City Council Meeting Date: May 16, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consider approval of a Parklet Installation at the Northwest Corner of Fifth Street and Division Street.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves a motion to authorize a Parklet Installation at the Northwest Corner of Fifth Street and Division Street through 2024.
Summary Report:
Parklets are public seating platforms or on-street protected spaces that convert curbside parking spaces into vibrant community spaces. Most parklets have a distinctive design that incorporates seating, greenery, and/or bike racks and accommodate unmet demand for public space on thriving neighborhood retail streets or commercial areas.
Parklets are seasonal public spaces that make the city more livable and walkable. The relatively low-cost parks for people provide the opportunity to relax and enjoy the city. Public spaces where people can gather and interact, such as parklets, are intended to be an asset to our community. Our two existing parklets were originally installed during the coronavirus pandemic intended to provide more outdoor healthy spaces and to help strengthen our business community downtown. The parklets are accessible and open to all.
City staff was approached by Farmstead Bike Shop for consideration of a temporary parklet that would be installed at the Northwest corner of Fifth Street and Division Street. Marty Larson, Manager of Farmstead, previously managed Tandem Bagels and assisted in maintaining the parklet in front of Tandem Bagels. He had a good experience, along with Farmstead owners Briana Lane and Greg Nies, and this will be a good complement to their business with food and beverages as well as bike sales and outdoor rentals. Staff has been working to determine the feasibility and potential design of the parklet. The option presented was taking interest from Farmstead and evalua...
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