Colfax keeps temporary outdoor dining pilot while council orders monitoring, ad hoc review of parking impacts

Colfax City Council left temporary outdoor dining installations in place on Main Street on April 9, 2025, directing staff to monitor usage and parking impacts and asking an ad hoc committee to return recommendations for final design and spending of remaining grant funds.

The decision follows extensive public comment from downtown business owners and residents who said the temporary seating both attracts customers and reduces available curbside parking. Council members said the installations are modular and should remain temporary while the city collects data and tests different configurations.

The issue moved from public comment into council business after the city recused Mayor Pro Tem Caroline McCauley from parts of the discussion because she chairs Railroad Days, which provided grant funding for the project.

Business owners told the council the current configuration has reduced on-street spaces. “So there's there's 9 parking spots we've lost downtown under the current program,” said Bob Lobner, owner of the Colfax General Store, who urged shrinking the seating areas to restore curbside spaces. Paul Raich, owner of Colfax Market, said customers already report difficulty finding short-term parking: “It's really hard to park find a park by now.”

Supporters and several council members urged patience. Mayor Pro Tem Caroline McCauley, who helped organize the pilot and said she had received mostly positive feedback, told council members she has observed customers who buy food and then visit nearby shops. “We just gotta give it some time,” McCauley said, noting the installations are temporary and movable. Vendor and resident Sherry Peterson said the pilot appears to be drawing people downtown and urged the council to “give it a chance.”

Council members agreed to keep the current configuration in place for further evaluation rather than adopt any final design now. Council direction to staff included monitoring how often seating areas are used, whether they cause customers to leave because of parking shortages, and whether moving or resizing the areas improves outcomes. Council also directed the ad hoc committee working with Railroad Days to meet before the next council agenda deadline and return recommendations on how to spend the remaining grant funds.

City staff reported there is about $5,100 remaining from the Railroad Days grant that should be obligated relatively quickly; council asked the ad hoc committee to advise on whether those funds should be used for movable planters, lighting, ADA-accessible fixtures or other temporary improvements.

Councilmembers and staff described next steps in public settings rather than in closed discussions. Staff said they have engaged a landscape architect and planned to consult an ADA professional; Public Works staff were also scheduled to meet with a contractor to explore ways to raise the seating to sidewalk level to improve ADA access.

The council emphasized that the seating areas remain temporary and modular. Councilmembers suggested rotating configurations, shrinking or expanding the footprint at different times, and collecting usage and parking data to inform a final design that balances seating, pedestrian access and parking availability. A return to council with public-facing recommendations was requested.

The council did not take a formal roll-call vote on a motion to adopt a final plan; instead the body reached consensus to continue the pilot under staff monitoring and to have the ad hoc committee advise on use of remaining grant funds and proposed configuration changes.