HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/5/2022 Item 6a, Banys
Delgado, Adriana
Bambi Banys <bambi@antiguabrewingusa.com>
Sent:Saturday, July
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parklett Program - Meeting Tuesday, June 21, 2022 @ 6:00 PM
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Hello,
I write to you today as a new downtown business with significant interest in the parklet program. As background, we opened
on Monterey Street in February. We love the program and believe it adds to the vibrancy of downtown, especially on our
block, and improves resident and visitor experience. We are enthusiastic about the long-term potential and would very much
like to retain our space.
Unfortunately, we are very concerned about the proposed pricing as we understand it. We have 35ft of length (216 sq ft). If
that is charged at the $8,710 cost of 'one parking space', that would amount to $40 per sq ft per year. That pricing is more
than 3x what the city ballparked the cost to be in March emails and is on par with downtown class A office space rent. I'm
sure I do not need to list out the value differences between a patch of outdoor, good weather use only, wooden patio and
interior, year-round, class A commercial space with utilities. At these rates, only the largest and corporate-owned businesses
will be in a position to benefit from the parklets. We do not, with this perfect weather and long daylight, generate enough
gross revenue from parklet seating to even cover 50% of the monthly proposed rate.
We appreciate the city's desire to recover lost parking revenue. However, we are under the impression, based on prior public
statements, that the parking meter rate increases and extension to 9pm were changes made to recover that lost
revenue. Certainly, those changes enable the city to charge more reasonable rates for parklet rent.
With so many empty downtown storefronts and cheaper commercial space coming online in the outskirts of town, supporting
the exiting small businesses in their efforts to survive so that SLO can continue to have a vibrant downtown is essential. We
believe the residents, visitors and small businesses of the city would be better served if parklet retention was more financially
accessible. It seems to us that a rate of $20 per sq ft per year is more than sufficient and is more in line with unimproved,
limited use, commercial rent.
Best,
Bambi
Bambi Banys, CEO & Co-Owner
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Antigua Brewing Company
Crafting Happiness
1009 Monterey Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
antiguabrewingusa.com
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