Downtown Santa Barbara is getting a makeover. On Monday, the city began removing outdoor dining "parklets" from the 500 block of State Street to make way for new "pedlets."
"All patio seating, instead of where we used to be out on the street, it's just going to be right here on the sidewalk now," explains Sandbar General Manager Brandon Stillo. "I'm excited to see what's going to happen and how it's going to work out. The parklets worked really well and hopefully this works better."
According to the city, the eight-foot wide pedlets will run along both sides of State Street between Haley Street and Cota Street, costing $590,000.
Local Scott Morton says the change is welcomed.
"I like that it’s pedestrian-friendly. I’m very much for that."
The pedlets will lie flat right up against the curb, and the current sidewalks will then be available to businesses as an option for outdoor commerce.
This is all part of the State Street Short-Term Action Plan, according to City Planner Tess Harris.
"We're testing this option out," Harris says. "This is sort of a shorter-term concept before determining whether we want to put concrete in and actually expand the permanent sidewalk longer."
The pedlets could also improve pedestrian safety, according to city official Sarah Clark.
"Certainly, pedestrians are still welcome to walk in the street if they wish, but now we've got two separate spaces in the roadway for peds and cyclists, and so we're hoping that it results in a little bit less friction between those two groups," Clark explains. "And a nice thing about these pedlets, and the reason that we decided to go with this kind of product, is that it is modular. It can be changed, it can be moved around, so if something's not working, then we can adjust."
The pedlets should be fully installed by Wednesday, and by Thursday, restaurants can resume outdoor dining on the new sidewalk areas at no cost.
