In efforts to help reopen the local economy, elected officials in San Marcos have taken formal steps to provide creative alternatives for business owners to show they have reopened.
San Marcos City Council members approved an emergency ordinance May 5 for a Temporary Parklet Program, which will allow businesses in downtown San Marcos to convert on-street parking spaces into outdoor seating for commercial use, creating additional space for eateries and retail.
According to the ordinance, business owners are to use no more than two parking spaces adjacent to their shop for the parklet. The city will allow two parklets per block-face—four per block—to expand the pool of businesses seeking to enhance the visibility of their being open.
Though a parklet ordinance was passed in 2015, it did not allow for commercial use and required that parklet applications be approved by City Council. The Temporary Parklet Program would allow business owners to serve food with the exception of alcohol, and in order to expedite the application process, it would only require that parklet applications be approved by administrative staff. The program would still follow the same insurance and license requirements as the 2015 ordinance, including ADA compliance.
