Streeteries on hold in Sandpoint

SANDPOINT — Streeteries may have a future in Sandpoint but the City Council wants more involvement from downtown businesses before agreeing to allow them to take over parking spaces in downtown Sandpoint. The council will discuss the issue at a future meeting.

The council held a public hearing on the installation of streeteries, Wednesday, Oct. 21. Planning and economic development director Aaron Qualls discussed streeteries, or parklets, with the council. The proposed plan, he said, would create downtown as a destination.

“More heartbeats downtown means more business activity,” Qualls said.

Qualls and the planning department has spent a year on workshaps and education in the community. The parklet converts parking spots to "public spaces.” Qualls said the businesses would lease out the parking spaces and build a structure that would fit in the ordinance. They would be discouraged from street corners for a safety hazard and leasees need at least $500,000 liability insurance. Only ground-floor businesses would be allowed a parklet and alleyways would be considered on a case by case basis.

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