Redlands parklet expected to return

Jan. 29--REDLANDS -- The city's first parklet will return.

At least that's Ryan Berk's hope after the seating area in front of a la Minute in downtown was hit by a car in the early morning of Jan. 7.

The collision was reported to authorities shortly before 4 a.m. by the driver who, while traveling westbound on Citrus Avenue, lost control of his vehicle.

The driver blamed the incident on balding tires and excessive rain, said city spokesman Carl Baker.

Berk said by email last week there are three factors contributing to the delay of its reinstallation, including waiting for the claim on the driver's insurance to process and subsequent repairs, and the threat of El Niño. A City Council discussion on the program's continuance is another factor, he added.

The council approved the pilot parklet program in March 2014 with the goal to launch the first parklets that September on National Parklet Day.

The a la Minute parklet went up in July and, in addition to the seating area, included bicycle racks, a shade cloth and a Little Library.

Berk paid for its construction.

The parklet, he said, "served its purpose and sat multiple people on nice days."

A date to discuss the project's future has not yet been scheduled. But Mayor Paul Foster said it could happen between now and April.

"The majority of the people that I interacted with and other members of the council interacted with... were happy with it as a gathering place near a la Minute," he said. "For some it was better than standing on the curbside."

The parklet is just one of many downtown beautification projects the city is backing, including the Orange Street Alley, which opened last summer.

___

(c)2016 the Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, Calif.)

Visit the Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, Calif.) at www.redlandsdailyfacts.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.