Palo Alto committee backs cleaner downtowns, limits on parklet extensions and a pilot for pop-ups

The Palo Alto Retail Committee voted unanimously Dec. 18 to recommend that City Council increase funding for downtown cleanliness efforts, restrict parklets that extend beyond a business’s own frontage to cases where adjacent property owners consent, and direct staff to design a streamlined temporary-activation program for pop-ups and startups.

The recommendations respond to the committee’s November study session on retail vacancies along University Avenue and California Avenue and to public testimony at the Dec. 18 meeting. Committee Chair Kuo opened the discussion by asking staff for follow-up on cleanliness, parklet rules and short-term activations. "Staff is recommending that the ad hoc retail committee provide feedback on efforts to enhance our cleanliness in the downtowns, potential revisions to the ongoing parklet program, and potential opportunities to better facilitate temporary uses," said Steve Guagliardo, assistant to the city manager responsible for economic development.

Why it matters: Committee members and dozens of public speakers said cleaner streets and clearer parklet rules would help existing retailers and property owners and could make downtown more attractive to prospective tenants. Retail and property owners said parklets that extend into a neighboring frontage can reduce visibility and customer parking for adjacent businesses; restaurant owners and some residents argued outdoor seating has become a customer expectation since the pandemic.

What staff told the committee: Guagliardo presented operating costs for current cleaning programs. The city…