31 October 2017
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Artisan Cafe parklet
Inquiry
Later on this morning I am heading down to Artisan Cafe who are very excited about the outdoor space they were given permission by council to use. (This is the space that took out car parking spaces on Tutanekai St)
- Why did council grant that permission to Artisan Cafe?
- How long are they able to have the space there for?
- Will others get the opportunity to do the same?
- Could Eat Streat one day be extended further down Tutanekai?
Response
Information:
This is what's known as a parklet, a temporary sidewalk extension that typically utilises parking spaces and is something we are trialling with the Artisan Caf over the summer.
The caf approached Council and there is support from neighbouring businesses and the CBD block champions to trial the concept until April 2018.
If the Artisan Caf parklet proves a success, Council will work with the CBD sector to potentially replicate the concept in other selected parts of the inner city. The overall criteria would be contribution to the atmosphere in the CBD, balanced with safety and parking needs.
Although there are no current plans to do so, there is the potential to consider extending Eat Streat in future. Consideration of further initiatives to enhance vibrancy in our CBD is ongoing.
For your interest, see the following links re parklets:
Comment from District Revitalisation portfolio lead, Councillor Karen Hunt:
Parklets are an inexpensive way to provide temporary additional space for people to socialise in and while this will be Rotorua's first, they are common around the world, including in Europe and the United States.
We've already had requests from other businesses for more parklets. This adds to the vibrancy of our inner city, providing another way for people to enjoy outdoor dining and enjoy people watching. It turns a street into a social area and creates a real sense of buzz. I won't be surprised if we get more requests and I'm looking forward to this wonderful addition to our inner city.
The parklet concept is consistent with the work we're doing to revitalise the inner city and its very temporary nature allows us to be flexible and innovative. We're responding to both businesses and consumers.