials Staff Highlights
San
Francisco
https://sfpublicworks.org/services/pe
rmits/parklets
https://sf.gov/topics/shared-spaces
Relaunching as “Shared Spaces” program
which makes it easier and less expensive
for applicants to create new shared spaces:
providing design guidelines, waiving permit
fees, and encouraging new shared spaces
on a wide variety of public and private
property. Wealth of resource and
information for standards related to
emergency access, accessibility, and the
aesthetics, visibility, and structural stability
of the structure.

Healdsburg https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/Do
cumentCenter/View/12788/COHParklet-Guidelines---113020 https://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/Do
cumentCenter/View/13190/Tempora
ry-Parklet-Permit---Agreement--
Guidelines
Provides for a variety of “non-traditional”
parklet types, such as Parallel, Diagonal,
Sidewalk, Realignment, and Pop-Up and
provides easy to understand lighting,
maintenance and landscaping guidance.

San Mateo https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/330
7/Outdoor-Dining
https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/Doc
umentCenter/View/81384/City-ofSan-Mateo-Outdoor-DiningGuidelines Concise list of general guidelines for
outdoor eating areas.

Santa
Monica
https://www.santamonica.gov/Media
/Default/Temporary-Use-of-PublicAreas/SM%20Outdoor%20Dining% 20-%20Parklet%20Manual-1.pdf
https://www.santamonica.gov/Media
/Economic_Recovery/Parklet_Manu
al_20200826.pdf
Delayed fees - The Santa Monica Outdoors
Pilot Program authorizes the City to assess
a monthly fee for the use of space in the
public right-of-way starting January 1, 2022
with 30 days’ notice provided to
businesses.

Tactical Parklet Manual is a great resource
and starting place for guidelines.

Santa
Barbara
https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/civi
cax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID
=228126
https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/civi
cax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID
=228125
Guidelines for shared use of parking
spaces in a multi-tenant building.

San Diego
and La Jolla
https://www.sandiego.gov/developm
ent-services/permits/temporaryoutdoor-business-operation-permit https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/defa
ult/files/2020-06-
05_presentation_to_downtown_part
nership.pdf
Pre-approved specifications for parklet
platforms.

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Jurisdiction Reference Materials Staff Highlights
San Luis
Obispo
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/ente
rtainment/restaurants/article244282
417.html, with a survey at
https://www.ksby.com/rebound/sanluis-obispo-offers-survey-to-publicregarding-parklets Possible considerations for economic relief
for “smaller” businesses in the form of a
grant in order to pay of permitting fees.

Pacific
Grove
https://www.cityofpacificgrove.org/o
ur_city/city_manager/economic_dev
elopment.php
Waiving fees for all of the following:
-Sidewalk Dining permits; which allow
dining on the sidewalk
-Encroachment permits; that allow for
reservation of parking spaces to facilitate
curbside pick up for take-out service;
-Administrative Use permits, to allow
temporary outdoor dining on private
property.
-Parklet Program, to allow outdoor dining in
City parking space.

Carmel-bythe-Sea
https://ci.carmel.ca.us/sites/main/file
s/file-attachments/6-16-
2020_agenda_packet.pdf
Raises issues of parity among businesses
(how many parking spaces should each
business be able to use?)
Staff had an opportunity to reach out to other Marin County jurisdictions who issued temporary authorization for outdoor permits/licenses and are currently discussing the potential for permanent programs. See Table 4 below for a summary of the current status of Marin County jurisdictions who responded to staff’s inquiry.

Table 4: Status of Temporary Permit Programs - Select Marin County Jurisdictions Marin Jurisdiction Status of Temporary Permits
Corte Madera Temporary outdoor use permits are set to expire in mid-November.

Town has discussed allowing permanent parklets in certain areas of Town, but they do not have a timeline at this time.

Larkspur Larkspur City Council will be discussing extending the parklet program at their October 6 meeting. Temporary permits for a variety of food and retail activities outdoor in parking lots continue to be valid under the City Manager’s emergency order.

Mill Valley On August 2, 2021 temporary outdoor business use policy extended to June 30, 2022.

Novato Extending temporary license agreements through the end of 2021 to coincide with anticipated adoption date of a robust parklet program
Ross Outdoor dining and retail program is tied to the Town Manager’s COVID-19 emergency order. Goal is to develop appropriate provisions and adopt the program into the municipal code before the emergency order is lifted, but do not yet have a timeline.

San Anselmo Council will discuss extending the parklet program for the long term on 9/28, including a parking study to determine adequate parking downtown.

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Outreach. To engage the community and gather community preferences, Staff created and distributed an online survey and hosted a virtual community forum. The survey was available from June 25 - July 7, the community forum was held on June 30. Staff performed a second round of outreach to all businesses in Sausalito and residents within 1,000 feet of parklets in Sausalito, however, there was no response to this outreach.

The purpose of the engagement was to assist the Council in deciding whether to rescind the temporary permits for outdoor dining/vending and parklets immediately, to phase them out by a specific date, or to maintain them indefinitely, in addition to discussing the future of on-street dining on the block of Caledonia Street between Pine and Johnson streets. As indicated earlier in this report, discussion of street closures for on-street dining is on a sperate pilot program track.

The online survey was distributed on the City’s open city hall portal through the Currents and email to various community groups from June 25 through July 7 and received 175 responses. Of the respondents in the online survey, almost 85% were Sausalito residents and 10% were business owners. All neighborhoods represented in the survey (most frequent respondents were almost 25% from new Town, followed by Old town/hurricane Gulch and then the Hill neighborhood. The raw data from the survey is provided in Attachment 1. Some highlights from the survey include:
 Sidewalk Dining: The highest priorities for survey respondents were for the City to address safety, aesthetics and traffic flow with respect to sidewalk dining.

There was General support for allowing businesses who were issued temporary sidewalk dining permits during COVID to go through an expedited process for permanent approval or no process at all as long as there are no substantive public or private parking impacts and appropriate legal agreements are put in place.
 Parklets: Eighty-five percent of respondents had visited a parklet in Sausalito over the last year, with most enjoying their experience. Although there was general support for a streamlined review process for permanent parklets if clear design standards are put in place through a public process, there was also general support as well for encouraging parklets in Sausalito to be designed creatively and not necessarily be standardized. Additionally, a majority of survey respondents expressed general support for regulations that would require parklets to incorporate an aspect of public use of the space, regardless of beinga patron of a nearby restaurant. Over 80% of respondents supported a loss of public parking to provide additional parklets in Sausalito.

See Attachment 2 for highlights/insights from the forum5.

5 Recording from the forum: https://sausalito.granicus.com/player/clip/1240?view_id=7&redirect=true

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Complaints. Another indication of community support or resistance to use of public space may come from complaints issued to the City. From the start of the pandemic to date the Police Department nor Code Enforcement have received complaints related to the use of public space on sidewalks or the right-of-way.

The Department of Public Works has received complaints from the owner of the Caledonia Street Barber’s, adjacent to Café Divino, regarding the portion of the parklet fronting their business. The property owner of the building at 35-37 Caledonia gave their consent for the parklet and Public Works is currently working with the owner to determine if they will require their parklet tenant to remove the portion fronting the barbershop.

Fire has heard from some businesses that they have been unable to maintain their daily operations due to lack of access to parking and blockages to streets. Also, there have been some complaints regarding the blocking of fire hydrants and the ability or safety for fire access with some of the parklets.

DEPARTMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERMANENT APPROVAL
Attachment 3 provides a summary of City of Sausalito Departmental considerations for permanent approval of sidewalk dining and parklet use.

FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS
Sidewalk Dining. Pursuant the Sausalito Municipal Code Section 10.44.220.C.3.i, applicants for sidewalk dining encroachments are required to pay the City an annual fee, based on square footage of the permit area, as established by Resolution of the City Council. Council Resolution No. 4271, established the fee at $1.50/square foot of dining area. A study conducted by a Sausalito Planning Intern in the summer of 2019 found that the majority of restaurants with sidewalk dining are not invoiced for/do not pay an annual fee for sidewalk use. Due to the age of the annual fee established in the 1990’s the Finance Department recommends at the bare minimum the annual fee be increased to catch up with inflation since the date of establishment. A more robust approach may be to establish something closer to fair market rent for commercial space on public property.

Policy direction on when to implement collection of this fee is requested as well.

Parklets. To get a sense of average historical and current parking meter revenues in the City information from Parking Analyst Elliott Holt has been provided below in Table 5:

Table 5: Average Annual Revenue per Meter
Location of Meters Calendar Year
2018 2019 2020 20216
All Parking Meters
approx. 170 meters $ 2,450.06 $ 2,746.04 $ 1,822.92 $ 1,909.07 Bridgeway Meters
approx. 128 meters $ 2,413.56 $ 2,694.08 $ 1,741.36 $ 1,862.46

6 Current through 9/19/21, values will increase by calenda year end.

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Location of Meters Calendar Year
2018 2019 2020 20216
Bridgeway Meters -
800 Block NB
approx. 30 meters
$ 2,212.91 $ 2,487.50 $ 1,671.64 $ 1,851.37
Bridgeway Meters -
500 Block SB
approx. 13 meters
$ 3,077.64 $ 4,204.93 $ 3,054.96 $ 3,375.09
Bridgeway Meters -
1100 Block NB
approx. 7 meters
$ 1,975.91 $ 1,947.16 $ 985.93 $ 1,099.03
Highlights:
 Seasonal hourly rate changes went into effect July 2018, we added congestion pricing in busier summer months - See the jump in per meter revenue in the 500 block especially from 2018 to 2019 above
 Average annual revenue per meter pre-pandemic was around $2,500 or better, current rate is around $2,000
 Current average annual revenue per meter in the 500 block of Bridgeway is $500 to $800 higher than the 2015 rates used to calculate the original parklet at 621-633 Bridgeway, even with the effects of the pandemic
 Closest meters to the Caledonia St parklet are in the 1100 block of Bridgeway, average annual per meter revenue in that area of Bridgeway is approx. $1,000 Although the closest parking meters to the Caledonia Street parklet are in the 1100 block of Bridgeway, Parking Analyst Holt offers that the 800 block bridgeway meter revenues may be a better approximation of the actual usage of that portion of Caledonia.

COUNCIL OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION/STAFF

RECOMMENDATIONS
There are several topics and questions for the Council to consider when discussing outdoor commercial activities. Staff is recommending the Council consider the following as a path forward:

Temporary Agreements
Staff recommends that the Council leave the Temporary Agreements in place for the fall, winter and beginning of spring, and direct staff to return at the first Council meeting in April 2022 to provide an update regarding the need for the agreements, and their potential termination, and the progress on developing a permanent parklet program.

Outdoor Retail
Currently outdoor display of merchandise is only allowed for hardware and florist businesses. Sidewalk vending (stationary and roaming) is allowed in certain areas of the City pursuant to SMC Chapter 13.13. Staff has not received interest in softening regulations regarding outdoor displays and would not recommend code changes at this

Page 13 of 15 ends

point in time. However, if the Council would like to explore targeted modifications to the Municipal Code to expand allowances for outdoor display of merchandise, the Council should direct staff to liaise with the Chamber of Commerce to determine the need for modifications and how concerns related to visual clutter and congestion on the sidewalk could be mitigated.

Sidewalk Dining
Prior to the pandemic the City’s regulations established that all outdoor dining (both on private property and public property) individually proceed with a Minor Use Permit (Zoning Administrator) and Sidewalk Dining Encroachment Agreement (CDD Staff). If an alcohol component is included in the right-of-way a Conditional Use Permit (Planning Commission) and approval by the Council is required. This process typically works smoothly and in an expedited manner, and staff does not recommend any changes to the existing code requirements. Staff does recommend that the Council direct staff to revise the annual sidewalk dining fee which was established in 1994 and implement collection of the annual fee from all businesses with permanent sidewalk dining to coincide with the repeal of the Temporary Agreements.

However, if the Council would like to explore or develop a further expedited process that may include only ministerial (staff-level, at the counter) review and permits are approved if clear standards are met, or waiving or reducing permit processing fees (but retaining annual fees), the Council should direct staff to liaise with the Chamber of Commerce to determine the need for modifications and report back to the City Council.

Parklets
The City has not developed a set of standards or guidelines for commercial use of public space for outdoor dining and prior to the pandemic the Council established that all new parklets individually proceed with a Design Review Permit (Planning Commission) and Encroachment Agreement (City Council). Staff has received feedback from the business community that this process takes too long and is too costly. Staff recommends that Council direct staff to work with the Planning Commission to develop a recommended set of standards and processes for “permanent” parklets in Sausalito. These standards and process recommendations should focus on the following, with direction to consider guidelines from select communities:
 The design and aesthetics of the physical improvements such as fencing, barriers, curb stops
 Incorporation of required landscaping or visual relief elements  Consideration for safety and inclusionary use considerations such as accessibility, reflective materials, and lighting
 Input on other practical considerations such as guidelines for provisions for heating, and protection from inclement weather
 Incorporation of features to reduce impacts to neighboring residents, such as hours of operation, cleanliness standards, music guidelines and capacity limits  Waiver (either partial, full or none) of current Design Review and Encroachment

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Agreement permit fees, or establishment of a new fee
 Consideration of pre-selected parklet locations in the City (might include looking to off the arterial roadways and heavy pedestrian pathways; on side streets where the street width is adequate)
 Balancing the loss of public parking in exchange for additional street activation  Required integration of public space (i.e., public benches or mandated tables/chairs not limited to a particular restaurateur’s offerings)
 Establishing equity and parity between businesses desiring additional outdoor public space but having limited frontage (such as establishing a ratio of indoor seats to spaces or establishing categories of business – e.g., cafes, restaurant, bars – that may qualify for a specified number of spaces)
 Recommendations on requirements that an annual fee be paid for use of public property. See the fiscal considerations section for average parking meter revenues.

Consideration should be given to a required component of public space in the parklet.

Staff recommends the Council direct staff to return to Council with a recommended set of standards and processes for “permanent” parklets in Sausalito, for review by the Council no later than three months prior to the termination of the Temporary Agreements.

FISCAL IMPACT
See the Fiscal Considerations section for information on established/establishing fees

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council take the following actions:

ATTACHMENTS

1. Results from Community Survey

2. Highlight Results from Community Forum

3. Department Considerations for Permanent Approval
PREPARED BY: Lilly Whalen, Community Development Director

Page 15 of 15 ends

REVIEWED BY: Thomas Aherns, Contract Building Official
REVIEWED BY: Kevin McGowan, Public Works Director
REVIEWED BY: Mike Langford, Parks and Recreation Director REVIEWED BY: Charlie Francis, Interim Finance Director
REVIEWED BY: Mary Wagner, City Attorney
SUBMITTED BY: Chris Zapata, City Manager
1 RESOLUTION 22-__

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX

EXTENDING THE TERMS OF CERTAIN RIGHT-OF-WAY USE AGREEMENTS FOR

TEMPORARY OUTDOOR USES AND TEMPORARY OUTDOOR USE PERMITS TO

ALLOW RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE OUTDOOR

DINING, OTHER RETAIL/COMMERCIAL USES, AND CURBSIDE PICKUP TO MARCH 1, 2023
WHEREAS, on May 5, 2021 the Town Council adopted Resolution 21-13 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax Extending the Terms of Certain Right-of-Way Use Agreements for Temporary Outdoor Uses to May 8, 2021”; and Whereas, also on May 5, 2021, the Town Council adopted Resolution 21-12 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax Extending the Expiration Date to May 8, 2022, of Temporary Outdoor Use Permits to Allow Restaurants and Other Businesses to Provide Outdoor Dining, Other Retail/Commercial Uses, and Curbside Pickup”; and
WHEREAS, on June 3, 2020 the Town Council adopted Resolution 20-19 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax Authorizing the Town Manager to Enter into Certain Right-of-Way Use Agreements for Temporary Outdoor Use and to Close Streets for Outdoor Events;” and
WHEREAS, on November 4, 2020, the Town Council adopted Resolution 20-36 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax Extending the Terms of Certain Right-of-Way Use Agreements for Temporary Outdoor Uses to May 31, 2021”; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council proclaimed the existence of a local emergency related to COVID-19 on March 17, 2020 and such local emergency still exists; and WHEREAS, the conditions and concerns that led the Town Council to adopt Resolution 20-19 still exist; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 849 requires the Town Council to set the expiration dates for all Temporary Outdoor Use Permits by resolution; and, WHEREAS, the Town Council adopted Resolution No. 20-35 setting the expiration date of May 31, 2021 for all Temporary Outdoor Use Permits; and WHEREAS, the Town Council wishes to modify and extend the expiration terms of the Right-of-Way Use Agreements for Temporary Outdoor Uses authorized by Resolution 21-13; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council wishes to modify and extend the expiration date for all Temporary Outdoor Use Permits,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax as follows:

1. Findings. The Town Council finds that the aforementioned recitals are true and correct and are herein incorporated into this Resolution.

2. Terms. The initial term of the Right-of-Way Agreement for Temporary Outdoor Uses shall be no longer than 120 days, but may be renewed in periods lasting up to 90-days at the sole discretion of the Town Manager or his or her designee. All Right-of-Way Agreements shall expire by March 1, 2023.

3. Terms. The initial term of the Temporary Outdoor Use Permits shall be no longer than 120 days, but may be renewed in periods lasting up to 90-days at the sole discretion of the Town Manager or his or her designee. All Temporary Outdoor Use Permits shall expire by March 1, 2023.

4. CEQA Exemption. The Town Council hereby finds that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of this resolution, and the prohibitions established hereby, may have a significant effect on the environment, because the resolution only provides for the temporary uses of developed space. It is therefore not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act review pursuant to Title 14, Chapter 3, Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Code of Regulations. The Town Council further finds that the uses authorized by this Resolution are minor public alterations in the condition of land which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. Therefore, the resolution is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review pursuant to Title 14, Chapter 3, Section 15304(e) of the California Code of Regulations.

5. Severability. If any provision of this Resolution or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, such invalidity has no effect on the other provisions or applications of the Resolution that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this extent, the provisions of this Resolution are severable. The Town Council declares that it would have adopted this Resolution irrespective of the invalidity of any portion thereof.

6. Conflicts. This Resolution takes precedent over any conflicts with Resolutions 21-12 and 21-13.

7. Effective Period. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption and shall remain valid until rescinded by the Town Council.

The foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 2nd day of March 2022, by the following vote, to wit:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:
________________________________
Stephanie Hellman, Mayor
Attest: ________________________
Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
AGENDA ITEM #15

TOWN OF FAIRFAX

STAFF REPORT
September 1, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Camille Esposito, Communications Specialist
Jonathon Goldman, Interim Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Receive results of the Outdoor Dining Survey and provide direction to staff _________________________________________________________________________________

RECOMMENDATIONS
Receive results of Outdoor Dining Survey and direct staff to return to Council with a process to make outdoor dining permanent, adhering to the building codes and accessibility as well as exploring options for other public use for “parklets” throughout town.

BACKGROUND
In June 2020, in response to COVID-19 restrictions, the Council took actions to allow outdoor dining and business uses in the public right-of-way. Specifically, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing staff to issue temporary encroachment permits (TEPs) for outdoor dining and business uses in the public right-of-way (including Town-owned lands, parks, and parking spaces), and an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary use permit (TUP) process to allow businesses to apply to use their outdoor private spaces (e.g., parking lots) for their business activities. There is no fee for the TEP or TUP. Both permits are approved administratively by staff.

With action of May 5, 2021, during the course of its regular meeting, the Council adopted Resolutions No. 21-12 and 21-13 extending the term for TEPs and TUPs such that they shall all expire not later than May 8, 2022, without further action by the Council. In addition, the Council directed staff to conduct a community-wide online survey to solicit input from the community regarding the uses of the outdoor public spaces.

DISCUSSION
On August 2, 2021 we launched an Outdoor Dining Survey using Survey Monkey. We promoted the survey through our weekly newsletter, social media posts (Facebook, Instagram) and signage downtown. The Chamber supported our efforts with their own social media posts as well as fliers with a QR code to make it easier for respondents to take the survey. Originally, we planned to close the survey on August 20, 2021. Based on community feedback we extended the survey to August 27, 2021. Over the weekend (from the 20th-23rd) we received an additional 210 responses! As of August 25th, we had 987 responses (37 businesses, 740 residents, 210 visitors). The overwhelming feedback is a welcome surprise and shows tremendous support for keeping outdoor dining options in Fairfax. 91.02% responded “yes” to making outdoor dining permanent in Fairfax,

8.98% responded “no” to making outdoor dining permanent in Fairfax. It is worth noting that even the “no” responses had constructive feedback on how to improve the program. Those who support keeping outdoor dining say they love how the community has come together to honor the “Fairfax vibe” and socialize even in these challenging times. They appreciate the energy that outdoor dining has brought to our downtown. While many love the individual options associated with specific 2 businesses, there are many who would like to see a community space available for all to use (i.e., the Mono Lot). Concerns over parking were not as extensive as expected, but many expressed that it is important to offer as many ADA accessible spaces close to the downtown so that those who cannot walk far can still enjoy the lively downtown options.

The full survey results as well as all comments collected through 8/25/21 are attached.

Here is a summary of the responses in each category:
• Business Response – 86.11% Yes (31) 13.89% No (5)
• Resident Response – 89.25% Yes (656) 10.75% No (79)
• Visitor Response – 98.53% Yes (201) 1.47% No (3)
Based on the results of the survey, staff recommends that Council direct staff to come back to Council with a process to make outdoor dining options into permanent “parklets” that adhere to building codes and accessibility as well as exploring options for other public use of space downtown.

ALTERNATIVES
1) Continue the survey with direction to solicit feedback from specific audiences. 2) Take no action at this time.

FISCAL IMPACT
None identified

ATTACHMENTS
A. Overall Survey Results
B. Business Responses
C. Resident Responses
D. Visitor Responses
Overall Survey Results
1 Q 2
Q1
Are you a:

Answered: 987 Skipped: 1
Fairfax
Resident
Business Fairfax Owner I
Fairfax Visitor

ANSWER CHOICES
• Fairfax Resident
Fairfax Business Owner
Fairfax Visitor
TOTAL
0% 10%
sf:; Customize
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

RESPONSES

74.97%

3.75%

21.28%
If you are a Fairfax business owner, what kind of business do you own? AMwered: 40 Sktpped: 948
Restaurant
Retailer
Hair Salon
Nall Salon
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% .SO% 90% 100¾
ANSWER CHOICES . RESPONSES
. Restaurant 50.00%
. Retailer 37.50%
. Hair Salon 12.50%
. Nail Salon 0.00%
TOTAL
20 15
5 0
40 Save as..,
740
37 210
987
/'
2 Q3 Customize Save as"'
On a scale of 0-5 how have the outdoor dining spaces supported your business?
Answered, 316 Skipped, 672
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
ANSWER CHOICES • AVERAGE NUMBER • TOTAL NUMBER • RESPONSES Responses 70 2'2,003
TotalRespondents: 316
316
Q4 Customize Save as•
On a scale of 0-5, how have the restaurant's outdoor dining spaces benefitted the Town of Fairfax?
Answered, 916 Skipped, 72
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
ANSWER CHOICES • AVERAGE NUMBER • TOTAL NUMBER • RESPONSES Hesponses 88 80,479 916
Total Respondents: 916
Q 5 - What, if any, safety issues have you observed?
(see attached comments)
Q 6 - What, if any impact have the outdoor dining spaces had with regard to supplier delivery? (see attached comments)
3 Q7 sf;> Customize Save as•
Would you like to see outdoor dining spaces become long-term in the town of Fairfax?
Answered: 969 Skipped: 19

ANSWER CHOICES
• Yes
• No
TOTAL
Yes
No
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
• RESPONSES
91-02%

8.98%
882
ITT
969
4 QB Customize Save u•
On a scale of 0-5, how concerned are you about the availability of parking should outdoor dining spaces become long-term?
Answered: 780 Skipped: 208
0 10 20 30 40 50
ANSWER CHOICES ... AVERAGE NUMBER ,.. TOTAL NUMBER ,.. RESPONSES Responses 27 21.289 780
Total Respondents: 780
Q9 Customize Save as•
On a scale of 0-5, please let us know your experience of how the Town and Chamber of Commerce communicated regarding the permitted use of outdoor spaces.

Answered; 683 Skipped: 305
0 10 20 30 40 50
ANSWER CHOICES ,.. AVERAGE NUMBER ,.. TOTAL NUMBER ,.. RESPONSES Responses 47 31,918 683
TotalRespondents:683
Q 10 - Please share any suggestions, including how Fairfax could make use of public spaces (ie:parks, streets, parking lots) and what those uses might include and/or feedback on the subject of outdoor dining spaces:
(see attached comments)
Word Cloud generated from positive comments:
5 parklets
environment hamlet
enhances welcome
wonderful diverse life great activity .
d t village
. dining Q'Wil Q'Wil best people festive • •
enhance CO Illlll Ufil ty ~rant
culture positive feel energy allow f . f lively . keep embracing outdoor vibe air ax alive benefit diversity
love
beautiful
slow gathering
observe
ambience european
vital open fun
feeling
Sampling of constructive critisim:

Bolinas Road too narrow for an evacuation.

Parking is a worry. I don't want to see parkets indenitely.

Private businesses need to be charged in some way for the square footage.

They should remain open to the public, not given to private businesses Fairfax needs to keep outdoor dining AND solve the parking problem Right now the town is becoming inaccessible for anyone with even small mobility limitations - I don't think that is your intent. I'd be happy if you put all the parking behind the businesses for disabled people and in parking lots on the outskirts of downtown for everyone else.

As for the loss of parking spaces, perhaps there's a way to arrange for the use of private parking lots after hours (i.e., the Bicycle Museum and the big wooden building on Bolinas). Maybe the restaurants could pay a small fee per parking space that their outdoor dining displaces, which would go to pay for public use of private parking lots.

The outdoor seating that was in the middle of town gave me a place to gather with friends and family in a safe/outdoor environment.

Please restore the outdoor seating at the end of Mono Ave next to Gestalt Haus - this has been one of my main motives to visit downtown over the last year.

Restore the open space adjacent to Gestalt Haus for all to enjoy, please.

They must be open for use to ALL people, not just the patrons of the business of which they are in front of.

Adding a bus route through town or increasing its frequency will help eliminate the issue of limited parking.

Keep the outdoor dining spaces o
Bolinas Rd and have only on the other roads where there is more space.

Use the federal/state money coming to Fairfax to build a public restroom. Pt Reyes has simple stainless steel low
ow toilets, minimal sink water, no frills restrooms. It eliminates abuse.

I'm tired of Fairfax giving up our precious downtown to cars! If we keep the Parkade as it is, we should put up parking meters and make them pay for themselves.

If anything COVID has allowed locals to realize how walkable thier town is. People will always complain about parking, but outdoor spaces created during COVID have brought our town together in a much more meaningful way.

We need a smarter parking and delivery plan, one that gets diesel trucks and idling cars out of our town center and allows us to use our most valuable downtown space for something more productive than car storage. 6
Outdoor Dining Survey - Business Comments
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Q5 What, if any, safety issues have you observed?
Answered: 23 Skipped: 14
# RESPONSES DATE
1 None 8/24/2021 6:27 AM
2 Masks, sanitizing… Distancing. 8/21/2021 11:22 PM
3 None 8/21/2021 11:04 AM
4 None other than a step up onto the platforms 8/21/2021 10:35 AM 5 Just being careful 8/20/2021 4:48 PM
6 None 8/20/2021 2:39 PM
7 Diner’s proximity to traffic, bike riders being squeezed into traffic, gas heaters being used very close to unprotected wood, and Plastic. Abrupt transitions or gaps between sidewalks to outdoor dining “decks”. Haphazardly installed or exposed electrical wiring for lights, etc. 8/20/2021 1:51 PM
8 They do pose some safety issues since they are in the street 8/19/2021 4:21 PM 9 None. A well built parklet such as is present at the coffee roastery is secure to withstand a bump from a car turning in traffic.
8/5/2021 3:08 PM
10 When COVID has been high and spacing has been needed I haven’t been thrilled with the ability to pass the Amelie parklet which spills out into the sidewalk 8/5/2021 2:47 PM
11 No safely issue. The town has become MORE safe due to traffic calming. 8/5/2021 10:58 AM 12 Dangerous proximity of children to street traffic. 8/5/2021 9:34 AM 13 none 8/4/2021 5:36 PM
14 Depends on which parklet in which location 8/4/2021 10:25 AM 15 Removal of handicap parking spot 8/4/2021 8:46 AM
16 I have seen no safety issues in action. Although I do feel coffee roasters should be located to the Broadway side of their business. Village sakes is too opaque - needs to be modified to be visually safer for drivers and pedestrians. Fradelizio’s needs more barrier protection from cars. 8/4/2021 7:56 AM
17 The parking lot next to gestalt, which is not under the direct responsibility of any one business seems a bit out of control sometimes. This is a gift from the town and the businesses using it should be accountable for control and safety.
8/4/2021 6:52 AM
18 None at all. 8/4/2021 5:34 AM
19 N/a 8/3/2021 7:00 PM
20 Just people not wearing masks. 8/3/2021 6:28 PM
21 Everything looks safe 8/3/2021 4:29 PM
22 None 8/3/2021 2:34 PM
23 None Spoke with fire chiefs and they see no issues 8/3/2021 11:23 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Business
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Q6 What, if any impact have the outdoor dining spaces had with regard to supplier delivery?
Answered: 25 Skipped: 12
# RESPONSES DATE
1 None 8/24/2021 6:27 AM
2 For us no impact 8/21/2021 11:22 PM
3 None for me 8/21/2021 11:04 AM
4 None that I have observed 8/21/2021 10:35 AM
5 Very little 8/20/2021 4:48 PM
6 Big impact for the suppliers themselves having to bring things from far away 8/20/2021 4:45 PM 7 None 8/20/2021 2:39 PM
8 None 8/20/2021 1:51 PM
9 Lose of parking 8/19/2021 4:21 PM
10 None 8/7/2021 8:33 AM
11 None. 8/5/2021 3:08 PM
12 No problems at all receiving supplies. 8/5/2021 10:58 AM 13 Limit ability of logistics to be executed. 8/5/2021 9:34 AM 14 none 8/4/2021 5:36 PM
15 For us none 8/4/2021 10:25 AM
16 Suppliers were upset they had to park 2 plus blocks away and will potentially refuse to deliver or surcharge
8/4/2021 8:46 AM
17 Signage has advised deliveries to Elsie lane - this is good. Delivery trucks often now parking in front of mas masa in red zone . Delivery drivers need to observe designated drip off locations. 8/4/2021 7:56 AM
18 None 8/4/2021 6:52 AM
19 None at all. 8/4/2021 5:34 AM
20 None 8/3/2021 7:30 PM
21 None 8/3/2021 7:00 PM
22 has not affected my studio. 8/3/2021 6:28 PM
23 None 8/3/2021 2:34 PM
24 No issues 8/3/2021 11:23 AM
25 No issue so far 8/2/2021 7:29 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Business
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Q10 Please share any suggestions, including how Fairfax could make use of public spaces (ie:parks, streets, parking lots) and what those uses might include and/or feedback on the subject of outdoor dining spaces:

Answered: 28 Skipped: 9
# RESPONSES DATE
1 We should be able to keep the outside Dinning… It’s a wonderful new addition to Faifax. Thank you
8/21/2021 11:22 PM
2 We are on sir Francis drake 8/21/2021 11:04 AM
3 Keep the outdoor spaces! They have only made experiencing our town better! 8/21/2021 10:35 AM 4 The outdoor spaces are what bring people to our town. Please keep them. Thank you 8/20/2021 4:48 PM 5 I am in favor of outdoor dining parklets with some changes for safety and the success of adjacent retailers. There needs to be more attention paid to retail visibility, to delivery ease, and to safety issues.
8/20/2021 4:45 PM
6 To qualify my “yes” answer to question #7, I’d like to see some of them become permanent, but they need to pass through the design review, engineering, and building department review process. As they are, while some are nice, as a collection look ramshackle and temporary, like dining stalls in Southeast Asian night markets.
8/20/2021 1:51 PM
7 I wanted a third option for question 7. I think the outdoor dining spaces are necessary as long as covid is a concern but not forever. I think having more outdoor eating/gathering spaces, like the one in the parking lot next to Gestalt house was great and created a social dynamic. More outdoor eating and pub options is great but not necessarily in the parking spaces in the street.

A parking lot or garage would be needed if the outdoor restaurants stay indefinitely. Thank you! 8/19/2021 4:21 PM
8 please just make all outdoor temporary permits permanent to allow the huge amount of business investment during a time when they have been asked to close and lose clients. And clearly the town is benefitting as the outdoor spaces allow for the creation of greater positive community and “fairfax vibe.”
8/17/2021 5:04 PM
9 More parking spaces by the skate park. 8/7/2021 8:33 AM 10 Fairfax needed more outdoor dining! Everyone at my shop loves it! We hope they stay! 8/6/2021 9:31 PM 11 It's been demonstrated clearly that outdoor dining in a pandemic that seems to have no end in sight, is the safest way to protect the unvaccinated, and allow for additional seating to increase tax revenue or any city or county. I'd be willing to bet that the revenue you collect in local tax has gone up and will continue to rise with the allowance of permanent parklets. There are already too many cars parked on the street in Fairfax and San anselmo. And San Rafael for that matter. Outdoor year round dining such as is available in cities like Barcelona is safe, effective and creates a social fabric unequaled by indoor dining alone. Let the parklets be built and stay permanently!
8/5/2021 3:08 PM
12 I have not been impressed with the Mono Lot. During the height of COVID it felt really unsafe and no one seemed to take responsibility. Tons of unmasked people having a party during a shutdown. It was super frustrating.
8/5/2021 2:47 PM
13 These outdoor dining spaces have created an incredible sense of community in the town. Like we've never had before. Customers comments are 100% positive. They love these outdoor dining spaces and want them to be forever a permanent part of the town. Bring back the Mono Parking lot Park Space. This is a loss. There was NO communication at all regarding the loss of this space. No one had an opportunity to support this outdoor space. It feels like it was removed by a few people behind closed doors. hat happened? Bring an improved version of the Mono Lot Park back. Thank you
8/5/2021 10:58 AM
14 The temporary outdoor dining spaces have negatively impacted parking, safety, and the overall 8/5/2021 9:34 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Business
4 / 4
experience of being in the town.
15 In downtown a focus on parlets an community space should take priority over vehicle parking.

Favor pedestrians. People.
8/4/2021 2:33 PM
16 Cheaper parking permits for business owners. San Anselmo has them for $25 a year. Fairfax price is ridiculous. With less parking spaces this needs to be addressed 8/4/2021 1:45 PM
17 There is a lot to unwrap here. As far as the previous question, much information we garnered about the communication aspect was due to us being proactive and doing research. We had a big stake in all this so we were very active in seeking information when we felt we required it.

As far as public use of space- ie the mono lot, if it was used as originally intended it would be nice, but due to the location it just turned into a gestalt house beer garden. All businesses used much of their resources to build out there own communal space. The town of Fairfax does not appear to have the resources to properly maintain and manage a public space like mono lot. Also with the high concentration of Parklets in such a small area of downtown the parking at mono lot is essential we feel.
8/4/2021 10:25 AM
18 The parking laws are not being monitored at all, so people are abusing the more limited street and parkade parking. In order to free up parking the police need to ticket those who stay longer than 30 minutes on the street and 4 hours in the lot.
8/4/2021 8:14 AM
19 Make a public space in small sheltered lot across from Amelie or in the parkade. If in Parkade it would help connect SFD businesses to Broadway. A common “feeling disconnected “ issue for SFD merchants - this would be a great way to provide public safety as the parkade is sectioned off and connection to SFD merchants. Not putting a public space in the parkade renovation was a huge missed opportunity several years ago in my opinion! Keep outdoor dinning going - the business and energy it brings is paramount to our downtown. More Sales tax =more money and vibrancy to our town.
8/4/2021 7:56 AM
20 We must, must keep these outside spaces as long as they are up to code. It is vital to business and it’s part of an added charm to the town. Less parking is also a great step in the right direction for long term - having more pedestrians and bicyclist and relying / catering less to vehicles. Thank you so much for your consideration :) 8/4/2021 5:34 AM
21 While beneficial to restaurants, as a small business owner I believe it hurts retail sales. 8/3/2021 10:01 PM 22 N/a 8/3/2021 7:00 PM
23 I have really enjoyed the parklets. I love driving thru fairfax and seeing everyone enjoying the town. People on the streets means people walking around and looking at my window. It makes this town fun and festive and that gets folks out and in town. 8/3/2021 6:28 PM
24 With the outdoor eating areas our town looks very welcoming it’s charming 8/3/2021 4:29 PM 25 I believe that outdoor dining parklettes TOTALLY ENHANCE the Fairfax experience. Please keep them long term!
8/3/2021 2:34 PM
26 Parklets and outdoor dining brings families and friends together , Which is the perfect use of public spaces,.something Europe learned many years ago. This adds greatly to quality of life. 8/3/2021 11:23 AM
27 Parking interests won the battle over the community eating area and the unhappiness of a huge amount of people is undeniable
8/2/2021 7:29 PM
28 It would be great for business owners and their customers if the town did a better job of monitoring parking in the timed parking spaces and lots. People (especially the visiting bike riders!) always park over the time limits, which makes it hard for my customers to find parking.

I NEVER see anyone get a ticket for parking over 30 minutes in the 30 minute spaces in front of my store.
8/2/2021 7:03 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey- Resident Comments
1 / 41
Q5 What, if any, safety issues have you observed?
Answered: 358 Skipped: 390
# RESPONSES DATE
1 unmasked patrons outdoors without social distancing. 8/25/2021 11:11 AM 2 Harder to find parking downtown which results in overflow parking in neighborhoods. 8/25/2021 11:05 AM 3 Hallelujah, the mono parking lot is back to normal. The speed limit should be decreased to 15- 20 mph in town, this includes all bicycle riders as well. 8/25/2021 10:55 AM
4 The outer edges of the parklets *appear* too close to cars passing by. So I feel safer where there is more space or construction when I am sitting by the edge. 8/25/2021 10:50 AM
5 Sanitizing, social distance, masks 8/25/2021 10:20 AM 6 Lack of parking - always an issue in Fairfax. 8/25/2021 9:40 AM 7 None 8/25/2021 9:39 AM
8 Can't see pedestrian! 8/25/2021 9:28 AM
9 None 8/25/2021 9:19 AM
10 Plandemic demonstrators given waaay too much rope from the town. Peaceful demonstration is one thing, but this is BS and went on for way too long. 8/25/2021 9:03 AM
11 Cars are slowing down and are more respectful to pedestrians 8/25/2021 8:22 AM 12 People wandering in the streets, blockage of public rights of way, increased difficulty navigating the sidewalks for pedestrians and streets for drivers. All rolling up to increased safety hazards.
8/25/2021 7:34 AM
13 The traffic is terrible! 8/25/2021 7:26 AM
14 None that I have seen. I think the dining spaces are vital in keeping our small businesses thriving in a difficult time.
8/25/2021 7:04 AM
15 None 8/24/2021 10:36 PM
16 None. Outdoor dining is a Win-win for business owners and residents alike. Keep it!!! 8/24/2021 10:11 PM 17 Lack of indoor seating 8/24/2021 8:15 PM
18 Lots of foot traffic 8/24/2021 6:35 PM
19 None, need more of this and fewer roads. 8/24/2021 5:17 PM 20 None!! 8/24/2021 3:25 PM
21 None 8/24/2021 2:27 PM
22 Barriers, fences and signs. 8/24/2021 2:02 PM
23 None. Seems safer and happier to me. 8/24/2021 1:59 PM 24 None 8/24/2021 1:57 PM
25 As you turn from Broadway to Bolinas seems a little tight there. Maybe that one should be narrower at least close to the intersection.
8/24/2021 11:42 AM
26 None 8/24/2021 10:52 AM
27 lack of 6 foot buffer between diners and pedestrians tables blocking sidewalks 8/24/2021 9:37 AM 28 None 8/24/2021 8:24 AM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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29 Creepy people on the sidewalk bothering diners 8/24/2021 7:16 AM 30 The coffee roastery eating area feels more dangerous because it’s around the curve. 8/24/2021 12:31 AM 31 They are all targets for wayward cars. 8/23/2021 11:18 PM 32 None 8/23/2021 9:12 PM
33 The spaces are TOO CROWDED- distancing isn't enforced, discussed or used enough. It's not safe with the Delta variant yet people continue to crowd together. The town needs to find a way to make sure that distancing continues and is taken seriously. Otherwise the spaces are great so far.
8/23/2021 8:50 PM
34 None 8/23/2021 8:13 PM
35 Lost more traffic on adjacent streets. 8/23/2021 7:07 PM 36 Bicycles need to enter car lanes to ride around parkletts. Not to do with outdoor dining:
bicycles running stop signs.
8/23/2021 7:06 PM
37 None 8/23/2021 3:46 PM
38 None 8/23/2021 3:07 PM
39 None 8/23/2021 1:06 PM
40 From a public safety standpoint the outdoor dining spaces are fantastic! All seem to be well protected from street traffic. They have created outdoor spaces for people to safely gather during these challenging times.
8/23/2021 10:42 AM
41 None 8/23/2021 8:39 AM
42 The corner site at coffee roasters, turning right onto bolinas the visibility is bad. They also have bike riders who sit on the outside and talk to friends inside which makes the lane too skinny. The placement of some of them makes the parking difficult (like the boxed in spaces at Iron Springs and Amalie). The non - transparency of Village Sake also affects visibility negatively.
8/23/2021 6:57 AM
43 None 8/22/2021 7:50 PM
44 None 8/22/2021 5:53 PM
45 Speeding cars 8/22/2021 5:27 PM
46 Narrow streets, structures that are oversized, congestion at the busiest corner in town with pedestrians and cyclists crowded on the sidewalk and crosswalk. Will have another business opening soon on opposite corner. Do they get to erect a street structure? 8/22/2021 2:52 PM
47 None 8/22/2021 2:39 PM
48 None 8/22/2021 2:23 PM
49 Everything has been very safely executed. 8/22/2021 11:19 AM 50 I’m worried about the outdoor space blocking Bolinas if there was a fire. We need as much road space to get out!
8/22/2021 10:33 AM
51 None. In fact, more people walking to outdoor dining makes our streets safer 8/22/2021 10:18 AM 52 None 8/22/2021 10:09 AM
53 None. We don’t need more parking. It gives a much more inclusive feeling, more comunity 8/22/2021 9:12 AM 54 dogs and skateboards and bikes 8/22/2021 9:07 AM
55 More safety barriers 8/22/2021 12:09 AM
56 Lack of permanent barriers. 8/21/2021 7:45 PM
57 None! 8/21/2021 5:58 PM
58 None 8/21/2021 5:15 PM
59 none 8/21/2021 4:20 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
3 / 41
60 None. The outdoor spaces dramatically improve the downtown energy and feel. I love sitting outdoors to eat or get a coffee. It enhances a sense of community. 8/21/2021 2:13 PM
61 None 8/21/2021 12:52 PM
62 none 8/21/2021 11:37 AM
63 None 8/21/2021 9:44 AM
64 eventually a car will crash into an outdoor dining area. 8/21/2021 9:28 AM 65 None 8/20/2021 9:16 PM
66 None at all 8/20/2021 8:42 PM
67 I worry about the corner diners outside of the Roastery— I would never eat outside there! It is an accident waiting to happen. Walking down the sidewalk we have to breathe the air of unmasked diners. And unmasked walkers breathe on diners’ food! There should be more separation if possible.
8/20/2021 7:38 PM
68 People cross street next to them and are less visible 8/20/2021 7:21 PM 69 None 8/20/2021 6:44 PM
70 None. It keeps businesses open and people working and a great experience! 8/20/2021 6:42 PM 71 Maybe outdoor spaces right on the corner could use a protective barrier 8/20/2021 6:35 PM 72 No safety issues what so ever. They add to the ambiance of each restaurant. Never been a problem. They make the town better
8/20/2021 5:39 PM
73 None 8/20/2021 5:38 PM
74 None 8/20/2021 5:21 PM
75 None 8/20/2021 5:16 PM
76 None 8/20/2021 4:42 PM
77 Accidents waiting to happen 8/20/2021 4:39 PM
78 none 8/20/2021 4:35 PM
79 The coffee roasters area could be shortened to make it easier to turn. 8/20/2021 4:30 PM 80 None observed 8/20/2021 4:29 PM
81 Lax maskers. Near collisions where there are no stop signs (like turning onto scenic from the main drag).
8/20/2021 2:49 PM
82 None 8/20/2021 2:23 PM
83 NONE - only improvement. 8/20/2021 2:20 PM
84 I have not "observed" any safety issues, but it's just a matter of time.... 8/20/2021 2:08 PM 85 None 8/20/2021 2:00 PM
86 Masks not on when not ingesting something. But generally pretty good. 8/20/2021 1:55 PM 87 Some tables are too close together. 8/20/2021 1:52 PM 88 None - outdoor dining is MUCH safer than indoor with regards to COVID. 8/20/2021 1:49 PM 89 None 8/20/2021 1:34 PM
90 Too many cyclists 8/20/2021 1:32 PM
91 None 8/20/2021 1:30 PM
92 Less parking More trouble for delivery 8/20/2021 1:20 PM 93 Parklets you n Bolinas too wide. 8/20/2021 1:17 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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94 none 8/20/2021 1:02 PM
95 None 8/20/2021 12:55 PM
96 Possibility of getting hit by cars. 8/20/2021 12:48 PM 97 None 8/20/2021 12:36 PM
98 None 8/20/2021 12:30 PM
99 None! 8/20/2021 12:26 PM
100 Users of the downtown area seem to be adapting to the new normal. 8/20/2021 9:54 AM 101 None 8/20/2021 9:52 AM
102 None 8/20/2021 8:02 AM
103 Some are not on streets where it actually works 8/19/2021 11:07 PM 104 Nine yet,Parklet’s are dangerous 8/19/2021 10:23 PM 105 none 8/19/2021 5:46 PM
106 Car exhaust, exposure to unvaccinated people. 8/19/2021 4:27 PM 107 none 8/19/2021 2:55 PM
108 The sidewalk not being fully accessible to disabled and non-disabled pedestrians is completely unsafe.
8/19/2021 1:32 PM
109 none 8/19/2021 12:36 PM
110 None 8/19/2021 11:15 AM
111 None 8/19/2021 10:50 AM
112 None 8/19/2021 8:52 AM
113 Unmasked people in shared space. 8/19/2021 8:33 AM
114 None 8/19/2021 7:45 AM
115 N/a 8/19/2021 7:32 AM
116 None 8/19/2021 7:29 AM
117 None 8/19/2021 6:59 AM
118 None 8/18/2021 11:18 PM
119 No protective barrier between cars and dining spaces other then some plywood. People sit very close to traffic. Electrical wires at some don’t look safe. 8/18/2021 10:36 PM
120 The coffee shop at the corner should probably not have its outdoor area flush with the crosswalk. Seems hazardous.
8/18/2021 10:02 PM
121 Obstructed view of drivers on corners. 8/18/2021 9:50 PM 122 not enough mask-wearing 8/18/2021 9:16 PM
123 None 8/18/2021 8:36 PM
124 None 8/18/2021 8:35 PM
125 No 8/18/2021 6:55 PM
126 None, live it! 8/18/2021 5:39 PM
127 They do make riding a bike difficult, pushing riders closer into traffic. 8/18/2021 5:02 PM 128 Bikers are a lot closer to cars now, but i think overall its ok 8/18/2021 4:33 PM 129 None. 8/18/2021 4:25 PM
130 On bolinas in front of coffee shop it’s impossible to to turn 8/18/2021 3:53 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
5 / 41
131 None 8/18/2021 3:16 PM
132 None 8/18/2021 2:21 PM
133 None 8/18/2021 2:21 PM
134 None, these additional eating areas have enhanced the town and given it a Euorpean village feel.
8/18/2021 12:32 PM
135 Some sidewalk congestion with people milling around. 8/18/2021 9:08 AM 136 Cars almost hitting park let’s. 8/18/2021 6:57 AM
137 More people congregating in town but if they are vaccinated it should be ok. Though it's hard to tell if it contributes to transmission. It's good for businesses to have a place for patrons to feel comfortable in.
8/17/2021 10:12 PM
138 nothing major 8/17/2021 9:15 PM
139 merchants have shown good effort in alerting pedestrian & motorist traffic impacted 8/17/2021 3:49 PM 140 None 8/17/2021 2:33 PM
141 None 8/17/2021 1:36 PM
142 Insufficient spacing between tables 8/17/2021 11:00 AM 143 None 8/17/2021 10:27 AM
144 Lack of parking and proximity to moving cars.Liability the town assumes is unneccary. 8/17/2021 8:28 AM 145 Joy. Love. Satisfaction knowing our local businesses can find a creative way to survive rather than do a deep dive. Creativity is in short supply. This keeps it going. If we lived in the Arctic Circle, we could not do this. But in Northern Calif. we have been blessed with the outdoors.

Let's keep it going. And not just restaurants - as many businesses as possible. Remember TB when they learned being cooped up inside was the worst thing, and the fresh outdoors was the best!? Let's apply that knowledge!
8/17/2021 3:01 AM
146 Slightly more crowded sidewalks at times 8/16/2021 11:27 PM 147 Bikers spilling out on street in front of coffee roasters 8/16/2021 11:08 PM 148 none 8/16/2021 10:14 PM
149 Safety issues are related to drivers speeding on Bolinas. Especially in light of outdoor dining, Bolinas Rd. should be designated a 'Slow Street' as many towns have done in commercial areas.
8/16/2021 9:32 PM
150 none, except for happy diners! 8/16/2021 8:31 PM
151 The buildings in the street are MAJOR Fire Hazards, impeding fire engines & making the one & only Cascade fire exit deadly. Can’t believe you left them in place & removed the one in the parking lot. What ARE you thinking and who is behind this & why? This is utter madness & loss of reason, you owe the tax paying citizenry an explanation for this life threatening endeavor especially during an historic Fire threat. You 8/16/2021 7:53 PM
152 None 8/16/2021 7:08 PM
153 None, I’ve seen so much community bonding. It’s beautiful 8/16/2021 7:08 PM 154 None 8/16/2021 7:07 PM
155 Besides going head on into traffic , bicyclist and delivery trucks? 8/16/2021 6:01 PM 156 None. Keep outdoor dining!!!! 8/16/2021 12:21 PM
157 None 8/16/2021 9:16 AM
158 None 8/15/2021 11:53 AM
159 People keeping their masks off even if it gets to crowded. 8/14/2021 4:46 PM 160 No masks and tables too close to each other Sidewalk has crowds in front of business to walk 8/14/2021 4:10 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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by
161 More congestion at Bolinas and Broadway crosswalks 8/14/2021 1:36 PM 162 Too many bicyclists blow through stop signs, but then they always have. 8/14/2021 1:31 PM 163 None 8/14/2021 9:10 AM
164 No problems especially since all Marin towns have the park let’s in the public right of waywe’re all used to them.8/14/2021 8:09 AM 165 Over crowding on sidewalks- no space for pedestrians to pass so they walk in the street.

Bikes swing into traffic to pass, turn lanes eliminated (Roaster’s bike parking) causing back ups.
8/14/2021 6:52 AM
166 While trying to walk past Stillwater I was surrounded by unmasked people. I did not feel safe.

The crowd between the “service window” and the tables did not budge or acknowledge that they were blocking a public sidewalk.
8/13/2021 4:27 PM
167 Pedestrian traffic between parklettes and restaurant is not smooth at busy times 8/13/2021 10:35 AM 168 None 8/12/2021 5:22 PM
169 Unmasked people not socially distancing. 8/12/2021 4:48 PM 170 As someone with occasional mobility issues, I'm dismayed by the way this has been implemented. One morning I was unable to walk on the sidewalk because Fradelizio's was cleaning their kitchen mats on the sidewalk. They left behind wet greasy sidewalk. That same morning Hummingbird was setting up their tables and not allowing easy passage while employees crossed back and forth. Hummingbird takes up 2 of our few downtown seating benches for tables - how is that allowed? And Iron Springs has crowds on the sidewalk and when it has bands the sidewalk is unpassable. These restaurants treat the public sidewalk as their personal business space. This can't be ADA compliant. I want them to have outdoor space. I suggest the restaurant take over the sidewalk and the walkway move to the parking spaces, separated from the cars by planters. Closing down a lane of traffic would be even better. I like the outdoor dining and seeing all the people about, but I can't walk down the street past Amelie, Hummingbird, Iron Springs, etc. when they are open for business. It's not accessible for people with mobility issues. You can't give up sidewalks for businesses unless you retain a pedestrian walkway. I've seen it flipped like how I described in some places like Manchester Vermont - please consider that. And that way I don't have to walk through a restaurant crowded sidewalk if I want to avoid bumping into people given the pandemic. They have closed in a lot of their spaces and it doesn't feel particularly safe. Put the walkway where the parking spaces were and the restaurants on the sidewalks closer to their doors. 8/12/2021 1:17 PM
171 None 8/12/2021 10:45 AM
172 Pedestrians in streets. Double parking. Sidewalks narrowed or blocked... 8/12/2021 9:58 AM 173 No 8/12/2021 9:14 AM
174 None 8/12/2021 8:06 AM
175 None 8/11/2021 6:47 PM
176 just want to ensure the outdoor cabanas include some wheelchair accessibility 8/11/2021 2:54 PM 177 Pro: Motorists must slow down through town more, especially at the intersection of Bolinas and Broadway. Con: Some impatient/selfish motorists have responded by being even more dangerous.
8/11/2021 12:53 PM
178 none 8/11/2021 11:30 AM
179 none 8/11/2021 10:33 AM
180 none at all 8/11/2021 8:04 AM
181 None 8/11/2021 7:34 AM
182 Automobile problems on weekends 8/10/2021 11:22 PM
183 No masks 8/10/2021 10:27 PM
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184 None 8/10/2021 6:47 PM
185 None 8/10/2021 6:15 PM
186 None 8/10/2021 5:27 PM
187 cars not having enough space on the main road due to the outdoor spaces poking too much into the road
8/10/2021 5:01 PM
188 none 8/10/2021 4:58 PM
189 lack of sufficient parking spaces 8/10/2021 2:17 PM 190 Masks, social distancing, the usual. 8/10/2021 1:28 PM 191 I haven't observed any. I like it. 8/10/2021 11:27 AM 192 Decrease in likelihood of COVID transmission. 8/10/2021 10:08 AM 193 The outdoor areas make it hard for parked cars to see bicycles and vice versa. The reduced parking It makes cars circulate with drivers looking for parking instead of looking at the road. 8/10/2021 9:18 AM
194 Great outdoor, distance eating 8/10/2021 8:15 AM
195 Flammable materials used for construction. Materials used that can not be cleaned. Food scraps and filth slowed to grow under the decks.
8/9/2021 8:54 PM
196 The usual people aimlessly wandering across the street without looking for traffic..but not really anything to do with outdoor dining.
8/9/2021 7:18 PM
197 None, they actually make drivers go slower. 8/9/2021 7:01 PM 198 As Postmaster I have not seen any outdoor dining area being unsafe 8/9/2021 6:53 PM 199 None, it’s fantastic and a huge benefit to the feel of downtown. 8/9/2021 6:13 PM 200 some have screens covering the "walls" of the parklets, some have ADA issues and some are partially blocking traffic and bikes having to go further into the street. Some are too long - Coffee Roastery
8/9/2021 5:40 PM
201 Mmmm. None. I thought there would be parking shortages but have noticed none. 8/9/2021 5:14 PM 202 I have not seen any safety issues, even at the Fradelizio's corner where I expected there to be problems with traffic.
8/9/2021 3:14 PM
203 Too crowded with bikes obstructing sidewalk foot traffic on weekends. 8/9/2021 12:35 PM 204 none 8/9/2021 10:15 AM
205 None 8/8/2021 5:43 PM
206 Narrowing of the street, cars must be extra cautious, 8/8/2021 4:49 PM 207 People seated too close together or too close to people passing on the sidewalk 8/8/2021 2:28 PM 208 None 8/8/2021 12:21 PM
209 Slows traffic, especially on Bolinas Road. Loss of even more parking spaces. Emergency traffic is constricted.
8/8/2021 9:24 AM
210 None 8/7/2021 7:42 PM
211 None 8/7/2021 2:33 PM
212 None 8/7/2021 2:10 PM
213 None 8/7/2021 1:43 PM
214 No issues that I have observed. 8/7/2021 12:58 PM
215 No safety issues I’ve seen. In fact it’s safer because the more people outside the safer it is for COVID. And it’s not nearly over yet.
8/7/2021 7:46 AM
216 If there were to be someone to crash into a fully loaded outdoor dining area that could be really 8/7/2021 7:36 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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bad.
217 None 8/6/2021 11:51 PM
218 None. They bring joy and life and community to Fairfax. PLEASE KEEP THEM! 8/6/2021 10:49 PM 219 None 8/6/2021 10:47 PM
220 none 8/6/2021 5:19 PM
221 None 8/6/2021 4:58 PM
222 None. The new outdoor dining spaces are amazing! 8/6/2021 3:05 PM 223 None 8/6/2021 2:49 PM
224 It is important that there is a clear walking path on the sidewalk. 8/6/2021 2:16 PM 225 I am concerned about evacuation issues with all of the space taken up on Bolinas Rd. 8/6/2021 10:36 AM 226 None 8/6/2021 10:24 AM
227 People take the turn too fast at Broadway and Bolinas 8/6/2021 10:16 AM 228 None 8/6/2021 9:17 AM
229 Bump outs seem to calm traffic 8/6/2021 8:43 AM
230 parking spaces taken away and blind corner 8/6/2021 8:33 AM 231 None 8/6/2021 6:32 AM
232 The location of some parklets is very unsafe …. The Coffee Roastary in particular. 8/5/2021 11:07 PM 233 None 8/5/2021 11:03 PM
234 None. 8/5/2021 9:01 PM
235 None 8/5/2021 8:58 PM
236 Personally, I don’t like being right on the road, but it doesn’t bother most people. 8/5/2021 7:30 PM 237 I haven't seen any safety issues. 8/5/2021 7:19 PM
238 None 8/5/2021 4:15 PM
239 None 8/5/2021 4:03 PM
240 None 8/5/2021 3:54 PM
241 Bolinas road too narrow for trucks and potential issue in case of wildfire and evacuation 8/5/2021 3:38 PM 242 None 8/5/2021 3:18 PM
243 None 8/5/2021 2:38 PM
244 None, but would suggest concrete barriers around seating areas to ensure there aren't cars crashing into them
8/5/2021 2:23 PM
245 Tight turns on the Coffee Roasters. 8/5/2021 1:34 PM 246 There seems to be more trash on the sidewalks. Hard to park in town due to limited parking spaces. Side street parking has absorbed the overflow causing more traffic and congestion in adjacent neighborhoods. Not happy about this.
8/5/2021 12:42 PM
247 None observed. Felt very safe. 8/5/2021 12:32 PM
248 None 8/5/2021 10:46 AM
249 Except for Sorella's and the Mono Lot, the tables are generally too close together to allow proper social distancing. Amelie's is blocking the sidewalk with tables right on the sidewalk and it is hard to walk through so we are forced to go out in the street, which is dangerous. We only went to the Mono Lot due to this safety issue.
8/5/2021 9:27 AM
250 Mouse in eating area, but it ran as we stomped feet and truck taking a turn too quick made a 8/5/2021 12:43 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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parked feel dangerous, but it was a. Ew parked at the time and I've been back several times since with no issues.
251 None, I’ve been super impressed at how the outdoor dining spaces have not impacted life as a pedestrian or driver.
8/4/2021 10:34 PM
252 None. 8/4/2021 10:31 PM
253 Crowded streets, bicycles and people coming into the street out from behind parklets. 8/4/2021 9:57 PM 254 None 8/4/2021 9:40 PM
255 Coffee roastery one VERY UNSAFE. 8/4/2021 9:34 PM
256 The only safety concern I have would be the restaurants on Broadway that are susceptible to cars at the intersection.
8/4/2021 9:00 PM
257 Pedestrians not wearing masks 8/4/2021 8:42 PM
258 None. Every restaurant we’ve visited has created a safe, welcoming, and fun environment. We feel much safer, in fact, enjoying fairfax’s beauty and weather outside. 8/4/2021 8:36 PM
259 None to be concerned with 8/4/2021 8:33 PM
260 Parking is hard for older residents and people are jaywalking more. 8/4/2021 6:49 PM 261 None ... think everyone is very aware of the new format and is hyper aware 8/4/2021 6:28 PM 262 None 8/4/2021 5:19 PM
263 None 8/4/2021 5:18 PM
264 Sufficient barricades to prevent a car from smashing and killing a bunch of people on the coffee roasters corner.
8/4/2021 5:14 PM
265 None 8/4/2021 5:12 PM
266 None - all appear to be well-maintained and the sidewalks kept as clear as reasonably possible.
8/4/2021 5:08 PM
267 None 8/4/2021 4:58 PM
268 Coffee Roastery patio infringes on a major intersection which raises several safety concerns. 8/4/2021 4:36 PM 269 none. its a great vibe! 8/4/2021 3:41 PM
270 I have not observed safety issues! 8/4/2021 3:28 PM 271 None 8/4/2021 3:15 PM
272 Some tables are a little close at certain restaurants 8/4/2021 3:09 PM 273 Terrible if there’s a fire. This is a difficult subject because they’re really great for the town -it creates a European type atmosphere, it’s fun. And yet they are dangerous given our VERY limited escape routes. My wild idea solution: make sure the town has a dozer on hand large enough to destroy it in order to make room for cars that are escaping. Determine how long that would take and if this is even realistic. If doable, have each business sign a waiver that they won’t sue the town if their Parklet gets bulldozed. I suppose the structure would need to be wood and able to destroy quickly. Or, someone should be in charge of making sure they are built in such a way that they can be taken down relatively easily. Or, the town can create a donation page to purchase parklets from a distributor where the tear down is easy. And ok those for each business on a permanent basis. Just wacky ideas, trying here. 8/4/2021 2:49 PM
274 Lack of parking and loading zones 8/4/2021 2:23 PM
275 I have not yet observed any safety issues but I can imagine some possible issues/ concerns with cars running into the outdoor sections or pedestrians stepping out unaware of cars. 8/4/2021 1:41 PM
276 Too crowded at the one by Amelie. 8/4/2021 1:41 PM
277 It’s hard turning onto Bolinas Rd because of the planters outside of The Coffee Roasters Parklet
8/4/2021 1:29 PM
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278 More traffic in adjacent neighborhoods. A lot more garbage in the street. 8/4/2021 1:23 PM 279 Auto/pedestrian/bicycle interactions 8/4/2021 1:02 PM 280 With the encroachment and the myriad bicyclists that DO NOT stop at stop signs, I find that the more narrower driving lane to potentially cause accidents, as has happened. 8/4/2021 12:21 PM
281 People who are opposed to parklets have fabricated safety issues to fit their narrative. I work in public safety and am an expert in pedestrian vehicle interaction. There is NO safety issue created by the Parklets.
8/4/2021 12:15 PM
282 None 8/4/2021 11:53 AM
283 Bolinas Road parklets are a safety issue. The parklets there should be temporary on Bolinas Rd.
8/4/2021 11:12 AM
284 None. It has worked remarkably well and I hope these outdoor spaces will become permanent. 8/4/2021 11:06 AM 285 None 8/4/2021 11:04 AM
286 I’ve noticed a healthy distanced outdoor option for recreation g and consuming food from local businesses. Before these spots I had more limited options such as sitting on curbs near the parkade.
8/4/2021 10:57 AM
287 None 8/4/2021 10:53 AM
288 No safety issues 8/4/2021 10:51 AM
289 Evacuation concerns 8/4/2021 10:35 AM
290 Not many. The usual suspects. 8/4/2021 10:21 AM
291 None 8/4/2021 10:13 AM
292 Bolinas and Broadway corner visibility obstructed 8/4/2021 10:04 AM 293 traffic, parking, bikes & pedestrians all fighting for same space 8/4/2021 9:36 AM 294 None 8/4/2021 9:36 AM
295 Just bring outdoors 8/4/2021 9:34 AM
296 none so far. 8/4/2021 9:16 AM
297 I haven't noticed any 8/4/2021 9:09 AM
298 None 8/4/2021 8:12 AM
299 No social distancing, ADA violations on sidewalks (impossible or difficult to pass through with wheelchair), large crowds without masks
8/4/2021 7:49 AM
300 Outdoor dining is safer dining Re Covid 8/4/2021 7:27 AM 301 None 8/4/2021 7:25 AM
302 None. 8/4/2021 7:20 AM
303 None 8/4/2021 7:10 AM
304 None 8/4/2021 7:10 AM
305 None 8/4/2021 7:00 AM
306 None 8/4/2021 6:51 AM
307 None 8/4/2021 6:44 AM
308 None 8/4/2021 6:39 AM
309 At times, the sidewalks are very congested- especially in front of Amalie and stillwster. Bike lanes are also comprised due to erratic parking forced by lack of available parking spaces 8/4/2021 6:38 AM
310 None 8/4/2021 12:01 AM
311 Just the obvious problem with breathing in car exhaust 8/3/2021 10:40 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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312 None 8/3/2021 10:40 PM
313 Not enough mask wearing. Seats too close. 8/3/2021 10:08 PM 314 Bicycle lanes are narrower and there will be more accidents 8/3/2021 9:58 PM 315 None 8/3/2021 9:57 PM
316 None 8/3/2021 9:35 PM
317 Minor traffic interference bc people double parked by bike racks next to Roastery (pizza delivery cars?) making right turn from Center to Bolinas blind. Would rather see sings requesting drivers AND pedestrians be more mindful than to see the bike racks go away. 8/3/2021 9:25 PM
318 Spaced out drivers running into the parkletes. Some don’t feel very safe or protected. 8/3/2021 9:09 PM 319 None 8/3/2021 9:04 PM
320 Main streets seem very narrow and I worry that emergency vehicles and people won’t be able to get out in an emergency.
8/3/2021 8:15 PM
321 None, I love it. 8/3/2021 8:05 PM
322 None 8/3/2021 7:57 PM
323 Masklessness 8/3/2021 7:50 PM
324 A couple of places have tables a little too close. 8/3/2021 7:50 PM 325 The right turn from Broadway to Bolonas near the coffee shop. 8/3/2021 7:33 PM 326 None. If anything, I see cars driving slower now and being more cautious. 8/3/2021 7:17 PM 327 None 8/3/2021 6:59 PM
328 Most are fine some are extending too far in to street or to close to corner. 8/3/2021 6:55 PM 329 Cars having to pass by each other too closely passing the pop outs.. just obvious general poor design.. while the businesses are insured for the pop outs. Has a traffic impact report been done? It appears these entities do not allow enough room for traffic on our already narrow thoroughfares? Who would be responsible then?
8/3/2021 6:51 PM
330 None 8/3/2021 6:46 PM
331 None 8/3/2021 6:36 PM
332 That the structures are too big and blocks sidewalk view. Also that they are crowded snd people feel uncomfortable walking through them. People then walk around them into the street. 8/3/2021 6:17 PM
333 NONE 8/3/2021 3:09 PM
334 I was on the deck in front of Coffee Roasters and saw that it seemed to slow the passage of an ambulance that was making a left turn onto Bolinas
8/3/2021 1:22 PM
335 Extension cords hanging, open flame too close to wood, blinds blocking sidewalk visibility and the parklets themselves compromising ingress and egress for the 2500 people who would need to evacuate along Bolinas Road in case of emergency
8/3/2021 1:00 PM
336 When walking the sidewalk downtown, I do not feel comfortable having to wade through the outdoor eating and lines for the scoop. The other day a rat ran on the sidewalk and found refuge under the dining area floor. The outdoor dining is a temporary use. I do not think the Coffee Roastery should be able to have that extended area in front of the retail store next to it.

The streets are public right of way and not owned by the businesses. The bench on Broadway outside the roastery is often occupied with people and pets. It is difficult to navigate that area because garbage cans are close. Why should the roastery have so much public space? 8/3/2021 12:31 PM
337 Some outdoor dining spaces alongside public sidewalks make it so there really isn’t distinguishable defensive space between pedestrians & the people eating & drinking to allow for spacing with regard to Covid.
8/3/2021 12:04 PM
338 Pedestrians crossing the streets without using the crosswalk is dangerous. Now that these parklets are more prevalent, there are more blind spots in drivers vision. The parklets take up a 8/3/2021 11:25 AM
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lot of space so there is little room for error causing possible crashing into parklets. 339 Traffic too close to tables and seating area. 8/3/2021 10:09 AM 340 lack of parking for other businesses at times as well as congested sidewalks 8/3/2021 9:13 AM 341 No safety issues noted. Traffic calming benefits noted 8/3/2021 7:57 AM 342 Cars turning at intersections in close proximity and distracted. Closeness of bicycle, vehicle, outdoor spaces, and pedestrian crossing mid block.
8/3/2021 3:21 AM
343 Lost lots of parking, more people j-walking, and I’m surprised that no cars have knocked into a park let yet!
8/2/2021 11:13 PM
344 narrow streets- nowhere to park- pedestrians crossing unsafely- bike riders not obeying traffic laws- people not stopping at stop signs- i could go on
8/2/2021 10:31 PM
345 The two Parklets on Bolinas road are located in the street right of way of Marin County's Federal Secondary North/South Roadway System. Fairfax received Federal Transportation Funds to widen Bolinas Road. 1/2 of the population of Fairfax must evacuate in a Wildland fire emergency out of the Cascades, Deer Park, Monte Cristo and a portion of Manor Hill down Bolinas Road. Most of the evacuations take place between midnight and 6 am. Fire engines, water tenders & lowboys with earth moving equipment coming in to fight the fire and 3,500 people trying to evacuate at the same time. Fairfax is setting us up for a Paradise type disaster.
8/2/2021 9:59 PM
346 none 8/2/2021 9:31 PM
347 Really None, they are a benefit to the type of town Fairfax is. 8/2/2021 8:53 PM 348 Slightly impaired lines of sight at intersections. 8/2/2021 8:46 PM 349 Cars come very close Bicycles park on the parklet 8/2/2021 8:32 PM 350 None and happy to see that we can support the restaurants in our community 8/2/2021 8:01 PM 351 None 8/2/2021 7:42 PM
352 Reduced vision of pedestrians stepping into the street to cross at a place that's not in a crosswalk.
8/2/2021 7:37 PM
353 None 8/2/2021 7:24 PM
354 tables were not 6 feet apart---sidewalks had too many people in front of business--park lets out too far in street --eye sore look on bolinas--
8/2/2021 7:22 PM
355 More bike racks needed so bikes don’t interfere with cars. Parklets need to be lit at night even when not being used so visible to cars.
8/2/2021 7:09 PM
356 We need parking spots and people should not be dining in the roadway.. The delivery trucks need room. Allowing restaurants to take over the street is like giving away town real estate for free! And tax free. However homeowners in town pay property taxes to maintain Fairfax.

Everything about it is wrong. Not so easy for seniors to park downtown. Just wait until the movie theater starts selling out. Where will people park??? I want some free street space on my street too..
8/2/2021 6:56 PM
357 With the new increase in the Delta variant everyone needs to wear a mask outdoors when in close proximity to others. This means outside eating.
8/2/2021 6:51 PM
358 None! 8/2/2021 6:44 PM
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Q6 What, if any impact have the outdoor dining spaces had with regard to supplier delivery?
Answered: 169 Skipped: 579
# RESPONSES DATE
1 Everyone gets their supplies one way ir another, 8/25/2021 11:11 AM 2 resident 8/25/2021 10:55 AM
3 Delivery truck blocking traffic! Using sidewalk to hand truck heavy loads! 8/25/2021 9:28 AM 4 None 8/25/2021 9:19 AM
5 More blocked streets. 8/25/2021 7:34 AM
6 None that I have seen. 8/25/2021 7:04 AM
7 None 8/24/2021 10:36 PM
8 NA 8/24/2021 10:11 PM
9 More yellow zones or better coordinated deliveries needed. 8/24/2021 6:54 PM 10 More traffic 8/24/2021 6:35 PM
11 Zero 8/24/2021 3:25 PM
12 Unknown 8/23/2021 9:12 PM
13 Not that I observed 8/23/2021 8:13 PM
14 N/A 8/23/2021 3:07 PM
15 None 8/23/2021 1:06 PM
16 I think we've been able to work around the spaces. If businesses close there will be no need for supplier delivery.
8/23/2021 10:42 AM
17 None 8/23/2021 9:42 AM
18 Don’t know 8/23/2021 8:39 AM
19 None 8/22/2021 5:53 PM
20 The supplier trucks block the Bolinas and Broadway. 8/22/2021 10:33 AM 21 None that I have noticed 8/22/2021 9:12 AM
22 not much 8/22/2021 9:07 AM
23 I don't know 8/21/2021 5:15 PM
24 Not a business owner 8/21/2021 2:13 PM
25 N/A 8/21/2021 9:44 AM
26 not sure 8/21/2021 9:28 AM
27 None 8/20/2021 6:44 PM
28 There’s none. What’s the difference from a few minutes in the street and many restaurants don’t have any place but the street to unload anyway!
8/20/2021 6:42 PM
29 Consumers are able to enjoy services safely 8/20/2021 6:38 PM 30 Makes it slightly inconvenient, but this is a small small price to pay for a nice outdoor space 8/20/2021 5:39 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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31 None 8/20/2021 5:16 PM
32 ? 8/20/2021 4:53 PM
33 None 8/20/2021 4:42 PM
34 N/A 8/20/2021 2:20 PM
35 I do notice it's harder to get through the downtown area when deliveries are being made..... 8/20/2021 2:08 PM 36 None 8/20/2021 2:00 PM
37 None. 8/20/2021 1:49 PM
38 Idk but cyclists suck 8/20/2021 1:32 PM
39 Delivery trucks double parking, but they did that before. 8/20/2021 12:55 PM 40 They are double parking. It's not safe or convenient. We could set up delivery routes, for example on the back street and not on Bolinas.
8/20/2021 12:48 PM
41 There needs to be a designated place in town for supplier delivery. 8/20/2021 9:54 AM 42 None 8/20/2021 9:52 AM
43 Delivery trucks operate mostly at times when parking is not an issue. 8/20/2021 8:02 AM 44 The coffee roasters taking over the commercial space that has been in Fairfax forever has been a nightmare for “all “of our delivery trucks, they don’t know where to park, they are pulling heavy loads all through town because they have to park so far away, everyone has complained about deliveries to Fairfax since the coffee roasters took over the commercial space 8/19/2021 10:23 PM
45 Supplier deliveries are negatively impacted and making it extremely difficult to receive and to transport.
8/19/2021 1:32 PM
46 None to my knowledge 8/19/2021 10:50 AM
47 N/a 8/19/2021 8:52 AM
48 I dont know 8/19/2021 7:45 AM
49 I don’t own a business. 8/18/2021 11:18 PM
50 I don’t know. 8/18/2021 10:36 PM
51 NA 8/18/2021 9:50 PM
52 Not applicable 8/18/2021 8:35 PM
53 They have developed new delivery plans and it seems to be working 8/18/2021 6:55 PM 54 Don’t know. 8/18/2021 5:39 PM
55 Yeah, I have seen delivery trucks struggling. 8/18/2021 5:02 PM 56 None 8/18/2021 3:16 PM
57 N/a 8/18/2021 2:21 PM
58 Don’t know 8/18/2021 2:21 PM
59 do not know 8/17/2021 9:15 PM
60 None 8/17/2021 1:36 PM
61 Logically bad. 8/17/2021 11:00 AM
62 they now have to deliver to back if possible and small loads now have to be delivered to back. 8/17/2021 8:28 AM 63 Everything since Covid is different. Let's just adapt - creatively. Have open sharing time via zoom. Solve problems, but don't go backwards now. Keep our restaurants open. 8/17/2021 3:01 AM
64 N/A 8/16/2021 9:32 PM
65 N/A 8/16/2021 8:31 PM
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66 0 8/16/2021 7:53 PM
67 None that I’ve experienced 8/16/2021 7:08 PM
68 Enjoying the town and the life and outdoors while eating a great meal or spending time with friends outdoors
8/16/2021 7:07 PM
69 None! 8/16/2021 12:21 PM
70 Difficult for vendors 8/14/2021 1:36 PM
71 None 8/14/2021 9:10 AM
72 Less parking in front means walking around? 8/14/2021 6:52 AM 73 Unknown 8/13/2021 4:27 PM
74 None observed 8/13/2021 10:35 AM
75 Not sure 8/12/2021 5:22 PM
76 Don’t know 8/12/2021 10:45 AM
77 Not what we were promised. 8/12/2021 9:58 AM
78 None 8/12/2021 8:06 AM
79 None 8/11/2021 6:47 PM
80 Large trucks block the traffic lanes even more, endangering especially bicyclists. 8/11/2021 12:53 PM 81 some 8/11/2021 11:30 AM
82 none seen 8/11/2021 10:33 AM
83 none 8/11/2021 8:04 AM
84 None 8/11/2021 7:34 AM
85 N/a 8/10/2021 6:15 PM
86 NA 8/10/2021 4:58 PM
87 Just a little traffic back up. No biggie. 8/10/2021 1:28 PM 88 NA 8/10/2021 10:08 AM
89 Not sure 8/10/2021 9:18 AM
90 Delivery trucks blocking roadways, cars almost colliding trying to go around by driving into the opposite lane to get around the truck
8/10/2021 9:01 AM
91 None 8/9/2021 7:01 PM
92 None 8/9/2021 6:13 PM
93 Problems, trucks double park on Broadway esp for Coffee Roastery instead of using the side street on Elsie Lane yellow zone.
8/9/2021 5:40 PM
94 Idk. 8/9/2021 5:14 PM
95 Delivery trucks plus parklets = blocked traffic. 8/8/2021 9:24 AM 96 None 8/7/2021 7:42 PM
97 N/A for us 8/7/2021 2:33 PM
98 Less parking in a limited area to begin 8/7/2021 7:36 AM 99 Not sure 8/6/2021 11:51 PM
100 None. 8/6/2021 10:49 PM
101 None, if delivered in the morning or early afternoon 8/6/2021 10:47 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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102 I don't know. 8/6/2021 2:49 PM
103 I have noticed that the normal places where large delivery trucks used to park/unload are now taken up by parklets. We need to think of the safety of the delivery people who now have to find other places to park/unload.
8/6/2021 10:36 AM
104 N/a 8/6/2021 10:24 AM
105 Seems the alleys have been working fine 8/6/2021 10:16 AM 106 not sure 8/6/2021 8:43 AM
107 it made it harder for deliveries to get delivered 8/6/2021 8:33 AM 108 Delivery trucks blocking roads and parking spaces 8/5/2021 11:07 PM 109 None 8/5/2021 11:03 PM
110 N/A 8/5/2021 9:01 PM
111 None - I believe that we can find new ways to make deliveries to accommodate these incredible public spaces.
8/5/2021 8:58 PM
112 Occasionally trucks partially block the road, but it doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is the rude people in a hurry that have no reed or courtesy for anyone but themselves. They feel the need to zoom around regardless of pedestrians/cyclists, other cars. 8/5/2021 7:30 PM
113 None 8/5/2021 4:15 PM
114 None 8/5/2021 3:54 PM
115 A little hassle for traffic and drivers 8/5/2021 3:38 PM 116 None observed. Felt manageable. 8/5/2021 12:32 PM
117 no idea 8/5/2021 9:27 AM
118 None 8/4/2021 8:42 PM
119 N/a 8/4/2021 8:36 PM
120 No idea 8/4/2021 8:33 PM
121 Less parking 8/4/2021 6:53 PM
122 No idea 8/4/2021 6:49 PM
123 na 8/4/2021 6:28 PM
124 No 8/4/2021 5:18 PM
125 I have no idea. 8/4/2021 5:14 PM
126 None 8/4/2021 5:12 PM
127 N/a 8/4/2021 4:58 PM
128 Delivery trucks now have no reasonable places to unload and are blocking traffic and endangering cyclists.
8/4/2021 4:36 PM
129 n/a 8/4/2021 3:41 PM
130 N/A (not a business owner) 8/4/2021 3:15 PM
131 Unsure 8/4/2021 2:49 PM
132 Again, no loading zones 8/4/2021 2:23 PM
133 I cannot answer this question as I am unaware of the impact outdoor spaces have had on supply and delivery.
8/4/2021 1:41 PM
134 None. No business delivery’s occurs through the front entrance during business hours. 8/4/2021 12:15 PM 135 None 8/4/2021 11:53 AM
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136 n/a 8/4/2021 11:12 AM
137 very little 8/4/2021 10:21 AM
138 N/A 8/4/2021 10:13 AM
139 dangerous when trucks are parked in street and blocking a lane 8/4/2021 9:36 AM 140 No effect on my business 8/4/2021 9:34 AM
141 na 8/4/2021 9:16 AM
142 Delivery trucks block streets because their loading zones were removed 8/4/2021 7:49 AM 143 NA 8/4/2021 7:27 AM
144 I’m not a business so I don’t know 8/4/2021 7:10 AM 145 None 8/4/2021 6:51 AM
146 None. Suppliers use the back entrances 8/4/2021 6:44 AM 147 I don’t have knowledge of this 8/4/2021 6:39 AM
148 None 8/3/2021 10:40 PM
149 None 8/3/2021 10:40 PM
150 N/a 8/3/2021 9:57 PM
151 Occasional but not at all bothersome interference, again, by the Roastery (not likely Roastery's delivery, just it's where bar delivery is accustomed to stopping 8/3/2021 9:25 PM
152 Na 8/3/2021 9:09 PM
153 N/a 8/3/2021 7:50 PM
154 ? 8/3/2021 7:33 PM
155 None 8/3/2021 6:59 PM
156 I have had complaints about delivery trucks having no where to park. 8/3/2021 6:17 PM 157 Delivery trucks are double parked in street more often 8/3/2021 1:22 PM 158 Sysco has threatened to stop delivering to Fairfax. Trucks have to block a lane of traffic now that their loading zone has been taken by a parklet
8/3/2021 1:00 PM
159 I feel that the town has removed essential loading zones which add to the difficulty of doing business. Trucks are parked in vehicle lanes which adds to the difficulty navigating in a car down Bolinas Rd. I feel that this has added more traffic on Dominga Ave, 8/3/2021 12:31 PM
160 I have heard from restaurateurs that it's been troubling because there isn't enough room for suppliers trucks, people will often park in the designation truck deliver spot. 8/3/2021 11:25 AM
161 at times impacting the flow of traffic 8/3/2021 9:13 AM 162 No adverse impact. Uninterrupted supplier deliveries. Business as usual. 8/3/2021 7:57 AM 163 I’m not a business 8/2/2021 11:13 PM
164 big trucks blocking traffic- on a daily basis- makes it hard to get around them safely- have to pull into on coming traffic- it really sucks
8/2/2021 10:31 PM
165 I see large trucks having to park in red zones because the yellow commercial loading zones have been eliminated. They have to run their electric lift trucks down the street with food supplies, beer and kegs.
8/2/2021 9:59 PM
166 na 8/2/2021 9:31 PM
167 N/A 8/2/2021 8:53 PM
168 Delivery people have to cart supplies further Sometimes blocking traffic 8/2/2021 8:32 PM 169 I see them double parking. Pushing drivers and bikes into head in traffic. Because you can’t 8/2/2021 6:56 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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get around them they have no delivery space.

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Q10 Please share any suggestions, including how Fairfax could make use of public spaces (ie:parks, streets, parking lots) and what those uses might include and/or feedback on the subject of outdoor dining spaces:

Answered: 376 Skipped: 372
# RESPONSES DATE
1 I like the friendly feel of parklets...reminds me of France. I don't want to see streets closed (like Bolinas st). I don't see an end to Covid.
8/25/2021 11:11 AM
2 Fairfax LOST parking spaces with the skateboard area. It seems like this town is very hap hazard with planning.
8/25/2021 11:05 AM
3 More attractive barricades outside of the parklets, if we have a wet winter and including how fast cars and bikes travel I think safety will be of more concern. 8/25/2021 10:55 AM
4 Clean all the "party huts" off the strets, sidewalk, and parking spots! Let traffic move safely! Move all the drinkers back into the bars! Restore Fairfax as a kid, family/ friendly SMALL town!
8/25/2021 9:28 AM
5 More out door acoustic music ! 8/25/2021 9:19 AM
6 Outdoor dining spaces have tremendously improved the town of Fairfax adding a fabulous ambiance & experience for all
8/25/2021 9:15 AM
7 Usually a walkability index is an indication of quality of life in a city, and I would like to see Fairfax find parking solutions that are a few blocks away from Main/Broadway, and focus more on creating a thriving cultural center with more outdoor dining, stages for shows and performances. Right now the town feels like it's all about cars and parking, and the outdoor dining was a good step in the right direction.
8/25/2021 9:03 AM
8 Seating spaced safe with service of transportation available to enter spaces in area that has no parking also a handicap consideration.
8/25/2021 8:54 AM
9 More fliers or resources as to how residents can learn more about and stay informed. As well as making information available to individuals who do not access the internet to do a survey.

How can their voice be heard?
8/25/2021 8:22 AM
10 Outdoor dining adds to the spirit of a vibrant town. Why do you think Europe has it all over the place? Cool vibrant and alive not dead and boring. People can ride electric bikes to dinner. 8/25/2021 8:17 AM
11 Make sure that businesses that directly border purely residential areas are not permitted to operate outdoors; the noise can be a problem for residents. This is not a problem for downtown restaurants.
8/25/2021 8:07 AM
12 I would love to see both The Women’s Building and Community Centers renovated. We need public spaces in Fairfax that represent the beauty of our community. A labyrinth would be great too! Thanks for all the communication during the pandemic and creating a colourful outdoor eating space w/ tables. Great!
8/25/2021 7:53 AM
13 Limited us of public rights of way are a good use of outdoor spaces however, the current level of encroachment is far too much.
8/25/2021 7:34 AM
14 I think we need to make more use of public spaces to include parking lots during these times. I do not want to see a ghost town of closed businesses post pandemic. I like the dining parklets on the street. I like that you let Gestault utilize the parking lot. I think we should Make more use of the park downtown. I do not worry about parking. I think we need to support a thriving downtown. Thank you. Kelly Corbett - 120 Dominga Ave. - 23 year resident. 8/25/2021 7:04 AM
15 Turn the center parking lot into a green space with eating areas that people from the restaurants can take their food and dine at. This will revolutionize Fairfax. 8/24/2021 10:36 PM
16 I’d love more outdoor dining spaces (even if that means less parking) 8/24/2021 9:18 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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17 Permit cannabis consumption in public parks, and food trucks on a rolling schedule 8/24/2021 8:56 PM 18 We are tired of the masks 8/24/2021 8:15 PM
19 More outdoor dining!!!! 8/24/2021 5:17 PM
20 We realize outdoor dining has and will cause parking problems but it has been such a benefit to the town to see so many people enjoying their free time outside. 8/24/2021 2:02 PM
21 More outdoor dinning the better. My only concern is making sure the streets don't become too narrow (from parklets) in the case of a fire; our town already has very narrow streets. 8/24/2021 1:59 PM
22 Construction of a 2 or 3 story parking lot where the current one is by central field would not visual from the town, so keep the charm. A skate park could be somehow incorporated into the parking lot. Business need town support. Since the major businesses in town are restaurant related, parking is a must. Look for grants.
8/24/2021 11:42 AM
23 I fully support keeping outdoor restaurant spaces open. 8/24/2021 10:52 AM 24 I would like to see the parklets continue, but I think the businesses need to pay rent to the Town for the use of parking spaces. Otherwise, it's a discriminatory gift to these businesses. 8/24/2021 10:31 AM
25 Sidewalks are for pedestrians! It is also important to support our local businesses! I fully support letting restaurants provide outdoor dining areas as long as they do not obstruct sidewalks, provide a six foot buffer between unmasked diners and pedestrians, and are safe and well built. I like the idea of outside dining, but it has to be more than sitting in a parking space on the asphalt. Quality construction is important as is safety. These issues need to be discussed. Public input is important! Parking is a major concern! You should address how those spots are replaced, without a burden to the surrounding neighborhoods Polls are a good start, if anyone is really listening. So far it seems not. I contacted the SIP Committee many times with a complaint of lack of six foot buffer issues, and NEVER. got a reply. Finally Garret Toy contacted me after more than six inquiries and stated that the side walk was privately owned, and Fairfax only had “right of way”. When I asked why it wasn't a violation of "right of way" to not provide the six foot buffer, Garret NEVER replied! Was there ever really a SIP Committee?
8/24/2021 9:37 AM
26 The outdoor eating is wonderful and any negative impacts are far outweighed by the positive ones!
8/24/2021 8:24 AM
27 The outdoor option has been a boon to restaurants and residents, opening up open-air spaces in an area blessed with pleasant weather, and allowing business and social time to continue throughout the pandemic. Keep it!
8/24/2021 7:16 AM
28 I think these things are great. More outdoor dining spaces means less places to park which equals less assholes from SF here on the weekends!
8/23/2021 11:18 PM
29 Please continue outdoor dining in Fairfax indefinitely. Thanks 8/23/2021 10:18 PM 30 I love the outdoor dining! Parking is an issue though. Is there some way we could use space at Fairfax Market in the evening (with some kind of compensation)? It's not too far to walk into downtown. If it were San Francisco, we'd probably have to walk a lot farther to get to a restaurant from our parking spot.
8/23/2021 8:54 PM
31 Please do not ever make the Roastery space permanent- it could be disastrous in an emergency, and currently does not allow proper traffic flow on that corner or visibility. That is the one space I oppose as permanent. I'd like to see some of the restaurants keep the outdoor spaces, just with safer distancing protocols. especially amelie. Overall, these add to the town, but need some more structure for safety, as well as space for some parking returned to the town. The restaurants ideally would have fewer tables crammed together in the spaces, like Amelie does. Amelie has made it harder for people trying to stay safe, because although we love their food, you can't do takeout at all at dinner anymore, only in person dining, and their in person is too close together to be safe during Covid. A lot of people are tired of all the covid rules and don't want to think about safety, masks or distancing anymore, but the reality is that it is not yet safe to be close together without masks in these settings. That really needs to be addressed. Same at the large space at Sorella's, there are big crowds and zero masking. The variants are reality even for vaccinated folks. I am not sure the town has addressed this. So safety is not going well in those spaces, but long term most outdoor dining options would be good once safer except the corner with the roastery.
8/23/2021 8:50 PM
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32 I’d prefer less parking in the parkade and by the skate park and more active recreation/park space. Expand the skate park. Expand the seating and planting in the parkade and less parking. Or convert the parkade to a park+ parking structure with affordable apartments above. 8/23/2021 8:13 PM
33 Limited to weekends. 8/23/2021 7:07 PM
34 I adore the outdoor dining spaces in Fairfax. Pls don’t get rid of them!!!!! 8/23/2021 12:44 PM 35 I think outdoor spaces are a very good thing. I like seeing people outside. I love getting fresh air when I eat or go out on the town. I think the overall cost for this benefit is relatively low (perhaps 5% of downtown's parking spaces have been lost?). I do understand that parking is and will be a thorny issue, and Fairfax will likely need some creative parking solutions as time goes on. As a resident, I luckily get to walk, but I do feel bad for those inconvenienced by the parking issue. However at the end of the day, I simply think the benefits to our downtown are much higher than the cost. Outdoor seating has been a transformational change to our downtown - one of the few disruptive perks only a global pandemic could have causes - and I hope it does not go away!
8/23/2021 12:14 PM
36 There are plenty of parking spaces downtown. So many people walk and bike into town. The outdoor spaces are beautiful and important safe third spaces during the pandemic. They bring energy and vibrancy to our town, and will continue to do so even as we move beyond this chapter of Covid. Thank you for requesting our input!
8/23/2021 10:42 AM
37 Please keep the outdoor dining spaces. 8/23/2021 9:42 AM 38 I love the outdoor dining spaces in spite of some of their issues. It does seem to be a public giveaway to businesses as it takes our space and makes theirs larger. As a supporter of businesses this one is tricky. The landlord might see a rise in income and raise rents - that's not fair. Is there a way to address this? I do think that there needs to be some type of design review.
8/23/2021 6:57 AM
39 Keep the outdoor spaces permanent. 8/22/2021 7:50 PM 40 I would like pocket park outdoor seating expanded and perhaps armored a bit for safety. 8/22/2021 5:53 PM 41 Parks should be parks. Parking was an issue before and the town was busy. Now with reduced parking it prevents a trip to downtown area. Have not gone to farmers market no parking. Do new businesses get to erect a structure? 123 Bolinas, the new restaurant @ Bolinas and Broadway? Parking is the use of public space. Not fair for some merchants like Hummingbird.

Understand trying to help merchants during pandemic but have hamstrung the down town.

Enough is enough. Remove the bike rack in front of Sunshine Bikes. They had a rack outside their store. Good Earth, Java Hut have racks off the street. 8/22/2021 2:52 PM
42 Love the outdoor spaces! 8/22/2021 2:39 PM
43 I filled this survey out before, so I don't know if my "votes" should "count," but I'd like my suggestions here considered. Where there is a parklet on the street, on Broadway and Bolinas, make the nearby parking spaces handicapped spaces. There is not enough handicapped parking for the disabled and aging population and it says "you don't matter, we don't care if you patronize our businesses or not." Some people who have spent their lives here now can't participate in town activities because they can't walk far enough to reach the activities.

Handicapped parking in the parkade is too far away - it needs to be on Broadway, on Bolinas, and on SFD right in front of businesses. People who can walk farther away can make use of the parkade and parking that's a little farther away. Please don't turn Fairfax into a town that divides rather than unites. The elders and the handicapped, have a lot of living left to do and may even be the story teller, musician, artist, writer, poet, retired teacher, community leader, or politician that still has a lot to offer, especially once the pandemic subsides enough to reopen the public gathering spaces - the coffee houses, the pubs, the music venues, the art galleries, it will be a richer, more diverse, more exciting Fairfax if everyone can access these shared community spaces. The little ones bring smiles to the aged. The aged bring wisdom to the little ones. Let's make Fairfax business friendly, history friendly, arts friendly, community friendly for all.
8/22/2021 1:45 PM
44 Love the outdoor dining- When i come home & drive through downtown Fairfax- i love the fact that the town feels “alive”! I think the outdoor dining areas contribute greatly to that feeling. I love the energy here. I LOVE Fairfax!!
8/22/2021 1:40 PM
45 The outdoor dining adds to the "lively" feel of Fairfax. Additional signage on nearby public 8/22/2021 12:46 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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parking might be helpful for those wanting to come dine bit needing parking. 46 Whether there is a pandemic or not, the outdoor dining is a wonderful addition to Fairfax. I don’t mind less parking, we can walk.
8/22/2021 12:29 PM
47 Thank you for allowing the restaurants to have outdoor spaces. Such a great customer experience. Would be great if we could please continue it forever. Thank you. 8/22/2021 11:19 AM
48 More outdoor space for dining and hanging out improves the quality of our town by an order of magnitude
8/22/2021 10:18 AM
49 I love the outdoor dining and coffee spaces! Please keep them. They vital use the community.

I haven’t noticed any parking challenges
8/22/2021 10:09 AM
50 Keep all the outdoor dining spots, fix the intersection near scoop. Have low speed roll through when clear for cyclists Better signage to get to Tamarancho trail 8/22/2021 9:12 AM
51 clean them.. and make them look nicer- the parks need professional landscapers....volunteers are not skilled enough.. the whole town is a creaking mess.. we need to fix broken sidewalks and we need a town council that does its job re answering emails and paying attention to dilapidated bldgs.. we need a responsive and alert town staff.. 8/22/2021 9:07 AM
52 We need a dog park. This would bring business to the Fairfax stores, and dining. 8/22/2021 8:58 AM 53 I'd like to hear a conversation about closing Broadway certain hours to only pedestrian traffic! 8/21/2021 6:04 PM 54 Keep outdoor spaces !!! We love them. 8/21/2021 5:58 PM 55 It'd be great to have something more permanent like San Anselmo's creekside. 8/21/2021 5:15 PM 56 Weekend parking permits in residential areas due to influx of mountain bikers parking in residential areas
8/21/2021 5:09 PM
57 I love that Fairfax has outdoor spaces downtown. They enhance the experience of being there’s different create community.
8/21/2021 2:13 PM
58 I am concerned for rainy season - I don’t know if the outdoor places will be usable It would be nice if the town contracted with the market and museum for more weekend and evening parking
8/21/2021 1:44 PM
59 Please make this a permanent feature of our beautiful town! It has made everything so much nicer!
8/21/2021 12:35 PM
60 keep outdoor dining helps keep the energy alive in the town for everyone and the economy 8/21/2021 12:30 PM 61 some businesses are benefiting way more than others. seems unfair, but I love the streets-forpeople effect of the parklets. my hopes are that, overall, the 'parklet environment' promotes downtown activity and community cohesiveness. My impression, too, is that with more people on and closer to the roadway, drivers are more conscientious and considerate while driving though
8/21/2021 9:58 AM
62 The town should install car barriers for outdoor dining areas, and perhaps we could reappropriate some space near the creek for an extended public parking area (could also keep the residential areas from filing up during the weekend) 8/21/2021 9:28 AM
63 Allow improvements for inclement weather. Coverings against rain. Etc. 8/21/2021 9:15 AM 64 The Fair Anselm plaza is underutilized and an eyesore coming into town: how might this strip mall and courtyard + parking lot be beautified, Fairfaxified to match Good Earth and provide a nice entrance to town? A central gathering space for concerts, outdoor movies and picknicking like Creek Park in San Anselmo would be nice.
8/20/2021 11:33 PM
65 The outdoor dining spaces make Fairfax look more friendly and welcoming. It's great to be able to take advantage of fresh air and good weather when we have it, and fun to be able to sit outside.
8/20/2021 10:31 PM
66 I feel the parklets are a real asset to Fairfax. It's a joy seeing people eating & enjoying the outside! Fairfax is alive!
8/20/2021 9:16 PM
67 The town should widen the sidewalks and remove parking on Bolinas 8/20/2021 7:00 PM 68 Love the feeling of European dinning 8/20/2021 6:44 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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69 This is a good community that should continue to support business and people to work and enjoy outdoor dining. Let’s learn from this pandemic and how we can continue to support in a good way!
8/20/2021 6:42 PM
70 I like the idea of turning mono Avenue in the alleyway into permanent outdoor enjoyment 8/20/2021 6:38 PM 71 Food truck night! 8/20/2021 6:35 PM
72 I suggest you let the restaurants keep their spaces 8/20/2021 5:39 PM 73 We need more outdoor dining options in our town!! 8/20/2021 5:38 PM 74 Keep Fairfax alive, but don’t kill it’s essence. Change is good, but wholesale change is not. 8/20/2021 4:53 PM 75 They are dangerous. No matter how you pretty the parklettes up they still look like dumpsters.

Like putting a pig in a prom dress
8/20/2021 4:39 PM
76 love outdoor dining and think it enhances the downtown experience! 8/20/2021 4:35 PM 77 Enjoying the trend towards more outdoor dining and less of a focus on parking. It definitely enhances our community.
8/20/2021 4:29 PM
78 No communication with locals on a whole. Just a case of going ahead and implementing their agenda.
8/20/2021 3:54 PM
79 Keep the outside dining 8/20/2021 3:50 PM
80 More space for bikes and outdoor dining, shopping activity - even if that is at the expense of drivers and car spaces.
8/20/2021 2:20 PM
81 1) if outdoor spaces are allowed to continue, it's unclear who really owns those spaces. Will building owners start charging businesses for their use?? It will certainly increase the "value" of the space to a business, and because it's public spaces the public should benefit from its use, not a private building owner or even, per se, a private business. What if a non-paying customer wants to sit in that spot? Why not? 2) I would LOVE to see the farmer's market move OFF the grass in Bolinas park... perhaps move the businesses into the parking lot near the ball field and keep the park for picnickers and entertainment. 3) I LOVE the al fresco dining in town and how it brings community together. European town "squares" foster a sense of community. In those town squares, tables are set up and people can bring their food to them - some times parts are sectioned off and dedicated to particular restaurants. There are always places for people to sit who might not be eating at a restaurant at all... people meet, gather, talk. It's not "just" homeless people, but it doesn't exclude them either. It seems like our increased use of street parking for al fresco dining has been intended to help the businesses, which are an important part of our community, but the driving force should be what serves the community for the purpose of building community and have an extra added benefit be that it also serves the vendors...
8/20/2021 2:08 PM
82 More outdoor dining is great. But since you asked a pump track would be great for kids of all ages.
8/20/2021 1:55 PM
83 We have the ideal climate for outdoor dining. I think it should continue, and would like to experiment with closing the street for an evening and letting people dine in the street, have live music, etc. Fairfax is 100% better than it was before the pandemic thanks to outdoor options! 8/20/2021 1:49 PM
84 Love the outdoor seating ! 8/20/2021 1:44 PM
85 Not very practical in the winter. I say in winter allow restaurants to operate to fully capacity indoors. Masks should be optional indoors. Really we just need to end this "pandemic." How much longer are we going to allow this to go on? How much more loss do you think businesses can endure? There will be none left if this continues.
8/20/2021 1:34 PM
86 Ban cyclists and non motorized forms of transport and someone please just shoot the filthy flip flop wearing hippies who hang around the bus station breathing our air and cashing unemployment checks when there’s plenty of jobs around
8/20/2021 1:32 PM
87 Outdoor dining in Fairfax adds to the charm and vibrance of the town. Please keep the parklets. .
8/20/2021 1:30 PM
88 We still need parking. Please do not make parking lots into skateboard parks and dining areas.

Many of us live in the hills and cannot walk to town. Twice pre-covid I circled Fairfax 3 times 8/20/2021 1:02 PM
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and couldn't find parking and ended up eating elsewher. 89 Pop-up restaurants (maybe annex of existing restaurants) in Peri Park (with more picnic tables. 8/20/2021 12:48 PM 90 For parking cars. The outdoor parklets take up too much room. And we need parking. Maybe 3 small outdoor tables but no covered parklets . They are in the way of pedestrians and get too crowded.
8/20/2021 12:47 PM
91 Wonderful, safe and a great addition to eat outdoors in our great town of Fairfax! Please keep the outdoor dining.
8/20/2021 12:39 PM
92 With COVID being a part of the foreseeable future I think it’s crucial to our town’s businesses and to our sense of community and well-being that we have outdoor spaces to eat and drink. If we don’t, then people will take their business elsewhere with plenty of outdoor seating options. 8/20/2021 12:36 PM
93 I miss the shared outdoor dining space by Gestault. It was nice to have a place in town where people could gather to eat and/or drink together.
8/20/2021 12:30 PM
94 The most exciting part about the outdoor spaces is how the vibrancy of our downtown is enhanced, drawing more people to the community. My family has enjoyed this greatly. 8/20/2021 12:26 PM
95 The Town has become more community-oriented than ever before. We can finally enjoy Fairfax and celebrate the reason we moved here--it's beautiful weather and community feel. At town meetings and online, there have been very few complaints. It seems like residents and visitors are feeling like this new vibe is very Fairfax. There should probably be some design standards for businesses for these outdoor structures. The parklets have little to do with parking. We should prioritize more people using their public space. No more subsidies to let people store their cars for free for 4+ hours in the heart of our community. That is what hurts business.

Parking solution: Couple new signage in the downtown (move parkade from 4 hour parking to 2 hour parking) and increase enforcement with cadets and other non-sworn town personnel. Shift all 4 hour parking away from Town center--it's mostly out-of-town bike riders looking for a place to start their trip anyhow). Survey retail regarding parking on Broadway that might even have reduced parking times (1 hour, 30 min., etc.). We don't need the Town Council to stifle the community spirit that these outdoor dining and event spaces offer. Look what happened next to Gestalt. Now it's just a sad place where people park their cars again. What a waste. The Town is a lesser place when we remove community gathering areas. 8/20/2021 9:54 AM
96 Make a better plaza with music available 8/20/2021 9:52 AM 97 Keep outdoor dining permanent 8/20/2021 9:09 AM
98 Fairfax is a United States and turning global cycling Mecca. We need to embrace bikes road, mountain, and commuter are the priority over cars. Our young children bike to school on the same streets (Center) cars speed alongside. We need protected bike lanes. Our restaurant traffic increases with cycling participation, we should prioritize these patrons who bring little to absolute zero negative perception of a town and provide plenty of character 8/20/2021 8:36 AM
99 I think we should have sidewalk dining and not Parklets , when the pandemic is over, 8/19/2021 10:23 PM 100 Please keep the outdoor dining! 8/19/2021 6:59 PM
101 Bike lane through downtown. 8/19/2021 6:23 PM
102 Dining spaces need cell phone/computer chargers 8/19/2021 4:27 PM 103 keep outdoor dining 8/19/2021 3:58 PM
104 more outdoor music and other kinds of performances. like in the Parkade. 8/19/2021 2:55 PM 105 Fairfax should create more parking spaces. The outdoor dining spaces should not be a long term/permanent. The town of Fairfax should be continuously referring to the local businesses that have been apart of the community for generations. The lack of support and care to see how we’ve been affected is disappointing. We have not been consulted at all or until after decisions affecting our businesses have been made.
8/19/2021 1:32 PM
106 Absolutely love the outdoor dining! Made our town feel more alive! 8/19/2021 11:15 AM 107 The no business outdoor dining patk that effectively blocked parking for the farmers market etc has not been so good…
8/19/2021 9:12 AM
108 Add solar covers over parking lots 8/19/2021 7:32 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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109 We recently moved to Fairfax and have loved the abundance of outdoor dining spaces. We haven’t had any issue finding parking, even though our home only has street parking available. 8/19/2021 7:29 AM
110 I really like the parking area on Bolinas next to gestalt house being used for tables and reducing parking. Please continue to make that space available for outdoor dining. 8/19/2021 1:45 AM
111 So lovely to have outdoor dining and outdoor events. Creates a wonderful atmosphere for the residents and visitors, especially during these challenging times. 8/18/2021 11:18 PM
112 Sidewalks on Bolinas should be be widened to allow benches, outdoor dining, bike parking, and comfort for pedestrians of all ages and mobilities. Could make it one way. Or just close it to traffic and have a plaza. The same for Broadway.
8/18/2021 10:36 PM
113 Fairfax has long been one of the most vibrant evening areas, if not the most, in Marin. Let’s encourage small businesses to stay here, come here and flourish by creating a diverse, European themed outdoor dining downtown that encourages window shopping and retail success. Only good things can happen with this!
8/18/2021 10:02 PM
114 I am always in support of more spaces for people to be with each other and walk, and less prioritizing cars. This is the way it is done in Europe (where I come from) and it works for everyone and the environment.
8/18/2021 8:36 PM
115 Please keep the outdoor dining spaces. I would rather see a lot built outside of town for bikers and visitors if extra parking is needed, maybe with a shuttle for people with mobility issues.

The outdoor dining spaces make it so lovely to be downtown, I support spaces for people over spaces for cars.
8/18/2021 8:35 PM
116 Love all of the outdoor dining. Definitely want them to be able to keep it. Maybe buy the old gas station to add more parking if people are worried about it? 8/18/2021 6:56 PM
117 Keep them and allow more. They have added a new level to the fairfax vibe 8/18/2021 6:55 PM 118 Outdoor dining is the best! It should be there all the time! Owners have spent so much on these to try to save their businesses. It’s been so great seeing everyone use them. Very European!
8/18/2021 6:32 PM
119 No Gestaldt parking lot use 8/18/2021 3:16 PM
120 Outdoor dining lends such a great community feel to town I would be very sad to see them go.

Please keep them on!
8/18/2021 2:21 PM
121 Love the outdoor spaces 8/18/2021 2:21 PM
122 This survey is slanted to the negative in the way the questions are asked and this looks like only a business owner's survey, not for the public. You sy 0-5 scale and then the slider goes to 100. I would imagine this is confusing for people and will be difficult to tabulate if one person enters a 5 and another enters 100. You may want to start over to get better results. 8/18/2021 12:32 PM
123 A lot of people jay-walk across Center in downtown and look. Not sure how to control this. 8/18/2021 9:08 AM 124 In the newsletter it sounded like you wanted resident input but when taking the survey it is geared toward business owners. I want to go to the Wed farmers market but I can never find parking so I haven't gone at all this year. Parking is a worry. I don't want to see parkets indefinitely.
8/17/2021 10:12 PM
125 bring back fairfax plaza, keep so called parklets impermanent, mono lane by plaza needs street trees, hot!
8/17/2021 9:15 PM
126 I live in the deer Park neighborhood and I fully support the closing of Bolinas to create more public spaces for community and to encourage walking into town. I think the parklettes are beautiful I don’t mind having to park further away in the least bit 8/17/2021 2:33 PM
127 Make sure vaccinated and unvaccinated patrons have access. 8/17/2021 1:36 PM 128 If the Town makes these permanent, then the Town should receive rent for the square footage occupied. The Town should research whether these spaces meet state and federal safety regulations especially on Bolinas.
8/17/2021 11:00 AM
129 More walkable streets! 8/17/2021 10:38 AM
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130 They give Fairfax a feeling of community and life. Wonderful!!! 8/17/2021 10:27 AM 131 The park let's should become permanent. 8/17/2021 10:26 AM 132 Return to former use increase parking available for small business. Most of downtown depends on locals who walk to downtown.
8/17/2021 8:28 AM
133 See my comments above. Tweak this survey so the numbers on top of the bar don't conflict w the ones at the far right. And watch the tone of this survey, which seems to lean towards banning outdoor dining. Yes, a bias has leaked through. On the topic of parking. I see the theater and the Java Hut parking area as pretty empty often. I'm from a colder climate, so the idea of "having to walk" in relatively great or even just warm enough weather is actually a good thing. Build a campaign around that idea of "Walking is an Immune-Boon" or "Walk So We Can Talk (w/ Outdoor Dining!" That's a rough. But get your most creative and even funny people to tweak or add to this. Open up a "Creative Thinking Committee" - and I bet you will get volunteers for that one! We can do it! We bike, we hike, and now, we walk 2 more blocks - and live to talk about it!" People in cities do it too - and they are thinner for it! As for outdoor dining - wow - I see happy people - and we need that happy energy. We live in extraordinary times.

That means - we have to flex and expand our minds and creative thinking. Don't go backwards now. Keep the restaurants open. If they die, others die with them, one by one....financially, psychologically, socially, etc. Offer more outdoor open discussion about this. Offer more free discussion about this - with a moderator - a paid facilitator - yep - if you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on a road striping idea that came from one person, you can spend a wee bit on a professional facilitator trained to include many! Network via anyone in the Talent Development field. They keep the energy productive, rather than angry (as happened with the name change topic... no neutral referees there either, just a lot of angry people on both sides. ) Same idea for survey-making to avoid bias from slipping in. But don't go crazy spending money. Network for individuals rather than big consulting companies. Also hire an innovative thinking expert. I can recommend Patricia Harmon & Associates (PatriciaHarmon.com) She could also facilitate. But try your own SF networking groups too. Get quotes from small businesses - cheaper, and just as good as the big names. 8/17/2021 3:01 AM
134 More people, more parks /space(not less green to create other non park uses). Outdoor dining enhances Fairfax.
8/16/2021 10:28 PM
135 Implement a special tax on restaurants with outdoor dining spaces.. 8/16/2021 10:14 PM 136 Fairfax needs a parking survey to get a count of parking spaces within 2 or 3 blocks of downtown. If it turns out that there are adequate spaces in easy walking distance, then downtown public areas including parking lots and spaces should be considered for public common space and mixed use. Public space is precious. Free 4 hour parking in the downtown should be re-considered.
8/16/2021 9:32 PM
137 What’s going on with the boa building?!? Are they opening again? If not take down the building and add parking spots.
8/16/2021 8:33 PM
138 I have loved seeing the businesses not only survive but succeed this past year. the parking spaces are now dining spaces, earning the town and local businesses revenue, and keeping Fairfax vital. Yes, parking is a little farther away, but always available. 8/16/2021 8:31 PM
139 I feel a conflict between the super real issue of traffic in town and my love of outdoor dining.

But hope you can find a way to nav both!
8/16/2021 8:01 PM
140 Keep the Forrest as is. Do not sacrifice our natural, small town aesthetic to commerce & family enjoyment other than to enjoy our trees & natural spaces as just that. The greatest gift to children & families. Too much accessible space kills the nature. Don’t do it. Stop & think of John Muir..
8/16/2021 7:53 PM
141 I’ve felt much more safe eating outdoors, which means that I’ve spent a lot more of my budget supporting local businesses. I would be doing less business if it were only indoor, or takeout.

I’ve also really enjoyed the community that forms at outdoor concerts at peri’s—and the park beside gestalthaus is so fun and welcoming. I’ve not had trouble finding a parking space because of these. Thank you for the survey!
8/16/2021 7:38 PM
142 This survey appears to be primarily for business owners. As a Fairfax resident, I support outdoor dining and the benefits it brings to our town and local businesses. 8/16/2021 7:36 PM
143 Would be nice to see the parking lot next to Gestalt House back to outdoor seating 8/16/2021 7:08 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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144 I really like sitting 8/16/2021 7:08 PM
145 It’s always a lie.. everything is always sold as permanent .. but really the intention is always really about making them permanent installations.. Send everyone up to the park and get the diners off public property. Which is paid for by homeowners.. The town is giving away property very expense property.. And I think if these ridiculous structures continue the restaurant should pay more property tax and give homeowners of Fairfax the option of deducting $600.00 off their property tax a year.. what is wrong with the ballpark, and the other two parks in Fairfax? They are fine the way they are. What the heck has gotten into this town council and planning dept? STOP THE BUILDING AND ALLOWING THE MANIC INCREASING OF THE S.F. OF HOMES.. KEEP HOUSES THE SIZE THEY ARE !!!
8/16/2021 6:01 PM
146 I like the atmosphere of people dining outdoors. More relaxed, like our town. 8/16/2021 5:45 PM 147 Get rid of cars: make the downtown walkable. 8/16/2021 5:43 PM 148 Keep outdoor dining!!! 8/16/2021 12:21 PM
149 Low love love the outdoor spaces and the extra tables they provide. It feels so much more fun to have the outdoor spaces to people watch like piazzas in Italy!! 8/16/2021 9:16 AM
150 Fairfax parklets resemble homeless shanties . The ones with lean to roofs invite take over by homeless. San Anselmo has no butt ugly parklets like Fairfax. I have no problems with tables and umbrellas, but find slummy shacks with roofs and enclosure very ugly and offensive. The loss of parking is troubling. Perhaps merchants could be charged and that money gives en to adjacent merchants for the loss of parking
8/15/2021 4:34 PM
151 I’m not sure but on another note I hope that Fairfax might retain the remaining scraps of what it was 10 years ago and that it doesn’t just turn into another Mill Valley and not be down to earth! 8/15/2021 11:53 AM
152 The outdoor spaces make dining in town 10x more inviting 8/14/2021 8:03 PM 153 Take park let out on Bolinas Too narrow for a evacuation 8/14/2021 4:10 PM 154 I feel private businesses that are using outdoor street space for private gain need to be charged in some way for the square footage. taxpayers have been paying for maintenance of that square footage for years
8/14/2021 1:36 PM
155 I love our outdoor spaces. Let’s keep these vibrant outdoor dining opportunities alive. How awesome to have our streets lines with parleys for outdoor life. Our family has loved it. As for safety, whether cars parked or outdoor dining offered, the streets are the same width. Let’s have more outdoor living in Fairfax and thanks for asking. 8/14/2021 8:09 AM
156 Traditional auto lanes need to be restored. Bike parking and park let’s could go in areas like that next to Ghestalt Haus, or sidewalk in front of park are, or even more narrow park let’s. The double wides seem to over step for long term use. Many are not in use during many hours. 8/14/2021 6:52 AM
157 They should remain open to the public, not given to privat3 businesses 8/13/2021 4:27 PM 158 Fairfax needs to keep outdoor dining AND solve the parking problem. I propose that the Town build a parking garage. Maybe between the bike museum and Fairfax market somewhere. 8/13/2021 3:34 PM
159 I put no to #7 but I would be an enthusiastic yes if you modified the way it's being done now.

Put the pedestrians where the parking spaces were and separate them from traffic with planters or other barriers and put the restaurant on the sidewalk. It is better for both the business and the pedestrians. The businesses have better access to their customers and the pedestrians can walk unobstructed. Look up cities and towns that have done it this way. It makes so much more sense. Right now the town is becoming inaccessible for anyone with even small mobility limitations - I don't think that is your intent. Even better would be to close off a lane of traffic - it's so nice to have people out on the streets. But I know the opposition is vocal. I'd be happy if you put all the parking behind the businesses for disabled people and in parking lots on the outskirts of downtown for everyone else. 8/12/2021 1:17 PM
160 I love the outdoor dining spaces. They really liven up the town and create a wonderful community ambience. As for the loss of parking spaces, perhaps there's a way to arrange for the use of private parking lots after hours (i.e., the Bicycle Museum and the big wooden building on Bolinas). Maybe the restaurants could pay a small fee per parking space that their outdoor dining displaces, which would go to pay for public use of private parking lots. 8/12/2021 11:52 AM
161 I put off this survey for days because it is so targeted to business and not to other users of the 8/12/2021 9:58 AM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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core district. How is this a survey for anyone other than a business? Perhaps another survey with questions for residents should be posted instead. At least four of the eight opinion questions are only relevant to business. Giving Hair Salons and Nail Salons separate lines is myopic. Could the public also have four questions not relevant to business so our opinion is counted with equal footing?
162 The outdoor seating that was in the middle of town gave me a place to gather with friends and family in a safe/outdoor environment. I’d like to see it come back and be improved. Much like the outdoor seating in downtown San Anselmo
8/12/2021 9:14 AM
163 The outdoor dining spaces enhance the life and culture of fairfax by creating a more lively, open and festive downtown. I believe this draws more people to our community. We should do what we can to preserve this and even expand it. Parking will be fine. 8/12/2021 8:06 AM
164 More bike parking. Get rid of car parking. 8/11/2021 6:47 PM 165 the Mono lot was sort of like a town square - it would be nice to have something like a town square like that (I understand needing to reclaim that particular space for parking, but the same great location also made it a great hangout spot!)
8/11/2021 2:54 PM
166 This town needs a bike pump track for kids! I know many other parents who would support such a project.
8/11/2021 2:01 PM
167 All outdoor dining/drinking must be 100% smoke-free (including the "outdoor" patios at the bars that have existed all this time as an "exception" to the smoking ban). Dining should favor locals (reservation system for outdoor tables?) so as to encourage walking/biking to local restaurants instead of driving. The 100% smoke-free parks ordinance is not enforced; it must be enforced.
8/11/2021 12:53 PM
168 Encourage more walking and biking for town residents to ease tourist and delivery traffic congestion
8/11/2021 11:30 AM
169 Please restore the outdoor seating at the end of Mono Ave next to Gestalt Haus - this has been one of my main motives to visit downtown over the last year. I feel very strongly that exchanging these few parking spaces for community space was a huge win. If there were a fund to raise money for outdoor furniture / planting for this space I would definitely contribute - Alan Trombla - [email protected]
8/11/2021 10:33 AM
170 We love the park let’s, and think they are a huge net benefit to the Town! 8/11/2021 8:06 AM 171 Fairfax's outdoor dining has been a tremendous success for everyone. I very strongly disagree with the Town's rescinding the public space which Gestalt Haus had been able to use for the past year. Turning into two handicapped parking spaces, instead of allowing many people to enjoy its outdoor apace and ambience, was the height of stupidity. There are numerous handicapped spaces available elsewhere in town and it appears that the Town clearly discriminated against Gestalt Haus in doing so - a clear violation of its rights. Restore the open space adjacent to Gestalt Haus for all to enjoy, please. 8/11/2021 8:04 AM
172 This has been a great opportunity to be able to be out with the community and support local businesses. I just wish that the empty stores such as 123 Bolinas and Bun-me would open or have new tenants. It’s terrible to see these be closed for such a long time 8/11/2021 7:34 AM
173 More outdoor dining spaces and public spaces for sitting outdoors near restaurants, like the area that was next to Gestalt Haus. Tragedy to take that away for a few parking spaces. 8/10/2021 10:27 PM
174 Love the outdoor spaces! Makes Fairfax so much more lively and enjoy coming to downtown more often to also visit other businesses. Please make them permanent. It would also be a green statement to prioritize pedestrian use over cars. 8/10/2021 6:47 PM
175 Maximize parklets and outdoor dining in town center. Reopen the one by Gestalt. Ridiculous to close that for 3-4 additional parking spots during a COVID resurgence. 8/10/2021 6:15 PM
176 Outdoor dining space take up little Parking compared to the benefit the community. Keep the Parklets!
8/10/2021 4:58 PM
177 More parks, less parking. We should transform the parkade into a combination of parks and parking. COVID will likely be with us for years and people in the town (our top priority) need space to get out of the house. If the park was designed to provide eating space, it could be takeout heaven. There could also be a scenario whereby a service could deliver food to people 8/10/2021 4:51 PM
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in the park and restaurant patrons would be commingled. You could also add more picnic tables to existing parks to encourage more takeout / outdoor dining. There is also opportunity within the Good Earth parking lot to create a park or parklet to service restaurants on that strip. 2001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd (next to the bike museum) could be acquired and turned into additional downtown parking if needed...or it could be another park! Can the Bank of America parking lot be officially open for anyone to park at outside of their business hours? We could leave a number of spots restricted for ATM visitors.
178 I believe that if we are to retain parklets (which take up parking spaces) they must be open for use to ALL people, not just the patrons of the business of which they are in front. I really liked the town's "Fairfax Square" (next to Gestalt House) which was used extensively by all residents and didn't take up many parking spaces. I don't understand why the town removed it.

If the parklets which currently take up parking spaces remain, I believe they should pay rent for the spaces (as they do in San Francisco) or open the parklet to the public. 8/10/2021 2:17 PM
179 You guys are doing great. 8/10/2021 1:28 PM
180 As a resident, I love the outdoor dining spaces, even if they do supplant some parking spaces.

They make the downtown feel more welcoming and lively and add to its charm, giving it a more European charm. I enjoy eating outside where I can observe and feel a part of the activity around me. Please allow them to become permanent!
8/10/2021 12:33 PM
181 I like to see the outdoor spaces. I particularly like the shared spaces between multiple shops that get the most use.
8/10/2021 11:27 AM
182 The addition of public spaces for general use, or use by nearby restaurant greatly increases quality of life. Adding a bus route through town or increasing its frequency will help eliminate the issue of limited parking.
8/10/2021 10:08 AM
183 I think parking is important to benefit people from lower income areas who come here to experience our natural open space in and around my. Tamalpais. 8/10/2021 9:18 AM
184 Keep the outdoor dining spaces off Bolinas Rd and have only on the other roads where there is more space.
8/10/2021 9:01 AM
185 Not outdoor dining related but since you asked about parks: My daughter loves the skate park! Such a great outlet for kids during a tough time. I hope it becomes permanent. Love that the town provided opportunities for beginners to learn, and especially for girls. What an awesome confidence booster for kids — learning how to skateboard and holding their own in a supportive environment. Thanks for creating that space!
8/9/2021 10:30 PM
186 They should be allowed. Regulated for fire and health safety standards. 8/9/2021 8:54 PM 187 I think the outdoor dining spaces have added a lot of fun to downtown, and hope they continue. 8/9/2021 7:59 PM 188 Bring back the parking spaces 8/9/2021 7:47 PM
189 Too bad you can't close off the street in downtown Fairfax to cars. 8/9/2021 7:18 PM 190 Outdoor spaces give out town more of a slow life village feel. People can get used to walking a little farther to park or ride bikes. Outdoor dining improves the quality of life in our town and benefits small businesses that will take years to recover. Please keep outdoor dining. We live in ca where we can be outside every day of the year.
8/9/2021 7:01 PM
191 I feel outdoor dining us a great benefit to the town. Not just the restaurant but all business.

People are always talking about how it is a small town feel. Then keep the outdoor dining.

When the out door community dining area was taken away that hurt many business. I am in town 3 to 5 days aweek and on weekends seeing people from all restaurant using the tables when there were no in door dinning area. Family's could go to afew different places to get food and still beable to eat as a family and everyone was happy with different food but enjoying in one area. My granddaughter made 2 friends and played for hours all due to the area. If it was not for the area she would never had met them
8/9/2021 6:53 PM
192 Would love to have Gestal Hous’e outdoor tables back, thank you! 8/9/2021 6:45 PM 193 Bring back the mono parking outdoor area. It was a great open space to enjoy downtown without being too crowded
8/9/2021 6:13 PM
194 Bring back tables by Gestalt House. 8/9/2021 5:14 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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195 I think the benefits of outdoor dining (safety, visibility, ability to expand business) outweigh the inconvenience of parking farther away. Better signage in the parkade notifying cars of additional parking areas might be helpful. Can we have signs at businesses, such as BofA, that public parking is allowed during closed hours?
8/9/2021 3:14 PM
196 We need a more pedestrian and bike-centered city planning- more parks, safer and separate from roads bike lanes, better sidewalks for pedestrians (that actually continue for more than one block and don’t randomly end). Build a central multi-story parking garage and move all parking spaces there, and replace existing parking lots with public parks. This city has SO MUCH potential to be greener, cleaner, healthier, and more people-friendly, and instead it is overtaken by cars and parking lots. We need a more future-focused and green urban design. 8/9/2021 2:13 PM
197 All open spaces on public property should be open regardless of whether you are using the adjacent restaurants services or not. Parking should require resident parking permits on the weekend due to the volume of bikers.
8/9/2021 12:35 PM
198 Make outdoor spaces permanent! Should have been done years ago! 8/9/2021 11:33 AM 199 More outdoor eating and music is great for our town 8/9/2021 10:15 AM 200 The outdoor dining spaces give a European feel to Fairfax and also help keep our local restaurants open. Perhaps the town could build some type of parking garage somewhere between the bicycle museum and Fairfax Market to make up for the lost parking spaces. 8/8/2021 5:43 PM
201 Use the federal/state money coming to Fairfax to build a public restroom. Pt Reyes has simple stainless steel low flow toilets, minimal sink water, no frills restrooms. It eliminates abuse. It should be accessible but not in the middle of the park to avoid homeless hangout (feel terrible to even admit that) We should do the same - too much burden on businesses. 8/8/2021 5:14 PM
202 Unable to answer #9 as I no experience in this area. I feel the outdoor dining spaces really enhance the welcoming atmosphere and create a vibrant downtown. Feels more People centric and less reliant on cars!!!
8/8/2021 4:49 PM
203 Well cared for outdoor spaces for dining and socializing bring a wonderful, lively spirit to the town, help businesses we all enjoy survive, and bring in revenue. I love them! I liked the seating in the parking lot near Gestalt Haus because it was far enough from the sidewalk to give people space when walking by. I’d love to see more of that kind of use near walkable parts of town—and maybe more parking slightly further away from places with lots of foot traffic. I do think the town needs to put effort into making sure businesses and their patrons follow safety guidelines and other rules that protect the public. 8/8/2021 2:28 PM
204 I think the outdoor spaces are a huge boon to Fairfax residents and businesses. Keeping the parking lot public behind the building where Casa Manana used to be would help mitigate any loss of parking, especially during the weekends when most of those businesses are closed. 8/8/2021 12:21 PM
205 During covid the outdoor dining is acceptable. But once movie theater and bars open and more businesses open, the traffic and parking impacts are too much 8/8/2021 9:24 AM
206 With the surge in COVID cases, I'm wondering if removal of the Mono Avenue parklet was premature.
8/8/2021 6:44 AM
207 Outdoor Dining Creates Community 8/7/2021 7:42 PM
208 I love the parklets by the coffee roastery and other restaurants. When I sit outside I always see someone I know walking by and I can chat a little.
8/7/2021 4:58 PM
209 Outdoor seating created a whole new experience downtown, and pushed me to visit local vendors I might not have had indoor seating only existed. I have spent far more money in Fairfax than I might have otherwise, sooner going to restaurants that had outdoor seating in San Anselmo and San Rafael. It also feels like a great long-term solution for keeping general disease transmission at bay as Covid may be with us longer term than any of us would like.

Seems like a no brained despite the loss of 5 or six parking spots and a loading zone. 8/7/2021 3:20 PM
210 I am for turning Fairfax Bolinas up to the park into bike/ped zone only. 8/7/2021 2:33 PM 211 The outdoor spaces made Fairfax even more lively and vibrant and charming. Win, win, win!! We are going out more often because of the outdoor spaces! 8/7/2021 2:10 PM
212 The outdoor spaces are wonderful and need to continue. I’d support closing down more space to make way forward outdoor dining.
8/7/2021 1:43 PM
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213 I'm tired of Fairfax giving up our precious downtown to cars! If we keep the Parkade as it is, we should put up parking meters and make them pay for themselves. Losing the parking spaces to viable downtown business is ok with me. We just need safer bike lanes to our community on bikes more.
8/7/2021 12:58 PM
214 Keep the outdoor spaces especially now with the delta variant. People want to be outdoors and it’s safer for COVID precautions.
8/7/2021 7:46 AM
215 Tons of parks and parking lots, which is a lot safer than literally sitting in the road. 8/7/2021 7:36 AM 216 Make the parkade a park 8/6/2021 11:51 PM
217 SO glad to see Gestalt Haus granted that small and unnecessary road for outdoor space and would like to see more creative use of outdoor space. Fairfax was once a lively community that drew people from their homes and neighboring communities to eat, drink, walk, shop, dance,... we need more of that again. Look at San Anselmo - a "dry" decidedly less lively community. The Town has made excellent use of those parks and outdoor spaces, and now they are permanent fixtures. We can do this, Fairfax. Don't drop the ball, this is a real opportunity.
8/6/2021 10:49 PM
218 The patrons that drive have ample parking in the lots near the ballpark or along SFD. Sure, parking is hard to find during farmers market or other events, but that has always been the case. If anything COVID has allowed locals to realize how walkable thier town is. People will always complain about parking, but outdoor spaces created during COVID have brought our town together in a much more meaningful way.
8/6/2021 10:47 PM
219 I think the outdoor spaces have been really great. It makes Fairfax a fun place to be out and about instead of everyone indoors and isolated.
8/6/2021 5:19 PM
220 I think the new public dining spaces have been a fabulous addition. They promote a feeling of community, and foster a community that chooses bicycles and walking over car commuting.

More public spaces along these lines would continue to benefit the town and its residents.

NYC did a really good job creating parklets from streets (especially Broadway). While our town is at a completely different scale, this approach could have a huge benefit here. Thanks for your continued curiosity and support for shared open spaces for Fairfax! 8/6/2021 4:58 PM
221 If Fairfax does not continue to allow outdoor dining and other towns do, we will lose diners to those options. A parking survey introduced at a meeting last year showed that total spots in town have increased since the Town Plan was made, even excluding those spots taken by businesses, so until someone can prove a parking shortage lets please stop introducing that shibboleth. We need a smarter parking and delivery plan, one that gets diesel trucks and idling cars out of our town center and allows us to use our most valuable downtown space for something more productive than car storage. Happy to have you collect data, but the community participation process is broken: not all of the people who vote are retirees who can stay up until 11 PM to let you hear their voice at a Council meeting. Until then, pay more attention to the surveys that have already been done and other out-of-meetings feedback you are getting rather than to the few cranky voices that are anti-change, whatever its necessity and benefit.
8/6/2021 4:38 PM
222 I am pleased to see local Fairfax businesses thriving as a result of the use of public space for outdoor commercial dining. I do have a few concerns 1) The commercial outdoor dining spaces should adhere to some basic design guidelines for public safety and design quality (Patio platform must be flush and accessible to the adjacent sidewalk to allow ADA access, Patios must provide an enclosure of minimum 30” height and maximum 42” height, Enclosure must be 50% transparent). Secondly, while I support the use of public outdoor space for commercial use I feel this use must be balanced with provision of public seating, such as benches, tables etc like those that were provided at the temporary Fairfax Plaza at Mono Lot. I support the creation of a permanent, public plaza at Mono lot that provides basic amenities such as seating, shade, and a drinking fountain as well as potential space for kid and family friendly programming and events.
8/6/2021 4:15 PM
223 I love the outdoor dining spaces, hope they stay. I'm happy to walk a few extra blocks to be able to eat outside.
8/6/2021 3:05 PM
224 I love the outdoor dining space. We should have more of them. How about removing the 5 spaces on both sides of Bolinas closest to Broadway. Then replace the parking spaceswith wide sidewalks for outdoor dining!
8/6/2021 2:49 PM
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225 The outdoor spaces which are on public land and streets must not be free deeded to the land owner or business. Fairfax must collect a fair market rate rent for the spaces and maintain passage right of ways for the sidewalk area. I would suggest a maximum lease time of three years with mutual right to end the relationship. There should also be clear guides for acceptable use to exclude activities which might cause a nuisance like smoke from an outdoor grill or loud music.
8/6/2021 2:16 PM
226 While the parkets were amazing for those of us who wanted to support our restaurants, there should be a study done about how the parklets will affect parking in the future, and how they are affecting other businesses because a) they might block access/visability to their business and b) take up parking ability. Once we open up, there really should be no need for these outdoor spaces, and we should go back to thinking about parking, and safety. 8/6/2021 10:36 AM
227 Less cars help us be more of a community 8/6/2021 8:52 AM 228 stop taking away parking spaces 8/6/2021 8:33 AM
229 Dedicated/convert more public parking areas to outdoor seating areas/parklets, etc. 8/6/2021 6:32 AM 230 We need more parking. Some businesses that provide parking through normal permitting gare bearing by the brunt of the changes.
8/5/2021 11:07 PM
231 Parklet and outdoor should stay - it is creating a lot of business and a great energy for the town
8/5/2021 11:03 PM
232 The outdoor dining is a huge asset to the residents and business owners of Fairfax. There is plenty of parking to coexist with outdoor dining. Please don’t think of cars before all other means of transportation again. I felt the Cascade striping was initially done to protect pedestrians. And then undone because so many people in cars complained. Do not let cars dictate what’s best for our town.
8/5/2021 9:01 PM
233 The parklets in front of the restaurants and the community space by Gestalt have been incredible. It’s really nice to see everyone fill them up, give restaurants a boost to their business, and increase the community vibes that this wonderful town is known for. I think that the spaces greatly improve the town and hope that we can find a solution for any issues or minor inconveniences that they bring up.
8/5/2021 8:58 PM
234 I love the outdoor seating areas! Would love to see more events in the ball field, shut down bolinas rd to cars on weekends and add more bike parking 8/5/2021 8:53 PM
235 I LOVE the outside dining spaces and public spaces in general. Please continue to make the downtown a friendly and welcoming space for neighbors to walk, shop, and dine! We definitely should not prioritize cars at the expense of everyone enjoying our town. One of my favorite things about living here is the ability to walk from my home to shop and eat and meeting our lovely neighbors on the way! Let's not put ourselves in car bubbles of solitude. I truly hope you'll reconsider the public dining / out tables near Gestalt House. We need community now more than ever!
8/5/2021 8:14 PM
236 My husband and I are really loving the outdoor spaces. It feels like Europe where you can sit outside and say hello to your neighbors as they walk by. I didn't think Fairfax could get any better but out of the darkness of COVID, the parklet and outdoor seating has added so much to this town. Love it.
8/5/2021 7:19 PM
237 I would LOVE to see the parklets stay forever!!! I live in the beginning of the Cascades and drive past the parklets every day. They are a joy! Bringing people together under our beautiful Fairfax skies. I’ve seen zero impact on parking. We haven’t seen an influx of parking by our house either. I think it would be a great draw for our local business!!!! Please let them stay forever!!!! I would also love to see the parking space by Gesault turn into a permanent public space. It has been so nice to see people gather there
8/5/2021 4:15 PM
238 I love them. I think it’s a great addition to the community and good for small businesses. I like the outdoor environment, it feels lively and it’s enjoyable to see people. 8/5/2021 4:00 PM
239 They have been a lifeline for business, and the community needs this. Who knows how long this may go on(covid) and the weather isn’t making it a problem to be outdoors. 8/5/2021 3:53 PM
240 Keep Bolinas Rd wide open except for bike racks. Letting businesses build out full areas makes it look like a final decision and that is misleading What surveys support safety in event of evacuation?
8/5/2021 3:38 PM
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241 Was sad to see the space in the parking lot next to Gestalt Haus removed - I thought it provided a good place for the influx of cyclists and an outdoor dining option for Gestalt which would help support their business.
8/5/2021 1:16 PM
242 The town should consider purchasing the Peri's Bar parking lot and converting it into a shared public space/outdoor dining area for DT. I would prefer to see the temporary parklets be converted into permanent sidewalk/dining areas; however, in lieu of that major capital expense, any temporary use of the curb lane should come with design criteria to ensure the structures don't look shabby or sloppy.
8/5/2021 1:15 PM
243 The more outdoor dining options the better! It makes the town more friendly and more alive! 8/5/2021 12:32 PM 244 I think outdoor dining should be a normal fixture . Europe has been doing forever. Restaurants can fit more people and it is just more enjoyable outside Regardless of a pandemic. I think we should close our streets more often. I was pissed when they removed the nice open area next to Gestualt . It was the only place you could go and bring food and drink from anyplace. It was our go to place after the farmers market. Who cares about a handful of parking spots. That benefits outweigh the negatives . Most people around here walk and bike anyway. There is always parking around town some place else . Also with more people who got pets over Covid - going places outside with a pet is a huge plus. And people feel more comfortable with little kids outside as well. Pls bring it back !
8/5/2021 10:50 AM
245 I have loved the outdoor dinner facilities. I feel like it has brought more community to our town.

I think funds could also be spent to increase tables at the park for to go options for families with younger kids.
8/5/2021 10:48 AM
246 It’s an amazing improvement for our town. Outdoor dining is something the town has lacked for years! Fully support it!!!!
8/5/2021 10:30 AM
247 The pandemic is ramping up. We need to keep those outdoor dining spaces and other places where we can gather more safely. I fear that the restaurants will be shut down again this fall with the delta and lambda variants unless we can keep outdoor dining. I would also love it if we could encourage the gyms to operate outside. In San Anselmo, several of the gyms do have equipment and classes outside. I'm only seeing that with yoga and dance here. Also can we bring back Mono Lot? That was the best!
8/5/2021 9:27 AM
248 The park let’s are good for all…there will be many people that won’t want to eat indoors for a while after this is all over. Sacrificing what? 6 parking spots to make these businesses survive is t a big ask
8/5/2021 1:04 AM
249 I hope we keep outdoor dining. It brings new life to our small town and brings community literally into the streets (in a good way)
8/5/2021 12:43 AM
250 Some restaurants have large indoor capacity and should not be permitted to have outdoor dining.
8/4/2021 11:48 PM
251 Keep the parklets please! 8/4/2021 10:43 PM
252 As a resident I absolutely love the availability of outdoor dining. It’s made it easier for me to support local restaurants through Covid and will cause me to patronize these businesses more in the future if continued. Regarding parking, I always feel that I’m able to find a spot, and I drive frequently because I have young kids, but I’ve actually been encouraged to walk or bike to town more. Overall I feel like I’m a better and more involved resident of the Town because of this program and I hope it stays!! We love it and feel it has only added value. 8/4/2021 10:34 PM
253 I’d like to see a walking bridge built over parkade to create a continuity and easy access to both sides of town.
8/4/2021 10:31 PM
254 I love the outdoor dining! It's so much easier to take my young children out for dinner when we are outside with more to watch and the ability to move about without disrupting other diners. I would love to see Bolinas closed a couple nights a week like San Anselmo does. Offering "picnic" service in Bolinas Park where families can sit on blankets and dine outside would be so fun!
8/4/2021 9:40 PM
255 Our family would be very disappointed if these amazing outdoor spaces were eliminated.

Please keep these outdoor spaces to help the community help the restaurants help our local economy. Thank you
8/4/2021 9:34 PM
256 The outdoor dining has been a wonderful addition to our little town. I personally feel all 8/4/2021 9:00 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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restaurants should be permitted to extend the use of the outdoor dining space until the Covid rollercoaster is no longer an issue. The new CA indoor mask mandate is concerning.

Restaurants were hit particularly hard during the pandemic and have incurred astronomical additional costs as a result, such as PPE gear for employees, packaging for to-go orders, costs to construct outside dining, etc. They deserve a break from the monetary constraints, so please leave the outdoor dining until the Covid rollercoaster is behind us. I enjoyed the parking lot conversion next to Mono alley and am sad it has been removed. It would be great to utilize Elsie to Bank Street for more vendors at the farmers market and/or food trucks/vendors during the summer, similar to how San Anselmo is shutting down on Friday/Saturday for outdoor dining. However, I feel that Bank street is under utilized and would be a great space to expand for outdoor recreational use, arts, vendors and expanded farmers markets. In addition, the town has ample parking is many areas and it’s rare that the parking lot by good earth is completely full. Most town goers who are local tend to walk into town for events, the market, etc. so I don’t feel that parking should be a drawback to keeping outdoor dining or having other social and community outdoor gatherings. Thank you for taking the time to read my feedback and for considering the input of all our residents. This town is very special and it shows through the time and dedication from our council members. Anjelica Gazzano, Live Oak Ave 257 Keep the public spaces Mandate masks indoors and out until children are able to be vaccinated
8/4/2021 8:42 PM
258 The option to dine outside is just so much better. I hope it’s allowed to continue forever. 8/4/2021 8:36 PM 259 Keep outdoor dining/make it permanent. Parking is not a priority here. Businesses staying open and having seating to accommodate more patrons is MUCH more important. We have the opportunity to dial back car culture and promote personal connections, community and save our small businesses all in one fell swoop. Please do not muck this up 8/4/2021 8:33 PM
260 The wood is not very attractive on the outdoor dining areas, looks shabby now so if this is extended it needs to have an improved design and material. We don't come downtown as much because parking is inadequate - especially now that the theater is open again. But if keeps the businesses alive so be it.
8/4/2021 6:49 PM
261 the outdoor dining has been one of the best things to happen to our town. We LOVE being able to eat outside at all our favorite spaces. PLEASE keep them around permanently. 8/4/2021 6:28 PM
262 Suggest keeping the lot next to ghaus closed- it’s a great place for the community to gather. 8/4/2021 6:20 PM 263 I love the outdoor dining spaces. It really brings a community feel to fairfax! 8/4/2021 5:19 PM 264 Keep em 8/4/2021 5:18 PM
265 I want to make the parking lot where the skatepark is into one big skatepark to serve the needs of the skaters there. I'm an instructor and I do the after school programs and it's my responsibility to help these kids build confidence and I am concerned that eliminating more parking spaces will make my case very hard to expand the skatepark. I think that the outdoor dining should stay. But without a parking solution, or the courage to lose those parking spaces, my mission to expand the skatepark will become very difficult. 8/4/2021 5:14 PM
266 Fairfax is so much more fun with the outdoor spaces and we spend waaay more at local businesses because of them. The town would have to be insane to get rid of them. We have enough parking and we won’t need a lot of parking if no one comes to town because they have to sit inside. That would be ridiculous
8/4/2021 5:12 PM
267 While I realized it created parking challenges, the “Fairfax Plaza” area became a wonderful community space. Overall, these outdoor gathering feed the sense of community in town, and helps draw more attention to businesses that will need longer-term solutions for the losses incurred during the pandemic.
8/4/2021 5:08 PM
268 The parklets add so much to the town and to our spaces, and help businesses stay alive. It’s a no brainer to make them permanent to some degree
8/4/2021 4:37 PM
269 Businesses like Way Station had a very hard years long permitting process for a safe traditional outdoor patio. Now all of their competitors who complained get fast tracked patios overnight. And they are taking advantage of the opportunity and want to exploit the generosity and make the temporary patios permanent. Doesn’t seem like a level playing field for those who came before. The Coffee Roastery and Gestault Haus and Splitrock are the most egregious examples of those taking advantage of the situation. 8/4/2021 4:36 PM
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270 Was hesitant at first but now really enjoy the outdoor spaces. Gives the town a different, positive feel.
8/4/2021 4:28 PM
271 continue to advocate for walking to, in, and thru town. more outdoor space is desirable, not sure where that can happen tho.
8/4/2021 3:41 PM
272 I LOVE having the outdoor dining spaces, it really improves the town and creates a lovely sense of community. PLEASE make it permanent!!
8/4/2021 3:31 PM
273 I have truly loved outdoor dining in Fairfax and hope it's here to stay! 8/4/2021 3:28 PM 274 I really like the park let’s and feel that they have been beneficial for our community from public health and economic perspectives. I’m glad they were extended. Long term, impact studies should be done on safety and on businesses- but covid is here to stay for a while and I’m happy we have them now.
8/4/2021 3:15 PM
275 See above. Also: Make more use of the baseball field. Not just for baseball but for outdoor dinning under the stars. Also. See if BofA is willing to sell their building. That place is huge and the entire property could be better put to use for the town. Do a charity raising for purchase and create a park out of the parking lot where people can dine outside. Have a small community garden put in. The building is historic, so keep it and get some sky lights and windows in there and create a non alcoholic place for local teens and elders (locals only) to gather to play billiards, bingo, shuffleboard, storytelling. Have town events there when the pavilion is taken up. There’s a lot of potential in that massive property, untapped. And the same goes for the property next to the Good Earth. As far as already public places that’s a difficult one because we need parking. What buildings / land is Fairfax willing to purchase for the public and can they do this as a charity fundraiser. Lots of wacky ideas! Trying here. 8/4/2021 2:49 PM
276 I love the outdoor dining, I feel it has greatly improved the restaurant experience in Fairfax and makes the downtown area seem more lively and fun.
8/4/2021 2:30 PM
277 Put them in one of the parks, leave the parking spaces alone 8/4/2021 2:23 PM 278 The outdoor dining has created a warm ambiance to the town along with a way to eat out while feeling more safe to do so. I am someone who enjoys and prefers outdoor setting to indoor, when the weather permits— which it mostly does here in CA. 8/4/2021 1:41 PM
279 Loss of parking concerns are overblown although we might want to have at least 1 handicapped spot by each parklet. The loss of Fairfax Plaza was a shame. I look forward to and support the new shared space on Mono.
8/4/2021 1:41 PM
280 Love it! Keep as much outdoor space as possible 8/4/2021 1:36 PM 281 I think it’s absolutely wonderful eating outdoors. It has helped the community feel more apart of our town. I also believe covid is here for a while and our restaurants are going to need continued support for a very long time. I haven’t found parking to be a problem at all. Please make the parklets permanent.
8/4/2021 1:29 PM
282 Some of the build outs are need to be uniform. The packing next to Gestalt house becomes a garbage pit when it closes.
8/4/2021 1:23 PM
283 I think the outdoor spaces have greatly improved the vibe in downtown Fairfax. Even throughout the pandemic it was amazing to see people outside dining and patronizing our wonderful downtown businesses. It's fantastic to be able to enjoy the great weather and when indoor dining is allowed it also allows restaurants to increase their capacity. As a twenty year resident of Fairfax this is a best I have felt about the downtown. I for one would be extremely disappointed with the city if the parklets were closed. I love the creative thinking that has generated the idea to close part of mono and create a community space that is open to all.

Also what about adding nice lights and tables to the redwood grove in Bolinas Park where people could enjoy take out and even music could be scheduled. San Anselmo's outdoor dining area in the middle of town is fantastic.
8/4/2021 12:21 PM
284 The parklets and outdoor seating is a perfect use of space in Fairfax. The local businesses do not have the ability to increase their indoor seating and shared outdoor seating allows for them to serve more people using the resources they currently posses. The weather in Fairfax allows for the use of outdoor spaces most of the year. The opposition will state that the parking issue requires they walk further to access. The town should be encouraging visitors to utilize green transportation methods such as walking and or bicycles. Those who truly have access problems can utilize the handicap spaces. Our town is in a unique position to become known 8/4/2021 12:15 PM
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for indoor/outdoor entertainment that centralized in a few small blocks. The less cars the better as it encourages pedestrians. Please spend a few minutes watching the attached video links:
https://youtu.be/9OfBpQgLXUc https://youtu.be/bAxRYrpbnuA https://youtu.be/y_SXXTBypIg 285 I think it's a great shame that the benches/tables beside gestalt are back to being a car park.

That was a lovely part of town. I appreciate folks want convenient parking but that is less important than making the center of Fairfax a safe, enjoyable environment for walking and sitting in. Pedestrianisation is highly effective in towns and cities around the world in terms of increasing revenue for local businesses. We do so much that biases towards car owners, it's important to focus on what would make the town more successful rather than convenient for a vocal minority.
8/4/2021 12:11 PM
286 Having outdoor seating is such a lovely part of the center of town and makes going to restaurants, cafes and bars a lot more appealing. Maybe the parking at the hardware store could be used after closing. There are so many parking spots around town, but having better signs to the parking or access to private parking could help. People are much better than cars for making a vibrant town center!
8/4/2021 12:06 PM
287 Please let the restaurant folks keep outdoor dining. They may have to go back to no indoor, and it makes no sense to remove it all to put it back up. Makes the town lively. 8/4/2021 11:53 AM
288 Utilize the space next to Way Station for outdoor seating 8/4/2021 11:35 AM 289 I think the outdoor dining spaces make Fairfax a more lively and charming town and that whatever logistical issues may arise the trade-off is worth it for "quality of life" enhancement. 8/4/2021 11:14 AM
290 No parklets should be allowed on Bolinas Rd. The others should remain. 8/4/2021 11:12 AM 291 I was sad to see the Fairfax Plaza go. It was a great place to work on nice days and it kept COVID infections down by keeping the surrounding bars mostly empty inside. In my opinion, we worry too much about parking. A little walk doesn't hurt anyone (assuming there are handicapped spots).
8/4/2021 11:06 AM
292 Let’s open up more space for people and stop taking so much space for parked cars. The parkade could be such a great community meeting space. It really feels wasted to me 8/4/2021 10:57 AM
293 I feel granting individual businesses outdoor spaces is most definitely going to effect parking and hurt all downtown activities. There should be less and they should be shared spaces. 8/4/2021 10:56 AM
294 Would love to ensure we keep all existing outdoor spaces and look for more - this has been one of the few silver linings of the pandemic, and almost seems obvious that we should’ve been doing more outdoor dining all along given the beautiful weather we have here almost year round!
8/4/2021 10:51 AM
295 I absolutely loved seeing the vibrancy of the Fairfax community shine through, even in these dark times, through the outdoor dining spaces. I am hugely in support of these remaining, or even one night a week closing down the main throughfare on Bolinas for pedestrian/bike only and dining, live music, etc. Also, not sure if this is the place for this feedback, but I think there is huge potential for community space by restoring the Town and Country center as a place for the community to gather (pool, open space, music/events, etc) - while of course still maintaining the housing that is currently provides!
8/4/2021 10:40 AM
296 Some of the spaces should be reduced or modified for traffic safety. This includes the Roasters and Village Sake.
8/4/2021 10:40 AM
297 I'd like to see more out of downtown parking available 8/4/2021 10:21 AM 298 I would love to keep the park let’s, but return the mono lot to be parking. The way it is now where you have to drive and turn around and then park really does not work. And having that large open space next to there doesn’t really add to my experience of downtown. In fact, I never feel safe there and feel uncomfortable even walking by it because there is so many people congregating in close proximity without masks. I think having the Parklet is great and makes our town so much more lively and fun, but if people want to sit in larger groups they can go to the park. Also there is an issue with alcohol there 8/4/2021 10:21 AM
299 They create vibrant community spaces and make the town feel alive! 8/4/2021 10:18 AM 300 Creating outdoor space for eating and drinking in a town that had almost none changes everything. Losing a couple of parking spaces changes nothing: a few people, probably from 8/4/2021 10:13 AM
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out of town, might have to park half a block farther away. Doesn't Fairfax supposedly value people over cars? Please make these permanent.
301 I think that the outdoor dining brings a great air of energy to the town in the warm evenings.

Not sure how it will continue during the winter...
8/4/2021 10:07 AM
302 I have REALLY liked having the outdoor spaces, it has been a massive improvement and hope they are permanent, I so enjoy getting to enjoy the food and drink of Fairfax outdoors. 8/4/2021 10:04 AM
303 We have loved the outdoor dining in Fairfax this past year! Our family has two unvaccinated little kids. We enjoy sitting outside with our littles for an early dinner out. Stillwater and Sorellas are favorites! Please keep as much outdoor space as possible in Fairfax! 8/4/2021 9:38 AM
304 create a central park like San Anselmo for all to bring takeout food to 8/4/2021 9:36 AM 305 In the summer, allow a “Fairfax restaurant” festival for 4-6 weeks where there would be dining and music on the parkade.
8/4/2021 9:36 AM
306 Love the outdoor dining, both as a resident & retail business owner. Parking is a concern; wish there was a place outside of the downtown core where bicyclists could be directed to park for their day trips. That would make a huge difference with the parking situation. 8/4/2021 9:34 AM
307 I prefer the area next to Gestalt Haus as a plaza than a parking lot. 8/4/2021 9:30 AM 308 Fairfax should consider following San Anselmo's model of closing downtown to traffic Friday evening and having live music, kids playing safe in the street. I am aware that San Anselmo ave is not the main thoroughfare like Bolinas Rd. However Fairfax leadership should check out San Anselmo on a Friday Afternoon it is really really cool we can do the same thing. 8/4/2021 9:16 AM
309 This survey sucks. Badly written and fairly worthless for data 8/4/2021 9:12 AM 310 Fairfax is an outdoor town and should embrace the outdoor seating. For reference, I’m in Washington state now and they hardly have any outdoor seating where we are. You have no idea how special it makes the town. People will always find a place to park. 8/4/2021 8:26 AM
311 Outdoor areas should be attractive. If they are approved permanently they need some regulations as to not be an eyesore.
8/4/2021 8:12 AM
312 The road from BofA ty o Bolinas Rd near the Pavillion is very wide and could be somehow used for more parking--keeping the street or maybe not given there are other ways to get through.
8/4/2021 8:01 AM
313 Parking spaces should be returned. No more sidewalk dining or parklets. No large gatherings in parks until the pandemic is over. Fairfax needs to stop allowing maskless crowds to gather downtown. Sidewalks need to be accessible for all people, not just restaurant customers. 8/4/2021 7:49 AM
314 I love the charm of eating outdoors and being outdoors... keep the little outdoor eating areas please ~
8/4/2021 7:44 AM
315 It’s so great to see the town so alive with people using the outdoor spaces! 8/4/2021 7:34 AM 316 Town Center should be a place for people to gather and enjoy themselves .. the park let’s are a great addition to town .. reinforces the message the Fairfax is a place to Enjoy Life …. 8/4/2021 7:27 AM
317 I suspect we may not be able to keep all restaurant parklets - due to street space - but I think we should keep a few AND the public space next to gestalt haus. I think all of the outdoor spaces really benefit our town!!! The big question will be maintaining the structures so they don’t look shabby in a year or so ….. I also understand that this cannot be the responsibility of public works - those guys already have so very much to take care of!! 8/4/2021 7:25 AM
318 This is not good for Fairfax, it's GREAT. Come on, these businesses have suffered long enough. They need Fairfax to step up for them and allow outdoor dining. It's also incredibly charming for our town, it looks good. It does not impact safety. (The parakeets are just like parked cars!). It brings more business to Fairfax. It improves the morale of the town. Let's make this a positive out of the negative of the pandemic. It's good in every way. As far as parking, come on. There's plenty of parking, and people can stop whining and walk a little. The benefits FAR OUTWEIGH the negatives. Let's go, Fairfax. Do the right thing! 8/4/2021 7:20 AM
319 I feel outdoor dining spaces should be extended as long as there is serious health affects from the pandemic. I do not support long-term extension once the pandemic is over or under control. 8/4/2021 7:18 AM
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320 PLEASE KEEP THE OUTDOOR DINING!! As a resident, we eat out even more now that outdoor seating is more available! Life is better in Fairfax with outdoor dining! I don’t know why this is even an issue up for discussion. Parking has always been an issue and the amount of parking spots that have been taken to support outdoor dining is not enough to warrant getting rid of it.
8/4/2021 7:10 AM
321 I’ve loved the outdoor dining ! Please keep :) 8/4/2021 7:10 AM 322 None of knows what is to happen with Covid and frankly i think all businesses should have access to outdoor spaces as much as is feasible.
8/4/2021 6:55 AM
323 Must keep outdoor park let s just like in San Francisco. This is the future and the entire retail district will benefit with more foot traffic.
8/4/2021 6:51 AM
324 Parking lots have proven to be sufficient. The utilization of parking space by restaurants has not deteriorated the spaces available.
8/4/2021 6:44 AM
325 It is such an added bonus to our town! 8/4/2021 6:39 AM 326 I think outdoor dining is wonderful. Our climate is fairly mild and it’s so nice to be able to take advantage of that for al fresco dining. Longer term, it’s very supportive of restaurant business to expand their capacity and income potential. This sidewalk activation should benefit other businesses as well with increased shoppers. Fairfax should also reconsider closing off Bolinas street for one block to make it all pedestrian. Many European cities do that with great success on major shopping streets. Fairfax has historically made good use of its parks etc for the Fairfax Festival and weekly farmers market.
8/4/2021 6:39 AM
327 I like the use of the Mono lot for dining since it is open to all. The other areas are only open to paying customers of the individual restaurants/ this does not benefit the residents of Fairfax only increases profits for those owners. Not right !
8/4/2021 6:38 AM
328 I love the outdoor dining in Fairfax and I strongly support making it permanent. 8/4/2021 1:07 AM 329 Bring back the public space next to the Gestalt house, it’s minimal parking vs the greater good of a community gathering space
8/3/2021 10:40 PM
330 More streets for people, not cars. People love Fairfax because it’s NOT Novato or Morgan hill. 8/3/2021 10:40 PM 331 The pop outs benefit out of towners much more than locals and personally I don't see the need to further support impacting the neighborhoods, making it harder for locals to park downtown, and making Fairfax more of a destination for folks from elsewhere to come to..... Your survey is also confusing as per business owners and others, and besides, look at the numbers. How many business are there compared to folks which may fill out this survey? Think it through..... 8/3/2021 9:58 PM
332 Please quit losing parking places around downtown... it's more than enough you gave up parking to a skateboard park...
8/3/2021 9:58 PM
333 I love the vibrancy and sense of community that the outdoor dining spaces bring. It feels more lively and inviting.
8/3/2021 9:57 PM
334 Food truck evenings at areas like library, bolinas park, peri park, ball field 8/3/2021 9:35 PM 335 Safeguard current available parking. 8/3/2021 9:09 PM 336 Turn the parkade into space for people instead of cars. Bring back the tables next to Gestalt, but make it clear it is not only for Gestalt patrons. Having the tables and public outdoor space brings life to the town.
8/3/2021 8:59 PM
337 I don’t think we should give away our public parks, streets and parking lots to private businesses without proper compensation to the town.
8/3/2021 8:15 PM
338 I’d love to see tables and string lights among the trees next to the Pavilion, like how they did in San Anselmo at the old L’Apparte space.
8/3/2021 8:05 PM
339 Bring back the Fairfax plaza to the people. I think a few voices took it down. Such a shame.

That being said, parking compensation needs to be looked at. 8/3/2021 7:33 PM
340 Anything to support local businesses 8/3/2021 6:59 PM 341 Fairfax Lumber Library Fairfax Market 8/3/2021 6:55 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
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342 Do what’s best for All businesses in town, not just the restaurants. While they were hurting for months during the pandemic, the pop outs were fine.. but everyone is and should be back to full capacity indoors, so need to keep them up. It’s important to note All businesses suffered during the pandemic. Questions: What is the rent they pay for the space of our taxpayer parking spots? What will you do once there is no parking at Bank of America? What about the delivery drivers .. where are they supposed to park and deliver reasonably to their customers in a timely manner that allows them to get their other customers. It seems the town council has decided to put restaurants first and make it harder on the other businesses, may I ask why that is? Finally how are you making the space you’ve given restaurants who can afford to build a pop out, equitable to All businesses?
8/3/2021 6:51 PM
343 Picnic tables in Bolinas park. Reopen the parkade next to gestalt. Who cares about parking. It encourages us residents to walk into town and support local businesses. 8/3/2021 6:36 PM
344 Definitely make all outdoor dining spaces become compliant. Several are too large and blocking other businesses. One is 1 ft too big into the center of the road. This is illegal.

Bolinas road is an emergency exit for a few thousand people. 8/3/2021 6:17 PM
345 PLEASE give back the space by Gestalt Haus. This was such a needed area for congregating.

I get that parking may be hard at times for out of towners, but this is our town not theirs, and we need outdoor community space. I am so sad that that is once again a parking lot... 8/3/2021 3:09 PM
346 Use of Mono lot for shared dining is working well. All others seem like privatization of public space. There have been evenings where I have had to walk in the street due to congestion in front of still water. Having a service window leading to sidewalk makes this particularly bad. I am glad that the town has helped businesses stay alive during pandemic, but to make them permanent is a giveaway of public property that only benefits some of the businesses 8/3/2021 1:22 PM
347 Fairfax needs to make the safety of its citizens the number 1 priority by removing these structures from the public right of way
8/3/2021 1:00 PM
348 I was offended seeing the parklet on Bolinas Rd. using a handicapped parking space. I do not feel comfortable eating on the street with traffic and unmasked people walking by. 8/3/2021 12:31 PM
349 The Mono parking lot being used as a place for people to sit, eat, drink & socially gather. That space at least doesn’t interfere with pedestrians trying to walk safely throughout downtown Fairfax without exposing themselves to people that are sitting on sidewalks or parklets with seating alongside sidewalks that potentially expose people to the virus circulating through the air.
8/3/2021 12:04 PM
350 I feel the parklets should be temporary. As soon as we are back open, we should remove them. Unfortunately Fairfax has one way out from the the Cascade canyon and Deer Park areas and in the even of an evacuation, the parklets will be a dangerous threat to lives with cars trying to drive out of the area. My thoughts on sidewalk dining is small tables next to the buildings like cities do and like France and other quaint boite type cafe's. We need to keep safety first overall.
8/3/2021 11:25 AM
351 Please make these outdoor dining spaces permanent! It adds to the environment and makes Fairfax feel more special that it already was. We love the outdoor dining option! 8/3/2021 9:39 AM
352 we need parking lots for the use of residents and others utilizing businesses and our parks 8/3/2021 9:13 AM 353 I love the outdoor dining. It brings the community together. Some of the parking problems are all the out of town bikers who take up Space and give very little back to the community. Maybe a shorter parking limit in the parkade and extended time for residents with parking tags. 8/3/2021 8:42 AM
354 The outdoor parklets and are excellent for our town. They have provided community gathering spaces, have attracted desperately needed business, and have breathed life into the town and it’s businesses. All the town parklets simply MUST stay. The loss of the use of the outdoor Public spaces and Parklets would be devastating on every level. It would like going going back the dark age. Please bring back Mono Lot outdoor Park area. The loss if that Park area is significant. We had no idea that was being taken down. Why was there no notification that it was on the chopping block? Why weren’t we given the chance to defend and support it’s long term use? The Parklets MUST stay. Fairfax is vibrant and flourishing as a result of their presence.
8/3/2021 7:57 AM
355 As a resident of Dominga Ave, I ask the Town Management and Council to not close Bolinas.

Cut through traffic is already an issue and will be worse once school is back in session. The 8/3/2021 6:57 AM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
40 / 41
Elsie/Bank alternative is not a viable option. People will cut through Dominga. Please keep Bolinas open as you consider next steps for our town. Thank you. 356 I liked parking lot conversion next to Gestault Haus. 8/3/2021 3:21 AM 357 Keep as much outdoor dining as possible! 8/3/2021 1:17 AM 358 Just get rid of them all 8/2/2021 11:13 PM
359 Keep the outdoor dining spaces in Fairfax! They are beautiful and improve the sense of community. So fun to walk down the street and see people enjoying a meal or drive through at night and see families and friends under pretty lights. It brings new life and energy to the townsimilar to what you might find in Europe. Let outdoor dining in Fairfax be one of the positives of COVID. It seems stifling to be forced back inside after having enjoyed this new way of dining. 8/2/2021 10:59 PM
360 put it back the way it was- you've made a dangerous mess out of our evacuation corridor-- if people have to evacuate at night- and firetrucks have to get in- who will survive the head- on collisions?- i'm starting to understand why you hire out of town personnel- who would want to be here and live through the calamity you have put in place for half the residents who will need a wide open road to get out on should/when a fire occurs. it's on your heads- you've been warned repeatedly-maybe it's time that renee trades her bike in on a broomstick so she can get out? all the 'bike friendly' signs on cascade road aren't going to help anyone during an evacuation event-- good job council--
8/2/2021 10:31 PM
361 Fairfax is now liable for injuries and deaths should a Wildland fire blow through the southwest portion of Town, south of Park Road, and residents and visitors not be able to get out in a timely manor and safely because of blockages on Bolinas Road. 8/2/2021 9:59 PM
362 PLEASE KEEP OUTDOOR DINING! 8/2/2021 9:31 PM
363 The small number of spaces currently being used by restaurants aren’t really causing the slight difficulty in parking that some people are experiencing downtown. Parking is always more challenging in the summer months in Fairfax, and more so this past 18mos in a town with a lot of access to the outdoors during a pandemic.
8/2/2021 9:08 PM
364 No park lets. We need parking. And open escape routes. Remove all the 2nd tier ‘gardens’ by the post office. Replace street parking there and in front of the good earth. Replace the right hand turn lane across from the theatre so traffic doesn’t back up to the good earth during rush hour.
8/2/2021 9:07 PM
365 All of the outdoor dining options have been fantastic. The public space adjacent to Gestalt Haus was utilized by quite a few user groups and seems sad that the town has determined it is more important for parking. Are we a progressive town, maybe not, it seems with respect to car priorities, seems to have been working the past few months. The outdoor options certainly gives Fairfax an awesome new vibe, quite Fairfaxian !
8/2/2021 8:53 PM
366 The creation of a parklet on Mono Lane since closing of Plaza would be great. Having two one way streets off of Bolinas in same direction is beyond redundant. 8/2/2021 8:46 PM
367 Bummer that the gathering space by Gestault Haus was turned back into a parking lot. 8/2/2021 8:40 PM 368 Please continue to support our local businesses and help our restaurants survive 8/2/2021 8:01 PM 369 I think moving and keeping dinning outdoors is great. We should prioritize people over cars.

There is a lot of parking at good earth, Fairfax market, Fairfax lumber and the parkade. It should all be available for the good of the town. I would support an ordinance that compels the owners of these lots to make them available.
8/2/2021 7:53 PM
370 Bring back the parking. I can't shop if I can't park. Put picnic tables in Peri park for take away dining. Permit wine and beer bought in restaurants in designated picnic areas. Increase handicapped parking several fold, near the businesses, not the parkade. 8/2/2021 7:37 PM
371 plz give us back bolinas ave -- 8/2/2021 7:22 PM
372 please prioritize public space and active outdoor programming over parking. long term, the sidewalks on Bolinas and Broadway should be widened.
8/2/2021 7:09 PM
373 Love the parklets! All praise is due the Town for allowing them as they saved our restaurants while allowing new restaurants to prosper. They are a beloved feature for residents and visitors alike and should become a permanent feature of our Town. 8/2/2021 7:09 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Resident
41 / 41
374 Put more tables in the park so people can take to go food from restaurants there instead of using parking spaces to dine.
8/2/2021 6:56 PM
375 Except for the parklets that benefits the restaurants and coffee Roastery the other stores do not and did not want them but are afraid to speak out. There isn’t Parking near their stores. I believe nothing will change these park let's Until a car takes their eyes off the road, runs into one of the parklets and someone get injured. Law suit waiting to happen. 8/2/2021 6:51 PM
376 We love the parklets! 8/2/2021 6:44 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor Comments
1 / 8
Q5 What, if any, safety issues have you observed?
Answered: 88 Skipped: 123
# RESPONSES DATE
1 None 8/25/2021 9:21 AM
2 I think there should be lights around each parklets for night time visibility but otherwise it’s awesome
8/25/2021 9:09 AM
3 none 8/25/2021 8:17 AM
4 None 8/25/2021 6:36 AM
5 Very clean 8/24/2021 8:06 PM
6 None 8/24/2021 1:12 PM
7 Zero safety issues 8/24/2021 1:12 AM
8 Hard for cars to see pedestrians crossing street until they are right in front of the car 8/23/2021 8:37 PM 9 Aggressive dogs 8/23/2021 7:47 AM
10 None 8/22/2021 7:45 PM
11 None 8/22/2021 7:45 PM
12 No safety issue I can see. Seems people are respectful and appreciate the opportunity to have visitors walking shopping and dining.
8/22/2021 5:47 PM
13 Maybe some tables are still too close together for covid safety but still WAY better outside than in.
8/21/2021 10:27 PM
14 I haven’t seen any safety issues presented by outdoor dining in Fairfax. 8/21/2021 9:54 PM 15 None 8/21/2021 8:37 PM
16 None 8/21/2021 5:55 PM
17 None 8/21/2021 3:18 PM
18 None 8/21/2021 2:31 PM
19 None 8/21/2021 1:00 PM
20 None 8/21/2021 10:53 AM
21 None 8/21/2021 10:19 AM
22 None 8/21/2021 10:16 AM
23 None 8/21/2021 9:29 AM
24 None 8/20/2021 6:38 PM
25 None 8/20/2021 4:39 PM
26 None 8/20/2021 4:31 PM
27 None! 8/20/2021 3:44 PM
28 None and we come weekly 8/20/2021 3:02 PM
29 Slightly increased parking difficulty 8/20/2021 2:23 PM 30 None 8/20/2021 2:22 PM
31 Car not stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks 8/20/2021 2:19 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
2 / 8
32 None 8/20/2021 2:15 PM
33 None 8/20/2021 1:55 PM
34 People without masks gathering in large groups outside 8/20/2021 1:03 PM 35 None 8/20/2021 10:29 AM
36 Maskless people way too close together 8/19/2021 8:14 PM 37 None 8/19/2021 6:57 PM
38 Would be so nice to have no cars on end of Bo-Fax or Center periodically as there are so many pedestrians.
8/19/2021 4:14 PM
39 None 8/19/2021 1:35 PM
40 None 8/19/2021 9:39 AM
41 None 8/18/2021 7:30 PM
42 Drunk and smoking people 8/18/2021 6:20 PM
43 More patrons. Pleasant and safe experience 8/18/2021 5:40 PM 44 None 8/17/2021 4:37 PM
45 Transition space between sidewalk and Dining area, dining space, and curb. 8/16/2021 9:08 PM 46 Many people still don't wear masks in businesses. 8/15/2021 12:03 AM 47 None 8/14/2021 2:38 PM
48 Not enough outdoor dining 8/14/2021 1:40 PM
49 No space btwn road and outdoor cafe - potential collision. 8/12/2021 1:24 PM 50 None 8/11/2021 10:33 AM
51 None 8/10/2021 6:36 AM
52 much better social distancing infinitely better COVID safety for folks to eat outdoors instead of indoors
8/7/2021 2:11 PM
53 None 8/7/2021 7:45 AM
54 None 8/6/2021 6:01 PM
55 vehicle proximity, smaller bicycle lanes 8/5/2021 6:07 PM 56 Only concern is cars not paying attention 8/5/2021 3:53 PM 57 Too many cars driving too quickly through downtown. 8/5/2021 2:32 PM 58 It feels a little unsafe, especially at the Roastery parklet. With the addition of the Japanese Restaurant parklet seems to be a bit of a bottle neck. I would suggest having a cop sit on the Roastery parklet to observe the people going thru staring at their mobile devices while driving.

Happens too often.
8/5/2021 12:52 PM
59 It seems safer with well monitored outdoor spaces. 8/5/2021 11:59 AM 60 Confused drivers 8/4/2021 9:10 PM
61 No safety issues while I was using the outdoor spaces. 8/4/2021 7:49 PM 62 None 8/4/2021 7:15 PM
63 Cars driving by too quickly 8/4/2021 5:40 PM
64 None, if anything, it helps promote safety! 8/4/2021 3:11 PM 65 None 8/4/2021 2:12 PM
66 None 8/4/2021 2:04 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
3 / 8
67 None. Seems to slow down traffic and make it safer. 8/4/2021 11:29 AM 68 None 8/4/2021 11:29 AM
69 I've seen absolutely no safety impact. 8/4/2021 11:24 AM 70 none 8/4/2021 10:58 AM
71 None 8/4/2021 10:41 AM
72 would be nice to have more of a buffer between parklets and the street (cars). Also, making sure sidewalks stay clear for ADA use.
8/4/2021 10:18 AM
73 None 8/4/2021 10:12 AM
74 none 8/4/2021 10:11 AM
75 Inattentive drivers on their cell phones. Otherwise, people are adapting and being conscious of the new space dimensions for driving.
8/4/2021 8:11 AM
76 None 8/4/2021 7:50 AM
77 Traffic congestion on Bolinas Fairfax Rd. 8/4/2021 7:34 AM 78 None 8/4/2021 7:32 AM
79 None 8/4/2021 7:19 AM
80 Sometimes the sight lines at crosswalks are blocked by the new outdoor dining areas. I've had trouble seeing pedestrians in the crosswalks.
8/3/2021 10:05 PM
81 Outdoor dining spaces in Fairfax makes it snuck more safe 8/3/2021 9:57 PM 82 None 8/3/2021 9:49 PM
83 kind of scary for elderly people to walk past all the unmasked people eating outdoors. (I avoid downtown areas, wear a face mask outdoors when downtown.) 8/3/2021 9:15 PM
84 None 8/3/2021 8:53 PM
85 Cars almost running into tables. Pedestrians forced into the street. 8/3/2021 6:18 PM 86 None 8/3/2021 11:17 AM
87 Bike parking is rarely safe enough, not supported in some outdoor dining areas. 8/2/2021 8:12 PM 88 Room for bikers egress. 8/2/2021 7:12 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
4 / 8
Q10 Please share any suggestions, including how Fairfax could make use of public spaces (ie:parks, streets, parking lots) and what those uses might include and/or feedback on the subject of outdoor dining spaces:

Answered: 86 Skipped: 125
# RESPONSES DATE
1 We live in San Anselmo, but have enjoyed the outdoor dining opportunities in Fairfax, and look forward to continuing!
8/25/2021 11:32 AM
2 I feel you should have more street parking available. 8/25/2021 9:09 AM 3 I think outdoor dining enhances the town. It’s nice to see and makes things more interesting. It appears more welcoming to visitors. I love in San Rafael on Friday when 4th street is closed to cars.
8/25/2021 7:05 AM
4 I just visited on a weekday at Fairfax and I saw this and checking out places and lots cyclists and stuff but that's great town to visit
8/24/2021 8:06 PM
5 We live in Woodacre. Appreciate being able to dine outdoors! If we could not eat outdoors, we would not patronize eateries in Fairfax.
8/24/2021 3:35 PM
6 The sidewalk on Broadway feels very crowded and cluttered. It would be great to use underutilized parking like the movie theatre and the lot on Bolinas for outdoor dining 8/23/2021 8:37 PM
7 It’s wonderful having lively streets. 8/23/2021 3:28 PM 8 Outdoor dining is super cool and reminds me of Europe. Large outdoor spaces with quality fare enhance the feel of community and bring us together outdoors and outdoors is where people need to be. I would love to see a large bizarre and gathering place in Fairfax or San Anselmo where locals and tourists alike are welcomed. Food, music, art, theater and the like would be amazing
8/23/2021 7:47 AM
9 Keep all the outdoor dining! Love it, for so many reasons. 8/22/2021 7:45 PM 10 At the very least the outdoor dining spaces are essential during the pandemic! We need to support our local restaurants.
8/22/2021 7:45 PM
11 Continue to include outdoor activities dining shopping and farmers markets. 8/22/2021 5:47 PM 12 I love outdoor dining covid or not…feels very European. And obviously covid safety is my number one concern right now. I simply will not eat indoors yet. 8/21/2021 10:27 PM
13 I love the parklets and outdoor dining in Fairfax, and I eat out about twice a week in Fairfax (I'm a resident of San geronimo). I would love to see more pedestrian-only streets downtown.

Maybe on bolinas or Broadway to create a better dining experience and encourage more patronage. It would be great to see Fairfax market parking lot open to more evening parking to relieve congestion.
8/21/2021 10:03 PM
14 Fairfax should be planted into a food forest and the food could be given to low to no income residents.
8/21/2021 9:54 PM
15 I * love * the outdoor dining. My family and I come t Fairfax far more often than before. 8/21/2021 8:37 PM 16 Our family often determines where to eat dinner based on outdoor dining because of the beautiful Marin weather, and skips restaurants that don’t have it. Enabling outdoor dining is a huge positive, as far as we’re concerned.
8/21/2021 7:46 PM
17 Love it! Park somewhere else 8/21/2021 5:05 PM
18 Open the restaurants! 8/21/2021 3:18 PM
19 Keep outdoor dining!!! By far, the best thing that came out of COVID! 8/20/2021 6:38 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
5/8
20 Our weather supports 10 months of outdoor seating. Why has is taken so long for us to enjoy this.
8/20/2021 4:39 PM
21 Please keep the outdoor dining spaces as is, and allow for other businesses to expand as well when they ready
8/20/2021 3:44 PM
22 Outdoor dining is great for everyone! Many people walk or ride to town anyway. There is plenty of parking nearby too.
8/20/2021 2:22 PM
23 (1). Make decisions based on positive input, not the career obstructionists. (2) have outside consultant update and simplify traffic related requirements. 8/20/2021 2:15 PM
24 Leverage our beautiful outdoors more 8/20/2021 1:55 PM 25 As a san Anselmo resident and frequent visitor to Fairfax to dine- we totally support continued outdoor dining spaces- it’s very European and welcoming even beyond the pandemic! 8/20/2021 1:52 PM
26 Theres a reason why all of Europe has outdoor dining… it works for everyone It has improved the social and dining experience in general is what I see 8/20/2021 10:29 AM
27 food trucks in library parking lot? Bring back Biketoberfest. Strawberry Rec just had a great Community Night on their field and surrounding hardscape. Had maybe 6 food vendors, 15 community group tables, live bands on the field, 200+ people. Great family-friendly community buzz. I love Fairfax Fest but maybe start back up with something smaller. 8/19/2021 4:14 PM
28 Peri Park is great. I love the farmer’s market and concerts. I am a fan of the skate park. More offerings for seniors would be great
8/19/2021 9:39 AM
29 We come to Fairfax at least once a week for dinner and before Covid a movie. We live in SF and love the community and the beautiful climate. Fairfax has an abundance of great restaurants and the community’s embracing diversity. As an interracial gay couple we feel so welcome in your beautiful hamlet. Now if we could only afford to live there. Keep up the great work!
8/18/2021 7:30 PM
30 More bike access 8/18/2021 5:40 PM
31 Please keep outdoor spaces-parklets, it creates a fun atmosphere with music ! 8/18/2021 5:19 PM 32 Keep the skateboard park, such a valuable addition to the town of Fairfax. The dining outdoor space is good, maybe if they could exist in with parking space that parallels the restaurant they services. They do not need to extend space that obstructs or obscure access to retail neighbors.
8/16/2021 9:08 PM
33 Most businesses have been creative and appear to be successful in their use of available spaces.
8/15/2021 12:03 AM
34 Create giant underground parking so Cars are kept cool and make every space an ev space.

Also implement luxury park spots in premium locations and provide car wash services for extra revenue. Give small businesses free advertising in the parking lots. 8/14/2021 1:40 PM
35 Please retain these great additional Gathering spots! 8/11/2021 10:33 AM 36 As a visitor I chose to dine in Fairfax because of the availability of outdoor dining. I do not feel Safe eating indoors
8/9/2021 10:15 AM
37 I am a regular visitor to Fairfax, arriving by both bike and car. I’m really disappointed to see the loss of the dining space in the parking lot near Gestalt Haus off Bolinas Rd. Seems the loss of outdoor dining space is great relative to the minor cost of the few parking spots. Just seems like supporting local businesses should be of greater importance than the lost few parking spaces. Covid looks like it will be with us longer than we hoped; I’d love to see the safe dining spots returned.
8/8/2021 4:40 PM
38 It is a shame you decided to discontinue the community space in the parking lot in favor of autos. I thought the city of Fairfax supported bikes predestrians over cars and supports the local businesses. Many will choose other towns.
8/8/2021 1:40 PM
39 I'm not a business owner, but frequently come through Fairfax as a cyclist and I think it's great to have the outdoor space! It's a huge motivator for me to stop, grab lunch/drinks, and enjoy Fairfax for an afternoon. I hope you'll keep them!
8/7/2021 2:59 PM
40 More outdoor spaces! Thank you! 8/7/2021 12:12 PM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
6/8
41 The outdoor spaces have added a vibrancy to Fairfax. I think the only consideration would be that those spaces need to maintained and and kept clean as they age 8/7/2021 7:45 AM
42 I think the parklets are a great addition to the town. The parking impact is minimal, and the atmosphere of the town is greatly enhanced. I like them regardless of COVID-19, furthermore while covid is happening they are essential.
8/6/2021 6:01 PM
43 shared outdoor dining spaces are awesome. helpful to businesses in providing additional space for customers.
8/5/2021 6:07 PM
44 Don't take away human spaces for cars and parking! Including the patio already taken from outside gestault haus!
8/5/2021 2:32 PM
45 With the ongoing Covid threat, I would suggest permitting quiet amplified music in those locations.
8/5/2021 12:52 PM
46 I would say N/A to questions 2, 3 and 9. Live in Sausalito. Come to fairfax at least once a week for biking. Love the outdoor spaces. Makes it feel like a cute little European town. 8/5/2021 6:01 AM
47 Mono Ave seems like a good compromise for outdoor eating. 8/4/2021 9:10 PM 48 The parking lot community space was so wonderful! 8/4/2021 8:05 PM 49 Really enjoyed being able to frequent businesses especially bars and restaurants in Fairfax and being able eat outside with friends. Live music in the lot right by Bolinas/Center ave was great too. Please bring it back!
8/4/2021 7:49 PM
50 We love all the outdoor dining areas. We encourage you to create more community spaces! 8/4/2021 7:15 PM 51 Fairfax has the potential to have a lovely walkable and billable downtown, despite Sir Francis Drake cutting through its heart. Deprioritizing cars off of the main arterials makes sense. The town is not so big that people cannot walk from available parking lots. Delivery times could be prioritized before and after business hours. Put people before cars! 8/4/2021 5:40 PM
52 Use Mono for outdoor dining. 8/4/2021 3:19 PM
53 The use of the outdoor spaces in fairfax for dining have not only helped keep fairfax businesses alive, but made fairfax fun and exciting to visit. getting rid of the dining space is like spitting in the faces of the hard working people who keep this town alive. 8/4/2021 3:11 PM
54 Turning parking lots/spots into areas for outdoor dining really impressive the feel of town.

Anything to give people more space outside and less cars is very worth it 8/4/2021 2:38 PM
55 Please allow parking lots and streets to be used as dining areas. 8/4/2021 2:03 PM 56 Please keep outdoor dining available for all small businesses! 8/4/2021 1:23 PM 57 Outdoor spaces in Fairfax have made it comfortable and easy to visit the town and support the local businesses. I've never worried about or had trouble finding parking when I visit because of the convenience of the large public lot. Outdoor spaces feel more connected to the community, and give the town a more welcoming feel.
8/4/2021 12:12 PM
58 Love all the outdoor seating! Please don't go backwards on this. 8/4/2021 11:54 AM 59 I love the parklets and hope they remain as a permanent fixture. It provides a festive atmosphere and sense of community.
8/4/2021 11:47 AM
60 Having more outdoor spacing has made dealing with pandemic stress much easier. 8/4/2021 11:39 AM 61 Fairfax plaza was a great addition. More like that please 8/4/2021 11:37 AM 62 Please create more outdoor dining space in Fairfax now that the indoor mask mandate is in effect
8/4/2021 11:29 AM
63 Parklets should absolutely be permanent. I'm floored to hear that the parking lot next to Mono Ave. closed, especially as the Delta Variant is spiking across the country and we're being advised to ear masks again inside! If parking is a concern, then Fairfax needs to look into how to better-control and regulate traffic, or incentivize other means of transit. It gets out of control on the weekends. Personal convenience should not be sacrificed to the detriment of small business and community safety (health).
8/4/2021 11:24 AM
Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
7/8
64 Outdoor dining options have made all of our local towns more lively. In the face of the delta variant, they are now also.a safer option and may keep many business afloat as patrons reconsider indoor dining, especially families with kids who cannot be vaxxed - or residents who are not vaxxed.
8/4/2021 11:17 AM
65 More outdoor dining options please! 8/4/2021 10:44 AM 66 Keep these outdoor spaces! 8/4/2021 10:41 AM
67 I liked the outdoor dining spaces in streets/parking lots. I feel dining outdoors is safer than dining indoors at this time and it’s a great way to support businesses while limiting risk of COVID. I still do not feel comfortable dining indoors. Continuing to encourage and allow as much outdoor dining as possible is better than removing outdoor dining spaces at this time. 8/4/2021 10:41 AM
68 Bring back Fairfax plaza. 8/4/2021 10:39 AM
69 The parklet’s on the street are nice, but sometimes it felt weird having cars drive by (too fast).

The tables/chairs there were set up in parking lots were ideal, as it was away from traffic, and allowed for more bike parking.
8/4/2021 10:19 AM
70 Stronger bike protections down broadway and bolinas (like actual lanes) would make downtown safer for families and especially kids. because parklets have eliminated some parking, it's more important than ever to make sure people feel safe coming into down in a variety of ways. 8/4/2021 10:18 AM
71 the outdoor dining spaces have added tremendously to the community cohesion and energy of the downtown area. i fully support them being a permanent part of the community. 8/4/2021 10:17 AM
72 I very strongly support the use of streets and parking lots for outdoor dining. I ride my bike to Fairfax and have loved the ability to sit outside at restaurants. 8/4/2021 10:12 AM
73 With more outdoor dining spaces more people are able to enjoy the restaurants that have limited setting indoors
8/4/2021 10:11 AM
74 Use of public spaces: live local music. Farmers markets, food vendors and food trucks on certain days (eg. Off the Grid). These all bring communities together and offer useful fun activities for the whole family.
8/4/2021 8:14 AM
75 Set aside a small space in downton parking lot between Sir Francis Drake Blvd & Center Blvd for musical performances, vocal and instrumental. UseContratti Park-Baseball Field for yoga classes, and Martial Arts classes/exhibitions. Please post PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE post more prominent, brightly colored NO DOGS ALLOWED signs in Contratti Park-Baseball Field.

Too many are allowing their dogs to defecate within the field and not cleaning up after their dogs.
8/4/2021 8:11 AM
76 I think you should consider closing the street from the coffee roaster up to the laundromat.

That is not a heavy traffic thorofare and it would draw people into town. 8/4/2021 7:34 AM
77 Eliminate half of parkade to create natural landscape that can be used for dining and other outdoor activities. More outdoor music and movies
8/4/2021 7:14 AM
78 Please more outdoor dining 8/3/2021 10:01 PM
79 I love them! Please keep them permanently! 8/3/2021 9:49 PM 80 It would be nice if the parking lot next to the skate park could be parking for the downtown merchants.. It could be by permit only
8/3/2021 9:31 PM
81 Parkletts are a great way to add outdoor dining space. It also reduces the traffic of cars so it should reduce pollution and smell in the city And of course if it helps local businesses, I’m all for it
8/3/2021 8:59 PM
82 Keep the parklets 8/3/2021 8:53 PM
83 Please keep the outdoor dining! 8/3/2021 7:38 PM
84 The parklets in downtown Fairfax have brought back life, charm, community and commerce. I live in Sleepy Hollow - half way between Fairfax and San Anselmo and Fairfax has made a thriving downtown that residents and visitors benefit from. 8/2/2021 8:13 PM
85 Mandate more bike wall racks INSIDE the dining areas similar to Gestalt bike racks. 8/2/2021 8:12 PM Outdoor Dining Survey - Visitor
8/8
86 Bigger skateboarding park please! Let the Parker’s be permanent. 8/2/2021 7:12 PM

Fairfax City CouncilMarch 2, 2022

Fairfax City Council
March 2, 2022