The Metro Council could end up taking a closer look at parklets—public parking spaces that are turned into small public parks—to avoid any future issues that could arise from their installation, such as how such areas are developed and who bears responsibility for the space.
Baton Rouge’s first parklet sits in front of The Commerce building on Third Street downtown. The sidewalk extension, constructed by a private developer, includes trees, plants and a long wooden seating area available to the public in front of the future home of the Magpie Café.
San Francisco is credited with originating the concept. During a Downtown Development District’s Board of Commissioner’s meeting this morning, Michael Lang, whose company developed the Third Street parklet, was questioned about who would be liable for the space, parking signage in front of the area and the process used to place it.
Lang said he wasn’t able to answer some of those questions, but said he doesn’t think parklets can just be placed everywhere.
DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says there were some initial misconceptions about whether the space was public or private. “It’s not going to be a private area, it’s a public area,” he says.
Rhorer says the city-parish directors of development and the traffic engineering division signed off on The Commerce Building’s parklet without it going to the council.
It’s not for certain the council will take up the issue. The Office of the Parish Attorney has recommended that the council should weigh in on the new concept, Rhorer says.
Attempts to reach a representative with the Parish Attorney’s Office for comment were unsuccessful today.
Rhorer adds that The Commerce’s Building’s developers created 15 new public parking spaces in a covered garage and added four additional on-street parking spaces because the garage entrance and exit on Third Street was closed off. The building’s developers requested the use of two on-street parking spaces to create the parklet.
“It did come to the attention that maybe they (the city) should not have given full approval…” Rhorer says. “It’s never been done before so that’s the ongoing discussion right now.”
Lang says he’s has numerous discussions about the parklet with Rhorer and others.
“We feel like we’ve done everything on our end and will continue to do so to be a good neighbor,” Lang says. “We’re not going anywhere and this building has been really important to us.”
In other news, the Coca-Cola sign at the corner of Third and Florida streets will light up this Friday following Live After Five. A second-line parade will travel down Third Street and stop at the sign above the Raising Cane’s for a relighting ceremony.
—Alexandria Burris
