San Rafael is embracing outdoor dining.
Under a new program unanimously approved Tuesday, the city is rebranding parklets as “streetaries,” and establishing safety and design standards, as well as rental fees for parking spaces occupied by the structures.
Although the city has had an outdoor dining program in place since 2015, streamlined temporary permits were authorized during the COVID-19 lockdown, allowing other business to serve outdoors with little guidance or regulation.
That temporary program ends Nov. 30. The new program will impose the same standards on all structures, in an effort to enhance vitality, while ensuring safety and fairness, said Bill Guerin, public works director.
“So, we really think this is going to be a boon to the city,” Guerin said.
Staff worked with police and fire officials, as well as the members of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Improvement District to draft the guidelines over the past seven months.
Danielle O’Leary, the city’s economic development director, said comparable cities, such as Palo Alto, San Mateo, Mill Valley and others were analyzed to see what aspects could be incorporated into the plan.
Under the new rules, structures can occupy a maximum of two parking spaces. They will only be approved if there are at least 70 available parking spaces within a block and half of the business, including in spaces in parking garages.
Wood and metal are approved materials. Overhead structures or anything built 6 feet or taller will require a building permit and inspection. It will be mandatory for all structures to be in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Wheel stop buffers and traffic delineators will be required to make them visible to motorists.
The program establishes cleanliness standards and requires tables and chairs be secured when the business is closed. Any lights or heaters that require electrical connections may require additional permits.
The council also agreed to recommended fees, although that fee schedule will be formally approved in an ordinance at another meeting.
Staff recommended a $2,000 application fee, which will be waived for the first year of the program. The fee will not be refunded.
There also will be an annual $3,600-per-parking-space-occupied rental fee — which would equal to $7,200 for most businesses. The amount is equal to what the city would normally collect for parking fees per space. The city is proposing a 50% discount for the first year and a 25% discount for the second year of the program.
A $2,000 deposit fee will be collected to cover costs in the event a business closes and cannot afford to remove the structure.
The council added an incentive for business owners to remove the structures if they are not in use. Staff is authorized to give those business owners a 30-days notice to remove the structure. If the business intends on bringing its structure into compliance with the new standards, they would be given 60 days to begin working toward that goal.
Councilmember Maika Llorens Gulati, who grew up in Spain and said she loved the familiarity of outdoor dining, calling it a “silver lining” of the pandemic.
“As a former restaurant owner, I think this is really exciting,” Llorens Gulati said. “Nothing brings more vitality than actually having people in the streets.”
Mayor Kate Colin said the city staff was “thoughtful and deliberate” in their recommendations.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this program,” Colin said.
Currently, 30 restaurateurs have existing outdoor dining structures.
Finn Eggink, the front of house manager at Cafe Del Sol, said outdoor dining has been great for business.
“It’s definitely an eye-catcher,” Eggink said. “We lost a lot of customers when COVID hit, and the first day we had outdoor dining, people were out there. It’s been excellent.”
“It’s honestly been booming business,” said Yesse Guzman, manager at Johnny Doughnuts. “It made everything feel normal again. People were hanging out again, talking. It’s been a great success.”
