Should Palo Alto parklets be allowed to extend in front of neighboring businesses?

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- Business owners are fighting over parklet spaces in downtown Palo Alto.

Once you step inside Bell's Books in downtown Palo Alto - you'll quickly feel it's charm.

Faith Bell's father opened the bookstore in 1935.

"Right now in the windows, I have first editions of John Steinbeck, signed by John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath," Bell said. "I have a book in the window that's 292 years old."

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For the first time, San Francisco restaurants are having to pay in order to keep their outdoor dining parklets in operation.

And now for the first time in the store's history - a restaurant parklet might go up in front of it.

"Many of the city council members feel like if the parklet that is allowed in front of your store is just at a ground level and doesn't have the structure over it, that it's not an imposition on your business," Bell said.

On Monday night, Palo Alto City Councilmembers voted on a parklet policy after years of debate.

Restaurant owners expressed how they have built and rebuilt their parklets to be up to code.

Clayton Adelhelm, CFO of Local Union 271, was one of the public speakers.

"We have fully complied with the proto parklet guidelines which cost us over $80,000," Adelhelm said. "We've had to re-engineer and rebuild our parklet-only approved parklet multiple times since its inception. We were just signed off with Public Works at the beginning of December for our pre-approved parklet. We have gone through extensive remodeling and compliance over the last four years. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars based on your decisions. How are we to trust this process when after six months of approved plans the regulations are now changing again."

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Most San Mateo restaurant owners are happy having two city blocks a pedestrian-only experience, but some people don't like the closure.

Shop owners like Bell say parklets take away parking - and impact window shopping.

"They are our face on the community," Bell said. "And we make an attempt to always make it large enough there's a visibility that if you're driving by you can turn and say ah what's that."

Ultimately the city council voted unanimously to keep their parklet policy - on the condition that businesses that want to extend their parklets have to get permission from their neighbor.

All existing and pre-approved parklets can move forward as planned.

Bell just found out Tuesday afternoon a restaurant down the street has already been given partial permission to build in front of her door.

"I work with my neighbors, I love my neighbors, I've supported them through the COVID pandemic times we were really happy to see them have extra space," Bell said. "I think that was fair and helpful but it's not what's needed now."

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