A Jan. 31 deadline meant all temporary parklets had to be removed. Some businesses, though, are applying to resurrect theirs, this time through a much more stringent and costly process.
Long Beach’s municipal code currently requires community groups to sign off on permanent parklets before a permit is issued by the city.
A 2018 city ordinance says that permanent parklets built in Long Beach need community group consent before a business can apply to construct one, but the City Council could vote Tuesday to amend that ordinance to merely make community input part of the process.
Many parklets in Long Beach have come down but dozens of business owners have expressed interest in making theirs permanent.
The City Council voted in May to extend the city’s Open Streets program through the end of this month but the persistence of the delta variant and businesses still struggling to recover from the economic carnage brought on by the pandemic is driving the recommendation to extend it. If the council approves the extension it would Long Beach into line with Los Angeles, which extended its outdoor dining program through June 2022 earlier this year.
As part of Tuesday’s decision, the businesses that apply for permanent parklets will have to go through a permitting process and adhere to guidelines established by the city.
The program was set to expire at the end of the year, but a vote by the City Council Tuesday will extend it, with quarterly reviews by the body.
Councilwoman Suzie Price has scheduled a Dec. 10, “permanent parklet” Zoom meeting open to anyone who wants to discuss the future of the additions.
