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

Sec. 5201(h) of Article 52 defines a 'parklet' as a platform or similar level surface constructed within an existing paved parking lane that may accommodate furniture. Building one requires the same Outdoor Commercial Permit process as any outdoor commercial use under Sec. 5202, plus the parking-lane-specific rules in Sec. 5207(b): only a maximum of two parallel or four perpendicular or angled parking spaces may be converted to a designated outdoor commercial area, only one such area is allowed per block segment between intersections, and it is issued first-come, first-served.

Setback standards in Sec. 5207(b)(4) require a 4-foot inner buffer from abutting parking spaces, a 2-foot buffer from a driveway, motorcycle parking or bicycle rack, a 2-foot buffer from the abutting travel lane, and, specifically for parklets, a 25-foot setback from the nearest crosswalk at a controlled intersection; the City Engineer reviews the necessary buffer case by case for parklets near uncontrolled crosswalks. Before approval, the parking-lane applicant must complete neighborhood outreach under Sec. 5203(a)(1), by certified mail, a two-thirds petition, or an open house attended by two-thirds of the block's business owners, and the City Engineer must review and comment on the application before the Administrator decides.

A parklet on private property instead follows Sec. 5208(a)(2), which requires it to meet the parklet standards in the City's outdoor commercial guidelines even though it is not in the public right-of-way.