Novato, CA Special Events & Permits: Parklets (2026)

Section 15-6 of the Novato Municipal Code, the Downtown Parklet Licensing Program, lets an eligible business license Flexible Space: the part of the street next to a sidewalk or curb used for public on-street parking or tree wells. A Parklet is a non-exclusive outdoor area open to the general public, and table service is not permitted in it. A Streatery is an exclusive commercial dining or retail area with table service in exchange for rents paid to the City of Novato.

Section 15-6.040 sets eligibility: a ground-floor storefront on a public street, a lease with not less than two years remaining, a valid City business license, current DBID dues, no outstanding code violations, and consent of the property owner and any affected adjacent owner. The business must sit in the Downtown Core with Downtown Core Retail (CDR) or Downtown Core Business (CDB) zoning and license only space within its storefront's extended property lines. A stall or tree well that crosses the line qualifies if its far edge is less than 25 inches from the property line. Whole stalls or tree wells only. No parklet abuts Redwood Boulevard traffic lanes unless curbed landscape planters separate it, and none extends onto sidewalks or curb ramps.

Section 15-6.050 requires construction drawings, the lease, an Alcoholic Beverage Control letter if alcohol is served, and an administrative review fee deposit. It bars amplified sound, generators, misters, open flames and tents, and excludes ADA stalls, loading zones, red zones and space within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Section 15-6.060 imposes a moratorium on a city block once seven on-street parking stalls are occupied. Section 15-6.070 caps a license term at 24 months, waives the annual assessment for a public Parklet, and makes the license an interruptible privilege the City can revoke at any time without cause. A renewal request is due not less than six months before expiration (15-6.100).