Starting May 1, business owners in downtown Santa Barbara will have to pay $2 per square foot for outdoor parklets, though the back-and-forth decision for the lower rate caused some frustration between city councilmembers and Mayor Randy Rowse after the issue was originally fully settled — or so he thought — when it came across the council a few weeks ago.
Back on January 12 , after hours of tense deliberation and three rounds of voting, the council came to a 4-2 majority directing city staff to come back with a pay-rate system charging businesses between $3 and $10 for parklet space. With that rate, most restaurants would pay around $5 per square foot and the city would recoup most of the money it costs to maintain the State Street promenade.
Then on April 11, when staff returned with the resolution to be approved on the council’s consent agenda — where items are often a formality, passed without discussion or second thought — Councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez pulled the item, suggesting it needed another look, much to the frustration of Mayor Rowse.