Parklet Permit

Restrictions

Locations

• Must be placed in parking lanes, never in travel lanes.
• Minimum fifteen (15) feet from water hydrants.
• Minimum twenty (20) feet from stop signs, crosswalks, and corners.
• Minimum three (3) feet from driveways.
• Not allowed in Bus Stop or Bus Zone areas.
• Not allowed in Cab Stand or Hack Stand areas.
• Not allowed in fire lanes.
• Not allowed in handicapped parking zones.
• Not allowed on streets with speed limits higher than thirty (30) miles per hour.
• Limited to the property frontage of the business running the parklet, unless the owner of the neighboring property provides written consent.
• Not allowed on streets within the city that are under the jurisdiction of another public entity (e.g. State, Federal) or that are privately owned without written approval from the owner.
• Not allowed within one (1) foot of any utility access point in the public right-of-way.
• No more than one Parklet will be allowed per block face on blocks that have residential zoning on either side of the street. On blocks that are entirely non-residential on both sides of the street, one (1) Parklet is permitted by right, and up to three (3) parklets may be permitted per block face with City Council review and approval.
• Not allowed within the Vieux Carré (bounded by the downtown side of Canal Street, river side of North Rampart Street, uptown side of Esplanade Avenue, and the Mississippi River).
• Not allowed on the section of Magazine Street from Washington Avenue (uptown side) to Louisiana Avenue (downtown side).
• Every location will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis - in addition to the restrictions above, road geometry, parking restrictions, and other necessary usages on the block or impacts from losing curb space will be considered.

Safety and Materials

• No portion or element of the Parklet or its fixtures (tables, chairs, benches, etc.) may be bolted or fastened to a public sidewalk, street, curb, post, sign, tree or similar feature.
• Make sure there are adequate sight lines for vehicles on the street, and near driveways, intersections and crosswalks.
• Sidewalk access must be open at all times.
• No portion or element of the Parklet or fixtures may block drainage, or prevent drainage from falling or flowing across sidewalks and roads.
• Both the seating area and any transition from the sidewalk or curb must be ADA compliant.
• Decking must be able to support a minimum live load of sixty (60) pounds per square feet, after furniture weight.
• There must be at least eighteen (18) inches between seating and the vehicular travel lane. 
  • Buffers must be at least thirty-two (32) inches high, measuring from the road grade.
  • If a buffer is higher than forty-two (42) inches, everything above 42 inches must be visually transparent to maintain sight lines.
• Retroreflective elements are required on the leading edge adjacent to approaching traffic.

Design

• Consult the Parklet Guidelines.
• Design Advisory Committee approval is required if the design deviates from the Design Guidelines.
• Tables, chairs, umbrellas, and other objects must be of sufficient quality, design, materials, and workmanship to ensure the safety and convenience of users, and to enhance the visual and aesthetic quality of the surrounding environment.
• Umbrellas and other decorative elements must be fire-retardant, pressure-treated, or manufactured of fire-resistant material.
• Umbrellas and other decorative elements may not interfere with free use of the sidewalk.

Operations

• Parklet capacity may not exceed the approved seating capacity printed on the Parklet permit.
• Tables and chairs must be structurally sound.
• Parklet permit holders must sweep and remove trash from the Parklet area throughout the day, and at the close of business.
• No live entertainment, speakers, or any other source of amplified sound are allowed on or next to a Parklet.
• Carts, receptacles for waste or dirty dishes, and cooking appliances may not be placed or stored on any portion of the public right-of-way or Parklet.
• Tables, chairs, and other components must be neatly stacked at the end of the business day, no later than 10:30 pm.
• Property ingress and egress must stay unobstructed (including by queuing lines) for clean, barrier-free pedestrian passage.

Hours

• No seating may begin before 8:00 am.
• No food or beverage service after 10:00 pm.
• Parklets may not be used for business purposes outside of 8:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Parades and Street Closures

• For Parklets located on designated Mardi Gras parade routes, Parklet permits will automatically be suspended for the period beginning one week before the Mardi Gras parade season and ending after the final Mardi Gras parade of the season.
• Parklet permits will automatically be suspended for periods before, during, and after moving or stationary street closures (e.g. parades or block parties) unless the special event permit associated with the street closure includes the Parklet.
• When a City Council ordinance creates a "Clean Zone" for a special event (Clean Zones are areas where certain types of activities are prohibited during an event), Parklet permits inside the Clean Zone will automatically be suspended unless the ordinance specifically includes Parklets.
• Parklet elements that are not removed before Mardi Gras parade season, street closures, or events with Clean Zones will be removed and disposed of by the Department of Public Works and/or Department of Sanitation.

Conditions

• Parklet permits are subject to modification, suspension, or revocation by the City at any time if the City needs the area closed for street, sidewalk, or utility repairs; for other public purposes; or in the case of an emergency.
• Parklet permits are non-transferable.
• Parklet permit holders accept the prevailing site conditions, including, but not limited to: loading and passenger zones, bus stop or bus zones, cab stands or hack stands, fire lanes, handicapped parking zones, vehicular traffic, exhaust fumes, noise, and pedestrian traffic.
• The Director of Safety and Permits may suspend Parklet permits without prior notice in the event of a permitted special event where crowd control is likely to be necessary.
• The Police and Fire Departments, or any other emergency response agency, may require immediate removal or relocation of all or part of a Parklet in emergency situations.
• The City of New Orleans, its officers, agents, or private utility companies (and their officers, agents, or employees) shall not be responsible for Parklet components relocated during emergencies.
• Parklet permits do not grant, convey, or infer any vested right to use the public right-of way by the permit holder.
• Parklet permits do not constitute a deed, grant of easement, or servitude by the City.
• The public right-of-way may not be painted, modified, or altered in any way without prior written approval from the Director of the Department of Public Works.
• The City and/or its agents may schedule general cleaning and maintenance operations - the City and/or its agents will notify the Parklet permit holder of its scheduled cleaning times in advance. The permit holder must remove all portions of the Parklet so they do not inhibit the cleaning, repair, and/or maintenance operations.
• The permit holder is wholly responsible for proper maintenance and use of the Parklet, and shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City from all actions, claims, costs, damages, and expense to which the City may be subject by reason of any injury or alleged injury to any person or property resulting or alleged to result from Parklet use.
• The Parklet property owner shall pay all sums recovered against the City in any suit on account of alleged injuries to which the City may be made a party, together will such costs, damages, and expenses that may be suffered by the City.
• The permit holder is wholly responsible for repairs and alterations to Parklets.

Fees

New Parklet Applications

• Non-Refundable Application Fee: $250, due when the application is submitted.
• Initial Parklet Issuance Fee: $400, due before permit issuance.
• Parklet Right-of-Way Usage Fee: 
  • In the area bounded by the Mississippi River, Calliope Street, Earhart Boulevard, South Claiborne Avenue, Canal Street, North Rampart Street, Joseph Guillaume Place, Saint Claude Avenue, and Franklin Avenue (inclusive of both sides of bounding streets):
    • Metered locations: $31.50 per square foot.
    • Unmetered locations: $21.00 per square foot.
  • All other areas of the City:
    • Metered locations: $21.00 per square foot.
    • Unmetered locations: $10.50 per square foot.

Annual Parklet Renewals

• Parklet Renewal Fee: $250
• Parklet Right-of-Way Usage Fee: Same as above.

For fee calculations, the size of a Parklet is measured as the space occupied by the Parklet structure itself, and does not include the two-foot offsets on either end.

Any change to the design, such as dimensions or materials, will constitute a new Parklet, which requires a new Parklet permit subject to the initial fees again.

Required documents/steps

New Parklet Applications

1. Complete the Parklet Application (apply online).
2. Submit the Initial Required Documents:
   • Site Plan showing:
     • The exact location of the planned Parklet, including the street address of the adjacent property, and dimensions from fixed reference points in the public right-of-way.
     • All design elements, including table spacing, any utilities in the area, and all relevant right-of-way dimensions.
     • Any existing designated curb uses in the area, including whether the area is regulated by parking meters.
     • The layout of any existing sidewalk café, including the sidewalk café's permit number.
   • Photographs showing the proposed Parklet site, and the relationship between the proposed Parklet and the surrounding public right-of-way.
3. Pay your initial application fee.
4. The Departments of Safety and Permits and Public Works will conduct an initial review to verify that a Parklet may be approved in your proposed location.
5. If approved to proceed to the next step, your Parklet design will be reviewed for compliance with the Parklet Design Guide and the guidance found in Article 21, Section 21.8.C.16, "Temporary Parklets Use Standards". If the design deviates from the Parklet Design Guide, it must approved by the Design Advisory Committee (DAC). You will be notified if that is the case, and you will need to email cpcinfo@nola.gov to be added to the monthly DAC agenda. In addition to the site plan and photos submitted with your initial application, you will need to submit:
   • Conceptual Design Plan
   • Materials Sheet
   • Colored Elevations or Renderings
   • Written Description of Design Intent
   • Precedent Images
   • Proposed Circulation Diagram that balances needs of all users traveling in the public right-of-way.
6. After obtaining DAC approval, submit the following documents for Safety and Permits and Department of Public Works reviews:
   • Furniture and Fixtures: images, renderings, or photographs of the furniture and fixtures to be used in the Parklet.
   • Proof of Insurance: proof of commercial general liability insurance with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence/$1,000,000 aggregate combined single limit for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage liability. The operator of the Parklet, which shall be the same as the operator of the adjacent business, shall obtain, maintain, and provide proof of general liability coverage, with the City listed as an additional named insured via endorsement (Additional Insured - Designated Person or Organization), Form CO 20 26 04 13 or similar endorsement(s) providing equivalent coverage. The City of New Orleans must be shown by name in the schedule of the endorsement and included in the definition of "Who Is an Insured". 
   • Hold-harmless and/or indemnity agreement from the operator to the City on a form to be prepared by the City.
   • Engineering plan showing all details of structural and dimensional elements of the Parklet. These plans must be stamped by a Louisiana licensed Professional Engineer.
   • Maintenance and operations plan for the Parklet and adjacent area on a form supplied by the Department of Public Works.
   • Hurricane preparedness plan outlining plans in the event of an approaching tropical storm threat:
     • Parklets without a roof structure: 
       • A plan to remove the Parklet from the right-of-way; or
       • A plan to secure the Parklet in place, including engineering plans stamped by a Louisiana licensed Professional Engineer specifying the Parklet structure will remain securely in place without bolting or otherwise fastening the Parklet to the street, curb, or sidewalk.
     • Parklets with a roof structure:
       • ​A plan to remove the Parklet from the right-of-way; or
       • A plan to demount the roof structure of the Parklet and secure the rest of the Parklet structure in place, including engineering plans stamped by a Louisiana licensed Professional Engineer specifying the Parklet structure will remain securely in place without bolting or otherwise fastening the Parklet to the street, curb, or sidewalk; or
       • A plan to secure the Parklet structure, including the roof structure, in place, including engineering plans stamped by a Louisiana licensed Professional Engineer specifying the Parklet structure will remain securely in place without bolting or otherwise fastening the Parklet to the street, curb, or sidewalk.

Apply now