Baltimore Sets Guidelines for Permanent Parklet Program

The city of Baltimore is enacting new, permanent guidelines for its Covid-era outdoor dining and parklets program, reports Amanda Yeager in the Baltimore Sun. “Baltimore’s decision to preserve restaurant parklets follows a public feedback period that started last fall, when the Department of Transportation issued a set of draft guidelines for the program. DOT officials say they received more than 2,000 comments on the proposed rules.”

Fees for parklets will be based on location, with costs ranging from $5 to $10 per square foot based on neighborhood equity scores. “Equity scores are based on census tract data, including the percentage of households with people of color within a community, as well as that area’s median income and the percentage of households that have access to a car.”

“The new policy creates fire safety rules for the outdoor dining structures — no open flames will be allowed, for instance — and also requires the parklets to be separated from the street by vertical blockades like concrete barriers or water-filled Jersey walls.” While restaurants have been the most eager adopters of parklets, other businesses are also eligible for the program. The new program takes effect July 1, one day after the temporary guidelines expire.