SAN MARCOS, Texas — The City of San Marcos is adopting a program to revive its downtown business engagement.
A temporary parklet program in Downtown San Marcos will allow businesses to temporarily convert on-street parking spaces into outdoor seating. A parklet is a miniature park.
This is in order to reactive business engagement, but the program also hopes to provide these businesses an additional visible service area that simultaneously enhances the city's downtown aesthetic appeal.
According to the press release, interested businesses must meet certain location and design criteria that provide a creative, safe and accessible temporary parklet.
Additionally, each parklet shall be no more than two parking spaces in size, and no more than two parklet spaces are allowed per block face. Participating businesses are required to follow all protocols, practices, and guidelines specified in the Governor’s Report to Open Texas.
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This isn't the first time San Marcos has had parklets. According to a press release, the city has been participating in the annual Park(ing) Day since 2013, which is an international event encouraging community members to turn a parking space into a park for a day.
In 2015, San Marcos adopted a Sidewalk Cafe, Parklets and Special Uses Ordinance to create a public-private partnership for streetscape improvements in the public realm. Many streetside cafes have been installed downtown due to this program.
The temporary parklet program adopted by City Council on May 5 authorizes short-term parklet installations, waives the application fee and allows for modified design standards to help businesses create a more economical parklet. Temporary parklet installations will be permitted through Aug. 14, 2020.
To learn more about the program or to apply, click here.
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