Chico council directs staff to craft parklet ordinance to expand outdoor dining and street life

The council directed staff on April 7 to develop a parklet program and draft ordinance to allow temporary or permanent parklets in the public right‑of‑way, including design and safety standards, permitting steps and a process for review.

Staff said parklet programs used by peer cities provide design guidance and safety criteria (setbacks from intersections, visibility, barriers, ADA access and drainage considerations). Speakers who had experience managing parking and parklets in other cities said parklets can increase sidewalk activity and improve downtown vibrancy and economic activity. Jesse Horgan, a parking professional, praised well‑designed parklets and their ability to boost street life; local business owner Anika Rodriguez urged the council not to overcomplicate the program and cited local transaction data showing outdoor activity correlates with stronger retail performance.

Council members discussed tradeoffs: some said parklets in the past appeared unmanaged; others argued a clear ordinance with simple criteria could enable useful and timely temporary solutions while the city plans larger downtown projects. The council approved a motion directing staff to draft an ordinance, guidelines and an implementation plan (6–1). Staff said preparing statute language, design templates and inter‑departmental review would likely take several months but could be scoped to an accelerated timeline if council directs.