Program allowing restaurants to use parking spaces to expand in downtown Athens

Sarah Dolezal, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
FILE - People enjoy the spring weather at the College Square parklet in downtown Athens, Ga., on Friday, March 19, 2021. The ACC commissioners approved expanding the parklets to all eligible restaurants or specialty shops throughout downtown Athens.
FILE - People enjoy the spring weather at the College Square parklet in downtown Athens, Ga., on Friday, March 19, 2021. The ACC commissioners approved expanding the parklets to all eligible restaurants or specialty shops throughout downtown Athens.

After three years of operating a successful outdoor dining pilot of a blocked off portion of College Avenue, the Athens-Clarke County commissioners this week approved expanding the program in Athens so that restaurants may add parklets elsewhere in downtown.

Parklets are small seating areas using on‐street parking adjacent to businesses who lease the use of the spaces, according to the parklet program.

The parklet program was introduced at the start of the COVID pandemic when the need arose for safer outdoor dining.

Starting this month, eligible restaurants or specialty shops, such as coffee or ice cream shops, may sign up for a parklet on a first-come, first-served basis for a quarterly fee of $500 through June 30. Each block may have up to 30% of its parking designated as parklets.

Parklet design example. The ACC commissioners approved expanding the parklets to all eligible restaurants or specialty shops throughout downtown Athens.
Parklet design example. The ACC commissioners approved expanding the parklets to all eligible restaurants or specialty shops throughout downtown Athens.

That quarterly $500 fee has been extended after Commissioner Patrick Davenport and others opposed the new fee proposal of $1,500 per quarter.

"Tripling the cost of parklets quarterly fees would discourage businesses from participating," Davenport said. "It wouldn’t be cost effective for the participating businesses and would make the parklet program useless. However, the county would like to recoup some of the money lost from parking fees. I feel confident we can come up with a better rate that would help the county and our businesses."

The parklets may use no less than two parking spaces to set up a service area for eating, drinking or entertainment, according to the parklet program. Barracades between the parklet and street are required. Only beer and wine are permitted in the parklets. Open container laws are still in place so that no one is drinking alcohol outside the parklets or businesses. No glass is to be used for drinks in the parklets.

Mayor Kelly Girtz is not worried about losing downtown parking spaces to parklets.

"I doubt that we will use 5% of those areas," Girtz said. "No bars are eligible, and given the fee structure, even eligible restaurants may not want to use them."

He said that the Athens-Clarke government has been emphasizing using the three downtown parking decks instead of the street parking because the decks are cheaper and may be used all day. Decks are located at 125 W. Washington St., 705 E. Broad St. and 325 E. Washington St.

Parklets are popping up: Here’s what businesses think of the outdoor seating option.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Parklets approved throughout downtown Athens at commissioners' meeting