City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 5, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing, Second Reading, and Final Passage of an Ordinance to amend and reordain Section 3-2-85 (Annual Charge for Commercial Encroachments) of Chapter 2 (Taxation) of Title 3 (Finance, Taxation, and Procurement) and Section 5-2-29 (Street Encroachments) of Chapter 2 (Streets and Sidewalks) of Title 5 (Transportation and Environmental Services) of The Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
BODY
ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to create a parklet program and allow parklets as a permitted encroachment.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Introduce and pass on first reading Tuesday, October 12, 2021, the ordinance (Attachment 2) to allow parklets as a permitted encroachment; and
2. Direct the Traffic and Parking Board to adopt design requirements for parklets; and
3. Schedule the ordinance for second reading, public hearing, and final passage on Saturday, October 16, 2021.
BACKGROUND: "Parklets" are the conversion of an on-street parking space into an extension of the sidewalk, to be used for open space, public seating, or the use of an adjacent business for dining or retail. As a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, in May 2020, City staff established a process for creating temporary parklets that could be used for outdoor dining and retail. The location and design of these on-street dining spaces was based on a modified version of the parklet design guidelines, reviewed by the Traffic and Parking Board in February 2020 as part of a pilot program for public-use parklets.
Currently, businesses may request the conversion of the parking in front of their business into a seating area or retail space and in front of adjacent properties with written permission from the adjacent property owner. The City instal...
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