ENCINITAS, Calif. — Downtown Encinitas has many businesses and restaurants that line Highway 101. During the COVID pandemic, restaurants used the parking spots to create outdoor dining areas and more than four years later the orange barriers remain.
The City of Encinitas conducted a study earlier this month to evaluate the current conditions of parking in Encinitas. The goal with this study was to use the info to determine the needs of general parking needs and access to the region's coast. According to the study, 55 parking spaces are currently being used to accommodate 19 outdoor dining establishments. Forty-seven of those spaces are within the Old Encinitas downtown region, and the remaining eight are in Leucadia.
Jake McMahon is the manager at The Roxy restaurant, which uses some of the parklets as an extension of the business.
“It was all kind of new to everyone because we didn’t have that before we had a really small patio, but now that we have a big patio it’s super popular and everyone loves sitting out there," Jake McMahon, restaurant manager said.
He says it brings in great business as well.
“At the end of the day we have the fire pits at night so we turn on the fire to keep everyone warm," McMahon said.
Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz said the best choice is to let the parklets stay and they’re looking at replacing the orange barriers as part of a beautification process.
“Eating outdoors and bring the dogs with us," Yvonne Barber, resident said.
The Gerber’s enjoy walking with their dog Bear and know they’re limited if they can’t sit outside.
“Encinitas is very special, the weather is beautiful even if it’s overcast. It’s lovely, it’s always 60-70," Gerber said.
Some retail businesses and salons say the parklets impact business because they take up customer parking spots. But for others, it provides that small town feel they enjoy.
“I think it’s one of the things that separates Encinitas. It adds the community feel, we walk back and forth. We see neighbors all of the time eating lunch, dinner," Gary Gerber, resident said.
Mayor Kranz said they’re trying to bring in a valet service for those that don’t want to make the walk from a far away spot.
In June the city started charging businesses $2.50 a square foot so if the restaurant takes up 200 square feet of parking spots they have to pay $500. The Temaki Bar choose to have the spots in front of their business removed.