PLYMOUTH, Mich. – The COVID pandemic made outdoor dining not only more common but, at times, a necessity.
The Downtown Plymouth community is exploring ways to establish permanent outdoor dining spaces.
“‘Have you ever heard of a parklet?’ No, ‘OK, neither had I,’” said a woman.
Picture curbside parking transformed as permanent outdoor dining spaces.
“I am all for it,” said another woman. “I like outdoor seating.”
“I don’t know, it’d be nice, but it would be crowded again, I don’t know,” said another woman.
The pandemic changed the term ‘dining out.’ And a by-product of what was a temporary solution could lead to permanent parklets in Plymouth.
“We did temporary barricades, which wasn’t the vibe, and this would be a great way to increase the vibrancy of our community,” said Plymouth City Manager Paul Sincock.
There are various levels of parklets under consideration, including full-block length, angled parking, and parallel parking.
“The parklet gives us a great opportunity to do more in a small space,” Sincock said.
But planners have to balance the needs of outdoor dining with parking availability.
“Yeah, parking is rough,” another woman said.
The city commissioned a survey of 700 Plymouth residents. About half were satisfied with the amount of parking. The overwhelming majority favored allowing public parking spaces to be used as outdoor dining areas.
“When the restaurants have had outdoor seating, we lost already, so there’s only a handful of spots left,” another woman said. “If you’re going to take it away, then have another plan for parking in the city,” said another woman.