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The Danville Town Council is set to begin its next discussions on the future of outdoor dining and parklets as the expiration of its current program and practices looms in the coming months.
The council last voted in 2024 to modify and extend its COVID-era program for outdoor dining and parklets through January 2027. Town staff are set to provide an overview of the existing program and future options at this week’s study session.
The major options on the table are to let current regulations and ordinances expire for either or both the outdoor dining and parklet programs, extend the existing programs, or to modify either or both.
In addition to the Town Council and staff, the conversation is also likely to include downtown business owners, 17 of whom were notified last month by the town about the upcoming meeting and identified as beneficiaries of the current programs. Crumbs, Taverna Sorrentina, the Auburn Lounge and Danville Harvest are among the businesses notified.
According to a report from town staff, a total of eight restaurants have expanded outdoor sidewalk dining, with parklets currently at Bungalow on Rose, Danville Brewing, Danville Harvest and Pete’s Brass Rail.
While outdoor dining has remained popular in the years since it was mandated by COVID-19 shutdowns of indoor businesses, the council has made and received comments critiquing parklets in particular. The most recent of those was a complaint about Pete’s Brass Rail that was included as an attachment in materials for the upcoming meeting.
“My opinion is the one outside Pete’s Brass Rail makes that part of Danville look ghetto and that it should torn down,” Albert Borden wrote in an email to the council on May 2.
“I complained years ago and still nothing’s been done,” he continued. “Mr. Williams informed me that this shack has a fancy name; ‘Parklet’. It’s really a collection of junky and dirty plastic tables and chairs. Who would even sit at one of these tables, let alone eat a meal? Covid was over years ago, which is presumably why this shack got built.”
According to the latest data from the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District released Friday, local COVID-19 rates saw a “strong increase” of 206% over the past 21 days based on wastewater samples, compared with a “very low” 23% increase in the Bay Area overall.
The Danville Town Council is set to meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday (June 9). The agenda is available here.
