Remember eating dinner on a little wooden platform on Third Avenue, a few feet from passing traffic, right where a car would normally be parked? For a couple of years there, that was just how we did it downtown.
Well, those Chula Vista Parklets are coming back. On Tuesday, November 10, the Chula Vista City Council unanimously approved a new outdoor dining ordinance that allows restaurants to build dining platforms in the curbside parking lane. And this time it isn’t just Third Avenue. Businesses anywhere in the city can apply.
I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d see parklets on Third Avenue again. Back in September, I sat through the mayor’s press conference on the outdoor dining ordinance hoping someone would bring them up. Nobody did, and I walked away doubting the proposal would even make it through council. It passed with every vote, parklets included.
Chula Vista Parklets: What We Know So Far
The city refers to this space as the public right-of-way. For the rest of us, that’s the parking lane in front of your favorite restaurant.
Businesses that want to build a parklet will need a permit and will have to pay fees. Beyond that, things are still pretty vague. No one has said yet what those fees will be or how big the platforms can get. Once I have more details, I’ll update this post or share a new one.
City leaders say the goal is to help local restaurants bring in more customers, make the most of the weather we get to enjoy most of the year, and turn Chula Vista into a place people from around the region want to come eat and hang out.
Not every business is going to want to build a full platform out front, and that’s fine. City economic development staff said a separate sidewalk cafe ordinance is coming, which would let a business set out a small table and a few chairs in front of its door. That’s the piece I wrote about back in September.
How We Got Here
A quick history. During the pandemic, cities across the country let restaurants move service outdoors, and many of them built platforms in curbside parking spots. Here in the South Bay, Third Avenue was the center of it all.
Restaurants loved the extra seating. The city was less enthusiastic. In 2024, after complaints about lost parking and businesses taking over public space, Chula Vista had the parklets removed. Some people cheered. A lot of us, myself included, missed them.
Why the City Changed Its Mind
Council members and city staff gave a few reasons for the turnaround. They want to boost the local restaurant scene, and they want to give guests at the Gaylord Pacific Resort a reason to make the trip downtown and spend time on Third Avenue.
Don’t Expect Parklets Overnight
With all of this just happening, I don’t think we’ll see parklets springing up anytime soon. We’re heading into winter, and without knowing what the fees look like, many owners will want to see the numbers before they commit to building anything. If the cost to apply and build is too high, some may pass altogether.
My guess is this becomes more of a next year thing, possibly in the spring or summer. In the meantime, I’m going to reach out to restaurants along Third Avenue to see who’s interested in building one, so stay tuned. If you’re a local business in Chula Vista and you’re planning on building a parklet, please reach out to me. I would love to talk to you.
A Parklet Isn’t a Lifeline
Here’s where I have to be real. I don’t see parklets as the thing that saves downtown restaurants. Even if a restaurant can put one out front, I’m not sure it turns business around.
My biggest concern for keeping local businesses in downtown Chula Vista is rent. So many restaurant owners downtown have been talking about how their landlords keep raising rents, thinking they’re sitting on a gold mine now that we have not only the Bayfront redevelopment but so many other projects around Chula Vista.
The problem is that the crowds haven’t followed. As other business owners have said, the Gaylord opening and the Bayfront rebuild just haven’t brought many out-of-town visitors up to Third Avenue. The Bayfront Shuttle, which runs between the Gaylord and downtown, doesn’t get used much. Adding five or 10 tables out front is nice, but I’m not sure that’s enough to save a restaurant that’s already fighting rising rent.
I’ll Be Saving a Seat
Still, I’m glad they’re coming back. Like I’ve said before, I missed them. Eating outside on Third Avenue on a warm summer night was just fun. When the first parklets start popping up next year, you can bet I’ll be out there having dinner on one.
Now I want to hear from you, Chula Vista. Let me know on our Facebook page whether you’re looking forward to having Parklets back in downtown Chula Vista or would rather not see them back at all. I know this has been a hot topic here in the community, and I would love to hear your input
