City of Albany, CA
Home MenuParklet Program Regulations
January 12, 2023
Parklet Application Materials:
- Parklet Application - Submittal Checklist
- Encroachment Permit Application
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Businesses interested in applying for parklet permits submitted pre-applications to city staff. The Planning & Zoning Commission conducted a general review of the parklets on Wednesday, December 14, 2022 and provided comments on each. This discussion guided City staff on which parklet permits will need to be reviewed by the Albany Planning & Zoning Commission at one of their future meetings and which will proceed under staff review.
Materials and video from the Commission discussion are available here and video of the discussion can be viewed here.
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A virtual workshop to discuss the new requirements, permit process, and answer questions was held on October 25th. A recording of the workshop is available here.
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Existing permits for temporary parklets will expire at the end of March 2023. If an existing permit holder applies for a parklet under the approved program by January 2023, they will have additional time - until the end of May 2023 - to keep the temporary parklet in place until the new parklet can be installed.
The approved parklet program regulations are available for review: Approved Parklet Program Regulations
Parklet applications will be submitted to the Community Development Department in the form of an encroachment permit application and are subject to the requirements and review process detailed in the regulations. Requests for the use of three angled parking spaces will be subject to review at a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting; others may require Planning & Zoning Commission review at the discretion of city staff.
Limited funds are available to help defray the costs of upgrading parklet installations to meet the new requirements. Additional details on these funds will be provided shortly.
In the meantime, please contact Brennen Brown if you have initial questions.
History
Since the permitting of outdoor dining in the Alameda County Public Health Order released on June 18, 2020, in-street outdoor dining has been an important support for a number of Albany restaurants along Solano Avenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. [San Pablo Avenue is a California State Highway and is in the jurisdiction of Caltrans. Thus, the City of Albany is not able to process encroachment permits for in-street seating on San Pablo Avenue].
Between the fall of 2021 and summer of 2022, city staff surveyed businesses and community members, reviewed programs developed in peer cities, and discussed and revised draft regulations with the Albany Transportation Commission, Economic Development Committee, and Planning & Zoning Commission.
On September 19, 2022, Albany City Council approved regulations for in-street parklets. The new regulations are intended to meet safety, accessibility, and aesthetic considerations and outline the city review process for proposed parklets.