Costa Mesa, CA Special Events & Permits: Parklets (2026)

Table 13-47(b), the Outdoor Dining Area Permitting Process table attached to Sec. 13-47, carries a footnote (Note 1) specifically addressing parklets: Temporary Use Permits for outdoor dining areas, including parklets within the public right-of-way, that were approved through Urgency Ordinance 2020-15 (the city's pandemic-era emergency outdoor dining program) may continue operating, but only with staff approval. Those installations must comply with applicable Building and Fire Code requirements, cannot interfere with minimum required site access or vehicle and pedestrian circulation, and had to come into compliance with the aesthetic development standards in Sec.

13-48, covering barrier height, landscaping, and lighting, within six months of the note's adoption, with one allowed six-month extension. Unlike courtyard or setback dining that can be Permitted (P) outright under Table 13-47(b) for modest square footage, the right-of-way parklet pathway created by the urgency ordinance runs only through discretionary staff-level Temporary Use Permits, not a by-right approval, and the code specifically flags that these outdoor dining areas remain subject to applicable fees and that any modification to them must be separately approved under Article 4.

Because a parklet occupies public street or parking space rather than private property, it sits outside the standard courtyard/setback/parking-area categories in the main permitting table and is handled through this narrower urgency-ordinance carryover provision instead.