Santa Barbara is set to approve new fees for outdoor dining in the public right of way.
The City Council is expected to vote on the proposed fees at Tuesday’s meeting, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at City Hall.
The preliminary application fee for all parklets is proposed for $514. The proposed parklet license application fee for all parklets is $2,500. The annual parklet license fee for all parklets would be $24 per square foot per year.
“I think it’s fair,” said Bob Stout, owner of the Wildcat Lounge and a member of the Downtown Association board of directors. “I hope as many restaurants as possible take advantage of this opportunity. Even if you wind up with a small parklet, it advertises that you’re open and there’s something on that little side street.”
The fees would apply to parklets on side streets, not State Street. Additional Planning Division fees also would apply.
The fees were determined based on an estimate of staff time required to process the application and a review of existing fees for similar city programs.
The city has about 40 outdoor dining parklets in the right of way, and so far there have been four crashes involving them.
For parklets in the coastal zone, after paying for the pre-application fee, businesses would need to pay $5,535 for a coastal development permit.
The regulations are designed to formalize a process for outdoor dining.
Police and Fire Commission Report on Complaints
The City Council also is set to hear the results of an annual report on complaints and investigations in the Santa Barbara Police Department.
It’s the first report since the Fire & Police Commission was reorganized to provide police oversight.
The department received 20 citizen complaints and six administrative complaints. Of the 26 complaints, eight were unfounded, nine were exonerated, one was not sustained and eight were sustained, according to the city’s staff report.
In 2023, the Santa Barbara Police Department responded in person to 47,232 calls for
service, during which officers made 3,989 arrests.
The council is expected to discuss the item after the parklet discussion.
