The design sketch for a planned parklet at 25th and Union. You can support the project by giving here to help raise the $11,000 needed to complete the parklet.
With the onset of warmer and drier weather, it’s time to start thinking about strategy for finding coveted outdoor seating at your favorite drinking establishments. Thankfully, the CD can add one more outdoor patio to the list this summer. The city has approved Chuck’s Hop Shop for a 20 person outdoor patio at its 20th and Union location. Owner Chuck Shin told CHS that construction should get under way in the coming weeks and would be complete in plenty of time for enjoying sun-drenched brews this summer.
Meanwhile, another proposed outdoor space near Chuck’s is getting a less enthusiastic response from neighbors. CHS reported in April that Chuck’s would be sponsoring a city parklet, which coverts 2-3 street parking spaces into a small public seating area outside a participating business. Shin tells CHS the E Union parklet plans are now on hold after nearby business owners voiced concerns about losing parking.
“Some neighbors approached us and they weren’t happy about it … theres no sense in making enemies over something like that,” he said.
Shin said he will be discussing the parklet plans with business owners at the May meeting of the CD Association. He said he’ll step away if there’s opposition to losing parking, but that he’s happy to fund the street park if that’s what neighbors want.
25th and Union Parklet
Another Central District parklet is in the works at 25th and Union where the owners at Cortona Cafe are working to raise $11,000 to design and build their street-side park.
The parklets are designed, built, and maintained by participating business owners even though the park itself is a public space. In 2013, Capitol Hill became home to the first parklet in the city as Montana’s management financed a small deck and hangout space in front of the E Olive Way bar.
The new owners of the Comet and Lost Lake also jumped into the expanding program with a plan to exchange a few parking spots at 10th and E Pike with a street park. See the full list of proposed parklets here.
These parklets are a scam. They are totally stupid and someone is making bucks on them along the chain of command.
What the heck are you talking about?!?!
The City’s Parklet Program is not a “scam” – similar programs have been used in cities across the country, as well as in Vancouver, BC.
> The city has approved Chuck’s Hop Shop for a 20 person outdoor patio at its 20th and Union location.
> Meanwhile, another proposed outdoor space near Chuck’s is getting a less enthusiastic response from neighbors. CHS reported in April that Chuck’s would be sponsoring a city parklet, which coverts 2-3 street parking spaces into a small public seating area outside a participating business. Shin tells CHS the E Union parklet plans are now on hold after nearby business owners voiced concerns about losing parking.
So is the Chucks parklet approved or not? Very weird phrasing, CHS.
I read “city has approved Chuck’s Hop Shop for a 20 person outdoor patio at it’s 20th and Union location” as meaning that a 20 person patio has been approved at Chuck’s.
Then I read “Meanwhile, another proposed outdoor space…city parklet” as meaning that the Chuck’s parklet is getting a less enthusiastic response from neighbors and might not happen.
Reading is hard.
I can’t say I’m surprised at this. Chuck’s has a fairly small parking lot which is usually filled. There is a small about of on-street parking around Chuck’s, but often it’s all full too, requiring people to walk several blocks to Chucks. If they’re proposing eliminating 3 street parking spaces which are also shared with the coffee shop, bike shop, and corner store, I’m not surprised other businesses objected.
My understanding is that the patio and parklet are two different things. Chuck’s is getting a 20 person patio, and additional plans for a parklet are still up in the air.
Why not throw some bars up at some parks in the city? Pull ups, dips,etc? The only one I’ve seen is on the waterfront.
I think this would be a great idea. are there liability issues to consider?
I’m confused too — where will the approved Chuck’s patio be? Will it displace the current off-street parking, or will it be a parklet (i.e., in the street), or somewhere else?
Sorry for any confusion here. The parklet and patio are two different things, although both would be funded by Chuck’s. The parklet is part of a city program that would take 2-3 public street parking spaces on Union and turn them into a small public park. Chuck’s would pay for it and maintain it, though they do not own it and they cannot serve alcohol on it, similar to the one at Montana:
http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2013/09/chs-pics-seattles-first-parklet-under-construction-on-capitol-hill/
The patio is on Chuck’s property, on the Union side, attached to their building and only accessed through their main entrance. No parking is displaced. This is a private patio that would only be open to Chuck’s customers. Drinking outside is the main goal here.
Thanks! Didn’t catch that the parklet/patio are two different things.
I like Such Journalism’s name!
What is the difference between a parklet and a patio or beer garden connected to a bar? Is a parklet a city-funded bar patio and a regular patio funded by the bar itself? I’m super excited about the parklet at Chuck’s, but where does money come from? I’d rather have my tax dollars, grant dollars, City dollars, go to something that people of all ages and those who don’t drink can enjoy.
In addition, Katys cafe is supportive of the parklet at Chucks so is 2020 bikes. A petition was circulated at Chucks and 76 people signed it in support of a parklet at Chucks. Some of the commercial property owners are against the concept of parklets and have told Chuck that. SDOT approved building a parlet at Chucks as part of their pilot parklet project around the city. A meeting will take place on Thursday at which the SDOT will explain the parklet project in greater detail to the local business group.
This response is not correct. Paul Crane is pushing this fadlet.
Like great majority of business owners in CD, Katy opposes parklet and lost parking. No one speaks for 20/20 other than its owner Alex.
Additionally it is far from popular among residents whose side street parking will experience yet more congestion.
In the same neighborhood, does anyone know anything about the construction happening behind the Neighbor Lady, in the former Med-Mix parking lot? It looks like there’s a new building that’s gone up.
[…] May, CHS wrote about the efforts to create two separate parklets within a few block on E Union. With the Chuck’s project pulled off the drawing board, the community seems to have rallied […]