City council approves parklet pilot program

BONNERS FERRY — Council members gave City Administrator Lisa Ailport the thumbs up to start a parklet pilot program in the downtown district. The concept allows businesses to take over on-street parking along designated streets to accommodate outdoor seating.

Parklets are public seating platforms that convert curbside parking spaces into community spaces — also are known as street seats or curbside seating. The outline for the program said the intent is to add an attractive aesthetic to streetscapes and provide increased public open spaces. While they are funded and maintained by businesses, residents and community organizations, they are open to anyone.

The program was approved in 2020 as well but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the city was unable to institute it. Ailport asked the council to again approve the program, adding she has been consulting with business owners downtown and has developed parameters for the program which will run from April 1 to Oct. 1.

Guidelines for usage include visibility, width, adequate drainage, materials, guardrails, utility and sidewalk access and more. The parklets were approved for Main, Kootenai and Bonner streets only.

Any business considering the program is encouraged to apply to the city and start the approval process. Businesses applying for the program are asked to submit plans showing how their parklet meets the program requirements and are expected to take on all construction, maintenance and removal costs.

When asked about possible parking issues, Ailport said “It is probably safe to say that in nearly every instance where parking is allowed, there will be tension over parking too long, parking being too far away or not enough parking to be found.” She also said that the biggest complaints the city receives about the issue is people parking and leaving their cars all day.

Ailport added that “this effort doesn’t look to find a long-term solution to this conflict, rather to encourage our downtown businesses to be allowed to use the public space differently than it has in the past and to study the effect of this on the overall downtown economic success.”

Councilmembers also approved an extension of the city’s COVID Leave Policy for three months, until June 30 with modifications to the number paid time off days based on prior usage.