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8.A. - Page 3 of 7 (3) Allow retail centers and businesses (citywide) to use portions of their private parking lots for outdoor dining, carhop dining and takeout for restaurants. Proposed Downtown Street Closures The Taskforce is exploring the full and partial rotating closure of streets in the Downtown central business district. The attached map (Attachment A) identifies proposed streets. Working with DBG, RCIA and New City America, staff have developed a map of suitable street closures based on positive impact to the business community, public safety and available City staff resources. The Taskforce is also identifying dedicated takeout and delivery areas for restaurants during the closures. In order to balance public health concerns, the Taskforce is exploring a recommendation of encouraging restaurants to have patrons schedule reservations in advance for outdoor dining during closure events, to help regulate the number of people and to allow for social distancing. City staff is trying to balance public health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for economic vitality for Redwood City restaurants and does not want downtown street closure events to inadvertently create a festival -like atmosphere in the downtown. City staff envisions that restaurant businesses who wish to participate in the program would need to apply for a City encroachment permit (and will propose that the permit fee is waived) accompanied with a proof of insurance for outdoor dining. Restaurants would need to follow all State and County COVID-19 public health guidelines along with meeting County Environmental Health and ADA requirements. Restaurants would also be responsible for setting up and breaking down their own tables and chairs and would need to apply for state Alcohol Beverage Control patio liquor permits, if they would like to serve adult beverages outdoors. Identified downtown street segments for full and partial rotating closures include: • Main St. - between Middlefield and Broadway • Broadway St. - between Main and Jefferson (Jefferson open to traffic) • Broadway St. - between Jefferson and Middlefield (Middlefield open to traffic) • Broadway St. - between Hamilton and Marshall • Broadway St. - between Perry St. and EI Camino (Broadway St. open to traffic) Closure Duration: The Taskforce initially looked at piloting closures on Saturday evenings between 4 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., halting vehicular traffic on the above-mentioned streets on a rotating basis. The Taskforce also reviewed various closure duration scenarios such as three-day closures. In order to be cost efficient and limit City staffing costs, City staff recommends three-day closures. This would allow City staff to set up on Fridays and breakdown street closure barriers on Mondays during normal City operating hours. The RCIA has notified the City that they are willing to help monetarily support standing up the rotating street closure program by assisting with marketing, event security, street and sidewalk cleaning, and costs for barriers for street closures. Furthermore, the RCIA and Downtown Business Group have agreed to partner to promote the rotating closure events. The program is meant to be temporary and would run during the summer months from early -July to late September and City staff and the City Council would reassess the Page 3 of 6 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 543