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 spends about $94,000 per month on base cleaning across the University Avenue and California Avenue commercial cores (about $56,000 monthly for contractors and $38,000 for in‑house staff). Contracted street sweeping is roughly $30,000 per month; pressure washing is about $11,000 per month; the Downtown Streets Team contract is about $15,000 per month (approximately 104 hours); and in‑house staff cleaning and graffiti/poster removal are about $17,000 and $4,000 per month, respectively. Since March the city has added enhanced services with a marginal cost of about $28,500 per month, including an extra monthly pressure wash on University Avenue that staff estimated at roughly $25,100 per month.

Parklet rules and concerns: Staff described the current parklet rules: a restaurant may install a full parklet platform, railing and roof in front of its own frontage and may install a platform and railing (but not a roof) in front of an adjacent business; umbrellas and low planters are allowed on adjacent frontages. Multiple retail and property‑owner speakers told the committee they were "absolutely outraged" at the prospect of parklets extending in front of their storefronts. Faith Bell, owner of Bell's Bookstore, testified: "I am nothing short of absolutely outraged at the thought that people next to me can come in front of my building without my permission and run a restaurant." Several landlords and merchants said prospective tenants have declined spaces because of possible parklets.

Temporary activations (pop-ups): Staff said the existing Temporary Use Permit (TUP) allows uses up to 45 days and costs about $1,800, which many participants said is too short and too costly for start‑ups and seasonal activations. Jonathan Laid, director for planning and development services, said building- and life‑safety requirements vary by use and shell condition and that rapid or "instant" permitting would require defining tiers of review (for example: goods retail with minimal changes, takeout food with additional health review, sit‑down food with more extensive review). The committee directed staff to develop a revised TUP or a parallel streamlined process to better enable short‑term activations and to recommend appropriate durations, fees and a public point of contact to help property owners, brokers and prospective pop‑up operators.

Motion and next steps: Council Member Julie moved that the committee recommend Council (1) revise the fiscal 2025 budget to enhance cleanliness efforts in both downtowns as described in the staff report, (2) revise the ongoing parklet policy so parklets may extend beyond a business’s own frontage only with adjacent property‑owner consent, and (3) direct staff to design revisions to the temporary‑use rules to incentivize short‑term activation (fees, duration, building and safety considerations, signage and aesthetics) and to identify a point of contact for brokers and prospective operators. The motion was seconded by Council Member Burt and passed unanimously. The committee also asked staff to explore short‑term/loading parking options, ways to promote downtown identity and a set of medium‑term physical improvements (for example, tree wells and other streetscape items) and to return in early 2025 with proposals and budget implications.

Votes at a glance - Motion to recommend Council increase cleanliness funding, require adjacent‑owner consent for parklet extensions, and develop a streamlined temporary‑activation program: passed, 3‑0 (Chair Kuo: yes; Council Member Burt: yes; Council Member Lythcott Haines: yes).

What the motion does not do: It does not change rules for the car‑free portions of Ramona Street or the closed segment of California Avenue; staff told the committee those areas follow separate outdoor‑dining guidelines and will be considered in a later report. Staff will bring detailed budget numbers and proposed code or policy language back to Council for action in early 2025.

Community reaction and tradeoffs: Retailers emphasized visibility and customer access; restaurant owners and some community members emphasized outdoor dining demand and the street vitality that alfresco seating produces. The committee repeatedly noted the tension between those goals, and members asked staff to develop clear public guidance about what is allowed, the expected timelines for any permit reforms, and a single point of contact so landlords, brokers and prospective tenants can reliably take advantage of any new program.

What to watch for next: staff return with a Cal Ave study session and a more detailed budget proposal for enhanced downtown cleaning, a draft ordinance or administrative change on parklet frontage limits, and a proposal for a streamlined temporary‑activation pilot or revised TUP rules.