Pleasanton businesses required to take down parklets: Here's why

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) - Restaurant owners in Pleasanton had to dismantle parklets for outdoor dining.

The city is requiring all downtown businesses to remove their outdoor setups so crews can clean the streets and trim trees but it's bad timing for restaurants who have been relying on outdoor service since the omicron surge.

Maurice Dissels, owner of Oyo restaurant in downtown Pleasanton, had crews remove his $10,000 parklet for outdoor dining, an order from the city requiring all downtown businesses to remove outdoor setups for street cleaning and tree trimming.

The removal of parklets was temporary but bad timing for Dissels.

“I think our business will suffer,” Dissels said. 

Since the latest omicron surge, Dissels says more than half of his customers preferred to eat outside and now with that option gone.

“For right now looks like we're going to have to cut staff, cut our hours of operation, you know. Ride this thing out,” Dissels said. 

The city of Pleasanton is working on a new parklet design with a uniform look.

In a meeting on Jan. 4, the city planner told the council businesses can expect to see site plans by March 1.

Installation of the new parklets is expected in early spring.

"We want engineering's eyes on them, operations, planning, everybody and then they need to finalize them and not only that but they need to prepare construction drawings which are really that structural detail that we can then give out,” city planner Megan Campbell said. 

A statement from the city of Pleasanton reads in part:

This time frame will not only help the city ensure that all long-term design, accessibility, and safety standards are properly addressed but also allow time for essential street maintenance and cleaning that's been deferred for two years due to the presence of temporary pop-ups along Main Street. The city is working closely with its local businesses, and the Pleasanton downtown association to ensure a smooth transition to its parklet program.

For awaiting restaurant owners like Dissels, the sooner the better.

“The city is well aware of how this has affected us,” Dissels said. “I'm hoping that is the case and that they are successful in having those plans ready and delivering them to us so I'm rooting for them."

from KRON4 https://ift.tt/33bo65a