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However, direction is sought from City Council as to whether there would be interest or support for developing a longer-term, formal parklet program for downtown. Some of the considerations for implementing a program explored would include design, location, operations, as well as other criteria, including whether the program would be oriented towards "private use" or "public use", and the balance between the benefits of additional vitality, traffic calming, and an improved pedestrian realm; versus impacts on parking supply and non-food-service businesses. Design and Development Standards/Approval Process: If the City decided to proceed with a parklet program, staff would create location standards, minimum design requirements, operational parameters, and other criteria for approval. Establishing pre-approved model designs or design guidelines would ensure any parklets approved complement the existing streetscape, fit downtown Pleasanton, and incorporate the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) critical design elements. A process would be established for parklet sponsors to follow to receive parklet approval, which may include design review, encroachment permits, and/or other City review. Availability to the Public/Balance of Benefits. A key consideration for a program is whether parklets should be generally available to the public, versus being reserved for the exclusive use of an individual business' patrons. The temporary parklet that the City installed as part of a pilot program a few years ago was open to the public and was not allocated for the use of any single business. Conversely, the temporary pop-ups installed during COVID have been installed for the use of a single business' customers. Businesses that have expressed interest in continuing some form of a parklet program, have implied they expect future parklets to be similarly reserved. Pre-COVID, parklets installed in neighboring communities were almost exclusively built as public spaces and served as outdoor amenities available for the community. Parklets, especially when reserved for individual business use, may benefit one type of downtown business (e.g., dining/food service) versus other types of businesses (e.g., retail shops or service businesses). During COVID and Weekend on Main, while restaurants have found pop-ups to be greatly beneficial, retail businesses have expressed concerns due to loss of parking, as well as decreased street visibility for pass-by traffic. Parking Supply One of the key concerns throughout the temporary pop-ups has been the loss of vehicle parking spaces. Parking availability has been a consistent concern within the downtown, amplified in the recent City Council work plan where two actions specifically addressed expanding parking downtown. Parklets would occupy parking spaces on Main Street and/or side streets, and it will be necessary to carefully consider whether the benefits of parklets would offset their impacts. It is likely that the City would want to limit or meter the total number of parklets Page 4 of 6