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Letter: Response to ‘thoughtful discussion on the future of parklets’ 

letter to the editor

Dear editor,

-The article “Editorial: Thoughtful discussion on the future of parklets,” was skewed in so many levels. Here is why: Main street and the chamber both did parklet surveys. These surveys were not City of Paso Robles surveys. The results of these survey were sent to the exact organizations that sent them out. They collected them and they tallied them up. They never shared the surveys with our city council members, just stated the majority of people want parklets to stay in downtown. Are these people who want parklets to stay visitors to Paso Robles? Are they from SLO, Templeton, San Miguel, or Atascadero? Who knows? Only the taxpayers in Paso Robles whose property taxes pay for the downtown area should have a voice. It is our common right a way being used for profit by the restaurants. It’s our 69 parking spaces that have taken over by restaurants.

No question, restaurants want to keep our right away. No question their customers like them when the weather is nice and comfortable. Paso Robles temperatures can easily reach 106 in the summer as evident last week. We are in global warming. Nobody sat in the parklets when the temps were even 97 degrees. When it is very cold also, who wants to sit on the street?

It is interesting to me the comments in the article were from people either promoting Paso Robles or restaurants who profit from parklets.

The restaurants will be asking the city council soon to hear a presentation from restaurants who will attempt to keep the parklets permanent after Oct. 31. They will offer to rent our parking spaces, design parklet standards, address safety concerns, as well as drainage issues.

We do not have the parking spaces to allow them to keep the parklets in our public right away. It is bad enough the city council voted to keep them in place until Oct. 31 as it is. It is so surprising the restaurants can expend the money to do all this when they still complain about it taking two years to get back to normal profits. If the city does allow the parklets to stay, will the city reduce our property taxes that taxpayers pay for the downtown area?

We are not like other cities who have beautiful parklets. Paso Robles is a town of 31,822 (2019) with 474 paid parking spaces which have only 156 downtown parking spaces.

Santa Barbara has a population of 91,376 (2019) with five parking structures and nine parking lots with parking for 3,000 cars.

SLO population 47,302 (2019) has three parking garages with 2,869 downtown parking spaces.

Morro Bay has many free parking lots around the ocean and Embarcadero.

Paso Robles needs the 69 parking spaces returned to the public. The parklets have done their job and need to go. If you agree and have not yet signed my petition to end parklets permanently after Oct 31, please email sallyreynolds532@gmail.com. You must be a resident and taxpayer of Paso Robles to sign.

I will be at the city council meeting with my opposition to parklets and the many people who do not support them in the event this does get on the city agenda.

Sally Reynolds


Editor’s note: Letters to the editor are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paso Robles Daily News or its staff. We welcome letters from local residents regarding relevant local topics. To submit one, click here.

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