What’s the purpose of a parklet? Parklets provide valuable privately funded and privately-maintained public spaces for people to read, sip a cup of coffee or enjoy a bite to eat and socialize. Parklets convert an on-street parking space (or spaces) into a community gathering place, creating more vibrant neighborhoods and activating our streets. Who pays for a parklet? Private money. Parklet applicants pay for parklet design, materials, and construction, as well as review and permitting fees (if applicable). Are parklets open to the public? Yes, parklets are free and open for everyone to enjoy responsibly, and will prominently feature “Public Parklet” signs. Are parklets permanent or temporary? Parklets are not permanently affixed to the roadway or sidewalk in any fashion. However, if the parklet is well-maintained the sponsor can apply for annual renewal. The Town of Warren-ton will carefully consider any community feed-back when evaluating a renewal application, and may require replacement of parklet elements experiencing wear-and-tear.

FAQs

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Warrenton Pilot Parklet Program

Photo credit to Sue Spolan

PUBLIC COMMENT The community is invited to provide comments on the Town of Warrenton’s pilot parklet program. Mail: Town of Warrenton Parks & Recreation Committee 800 Waterloo Road Warrenton, Virginia 20186 Email: parks@warrentonva.gov Phone: Margaret Rice (540) 349-2520 You may also address council during citizens time at their regularly scheduled Council meeting on February 9th and March 8th.

Photo credit to Alex Ihnen

Parks in parking spaces? That’s right, and they’re coming to Warrenton! Parklets convert on-street parking spots into public spaces for all Warrentonians to enjoy. They are a cost-effective tool for increasing our town’s public open space, and have added to the vitality of neighborhoods around the world. Parklets are just one of many ways the Town of Warrenton and the Partnership for Warrenton are rethinking the possibilities for the public right-of-way. Parklets are privately designed and built, yet open for all to enjoy.

WHAT IS A PARKLET?

WARRENTON PILOT PROGRAM This pilot program, coordinated with the Partnership for Warrenton, will explore the feasibility of launching a permanent parklet program in Warrenton. The project seeks to activate streets, support economic vitality, and increase pedestrian traffic while showing the Town’s commitment to encour-aging active living and strengthening our business community. The Town of Warrenton is committed to ensuring that the public right-of-ways serve the traveling public, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and residents. The pilot parklet pro-gram will create new public space while maintaining a healthy parking supply. The Town of Warrenton and the Partnership for Warrenton will be working with the local business community and the general public to obtain feedback about this opportunity. Currently there are plans for up to five parklets in Old Town Warrenton that could launch as early as Summer of 2016.

Want more information? There is a lot of literature available online about parklets. Here are some links: Norfolk Parklet Program http://www.norfolk.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20061 National Association of Transportation Officials, Urban Street Design Guide http://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/interim-design-strategies/parklets/ NYC Street Seats http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/streetseats.shtml Los Angeles Parklet Evaluation Report http://www.its.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/parkletassessment.pdf San Francisco Parklet Impact Study http://sf.streetsblog.org/2012/01/05/great-streets-project-quantifies-the-impacts-of-parklets/

Photo credit to Parklet DC

Photo credit to Blair Kamin