Sonoma City Council is scheduled to discuss developing design standards and a possible long-term plan for the Sonoma Al Fresco program, including parklets, at their February 2nd meeting. The City’s Al Fresco Program is slated to expire on October 31, 2022. View the full agenda including the staff report for this item on our CivicWeb Portal.
The City’s “Sonoma Al Fresco” program was created in May 2020 to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Sonoma businesses while providing safe areas for pedestrians. The program assists businesses in temporarily adding or expanding their outside service options to accommodate COVID-19 related health standards.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Council will consider directing staff to work with the Council’s Ad-Hoc Development Code Revision Subcommittee or other Ad-Hoc Subcommittee to develop recommendations for Council consideration regarding the continuation of the program beyond October 31, 2022. Staff and the Council Ad-Hoc Subcommittee anticipate working closely with the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau to develop its recommendations for a long-range plan. The recommendations would include, but are not limited to:
- Parklet design standards,
- Use of public spaces (e.g., sidewalks, parking spaces) and private outdoor spaces,
- Possible annual encroachment fees,
- Parking impacts,
- Possible improvements to public spaces,
- Permitting process and locations, and
- Provide general direction to staff, as appropriate.
The meeting will be held virtually beginning at 6:00 p.m. and can be viewed on channel 27 or on the City’s CivicWeb portal. Those interested in participating can do so virtually on Zoom. Find out how to participate in virtual meetings here.
Submit a Comment
The public is encouraged to submit comments by e-mail* at publiccomment@sonomacity.org or by attending the meeting in person or virtually on Zoom and speaking during the public comment period for the agenda item.
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* Per the City’s standard practice, any comments received prior to the commencement of the meeting will be uploaded to the public correspondence folder on the City’s CivicWeb Portal and available for review by the public and the Committee. It will not be read during the meeting.