From: Paul Fritz
To: Patrick Slayter; Neysa Hinton; Diana Rich; Sarah Glade Gurney; Una Glass Cc: Mary Gourley; Lawrence McLaughlin; Kari Svanstrom; Mario Landeros Subject: CIP - South Main Parklet
Date: Monday, June 20, 2022 3:32:36 PM
Good Afternoon,
I wanted to weigh in on the CIP item for the proposed permanent parklet on South Main in front of Retrograde and Sunshine Café. I think the $85,000 projected funding amount is quite generous and I personally believe a parklet in that location could be developed for less. As a architect, I will say I’ve charged less than $30,000 for much more complicated projects than a parklet. And also from an architect’s perspective, I believe one could be built for less than $50,000. I truly believe $85,000 for a single parklet would be on the ‘high’ side for a cost-estimate.
I do hope the parklets make it into the CIP for 2022-23, but I hope the proposed amount on this item does not discourage the council from adopting this item. I know the businesses have money they would like to contribute to the parklet and I would also suggest that local organizations like Rotary could be tapped for grant money for these projects. The parklets are prime opportunities for public/private partnerships and I hope the council keeps that in mind as we move forward with making our downtown more inviting for people.
Regards,
Paul Fritz
P.O. Box
Sebastopol, CA 95473
707
fritzarchitecture.com
smalltownurbanism.com