THE LEDE
Danville's parklets are trying to outlive the pandemic
Five downtown restaurant parklets now occupy twelve public parking spaces. What began as an emergency measure is moving toward something much more durable: a permanent place in downtown Danville.
At Tuesday morning's Town Council study session, the question was no longer whether outdoor dining helped restaurants survive COVID. It was what Danville should charge restaurants for private use of public curb space, how many spaces downtown can spare, and what happens when a parklet goes dark.
Town staff's proposal would keep the existing on-street parklets, but put them on firmer ground. Restaurants would need a land-use permit and a lease with the Town. A one-space parklet, about 176 square feet, would cost $2,244 a year under the current formula, or $187 a month. That is one-quarter of the lower end of downtown's estimated indoor restaurant lease rate.
The proposal also draws a line around expansion. The five existing parklets use twelve parking stalls, and future parklets could not push that total higher. A new one could appear only after an existing parklet is removed, and only for a restaurant that cannot provide outdoor seating equal to at least half of its indoor floor area.
Maintenance would become more than a matter of taste. Parklets would face annual review and would have to remain in like-new condition. A parklet inactive for more than six months would lose its approved status. New parklets would need custom designs, Design Review Board scrutiny and building permits.
The private-property side of the program would move in the opposite direction. Expanded outdoor seating created under the temporary rules would expire January 2, 2027. Restaurants could then shrink those areas or pay a parking in-lieu fee, with a proposed formula that would cut the fee burden for full-service restaurants in half.
That distinction matters because Tuesday's meeting was a study session, and study sessions do not enact ordinances. Staff said permanent rules still require amendments to the Downtown Business District Ordinance, followed by Planning Commission and Town Council approval. The curbside tables may be staying, but the legal chairs have not all been pulled up yet.
For diners, this is about whether the pandemic's most visible downtown improvisation becomes part of Danville's identity. For merchants and drivers, it is about how much public parking should be reserved for private dining. And for the Town, it is a test of whether an emergency accommodation can become a permanent rule without becoming a permanent exception.
THE RUNDOWN
A historic house and an Irish connection await the action record
Tuesday night's official Council agenda included proposed heritage designation for the Elliott House at 146 Diablo Road; Resolution 72-2026, which would authorize display of the flags of County Wexford and New Ross, Ireland, from September 10 through 14; and Resolution 74-2026, which would authorize a contract change order for additional work under the Town's 2025/26 Pavement Slurry Seal Project.
The agenda grouped all three on Tuesday's consent calendar. Together, they touch three very different corners of Town business: historic preservation, Danville's friendship-city ties and routine street maintenance.
Three candidates file for two Council seats
Danville's extended filing period closed Wednesday with three candidates for two Town Council seats: Denton Carlson, incumbent Robert Storer and Pratima Sonavne. The Town lists them in filing order.
That means voters will have a contested Council election in November. One seat is guaranteed to change hands because Karen Stepper is not seeking reelection. The filing list answers the first question from last week's issue. The next one is what separates the three candidates.
Blackhawk Plaza is waiting for a public paper trail
Contra Costa County's Blackhawk Plaza page still says Howard Grobstein was anticipated to become chief restructuring officer on August 5, followed by a transition from the court-appointed receiver. The page has not been updated to confirm that the appointment occurred.
The County also says it has received no housing or redevelopment application for the property. For shoppers and nearby residents, the practical picture is unchanged: the Plaza's leadership transition and any longer-term redevelopment remain unsettled.
Twelve parking spaces, five parklets
The Town's parklet report identifies five on-street parklets occupying twelve downtown parking stalls. It also maps eight restaurants with expanded outdoor seating on private property.
That difference matters. The on-street program uses public right-of-way and is being shaped for permanence. The private-property expansion program is scheduled to expire January 2 unless later legislation changes the rules.
FAMILY AND KIDS
A Thursday evening with adoptable animals downtown
Joybound Pets & People is bringing its Around Town event to Prospect Park Plaza on Thursday, August 13, from 6 to 8 p.m., giving families a downtown chance to meet adoptable animals.
MEANWHILE, ON NEXTDOOR…
This week's feed was preoccupied with empty buildings, departed landmarks and the restaurants people still miss.
One last frame. A photo of the former bowling alley drew a long goodbye, a short caption and a great many memories.
The restaurant resurrection draft. Neighbors were asked to bring back one departed Danville restaurant. The replies became an unofficial menu of local nostalgia.
Lucky guesses. The old Lucky location prompted another round of speculation about what might move in. No replacement tenant has been announced.
Banking on an answer. A former bank building in Sycamore Square became the newest blank storefront for neighbors to investigate from their keyboards.
A restaurant's quiet plea. A local family-run restaurant described the hardest part of the business as waiting for customers. The response was a reminder that “shop local” is not an abstraction when the dining room is empty.
ONLY IN DANVILLE
From pandemic plywood to downtown policy
Danville's parklets began as a way to keep tables occupied when dining rooms could not be. Six years later, the Town is debating leases, permit conditions, design review and inflation adjustments. Around here, even improvisation eventually gets a staff report.
ON THE CALENDAR
Joybound Around Town
Thursday, August 13, 6–8 p.m. at Prospect Park Plaza, 396 Hartz Avenue.
Mozart's The Magic Flute
Saturday, August 15, 7–9 p.m. at the Village Theatre, 233 Front Street.
Senior Jeopardy Game Day
Monday, August 17, 10–11 a.m. at the Danville Senior Center.
THE NUMBER
12
The number of downtown parking stalls currently occupied by Danville's five on-street restaurant parklets. Staff is proposing that future parklets stay within that cap.
FINAL THOUGHT
Temporary things have a way of becoming traditions. The hard part is deciding which ones have earned the space they occupy.
THE SIDELINE
Fall begins before the football lights come on
Danville's high-school fall sports calendar gets busy Thursday, August 20, and the early action belongs to girls volleyball and flag football.
Monte Vista's home schedule begins at 4 p.m. with freshman girls volleyball against Redwood, followed by junior varsity at 5:15 and varsity at 6:30. The Mustangs also list junior varsity flag football against California at 6:15 and varsity at 7:45.
San Ramon Valley lists junior varsity flag football against Dougherty Valley at 6:15 p.m., varsity girls volleyball against Acalanes at 7, and varsity flag football against Dougherty Valley at 7:45.
Football will have to wait. On August 20, Danville's first full evening of the fall season belongs to volleyball and flag football, with varsity contests scheduled at both schools.
The Danville Dispatch is an independent local newsletter. Published weekly. To subscribe, visit newsletter.thedanvilledispatch.com.
Questions or tips? Reply to this email or reach out directly. Real news. Actually worth reading.