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REACTIVATING

DOWNTOWN

PEDESTRIAN PLAZA
On Tuesday, May 19, Santa Barbara city council voted unanimously 7-0 to allow restaurants and cafes to expand their seating into sidewalks, public and private parking spaces as “creating parklets” and some sections of roadway citywide as an emergency measure to give more space to conduct business using social distancing practices. The following Thursday, the City of Santa Barbara made the decision to close State Street, from Sola Street to Haley, to vehicular traffic and open the roadway to give businesses and their customers more space to socially distance.

 

WHAT IS A PARKLET?
A parklet is an innovative way to add (physically distant!) gathering space to public streets. Built and maintained by neighboring businesses, parklets are located in the parking lane adjacent to the curb and designed as an extension to the sidewalk. Any food service business permitted to operate under State and local public health directives may create a parklet, provided the location meets the following criteria:

Click here for the city's complete parklet guidlines!

 

RISE
(REOPENING IN SAFE ENVIRONMENT)

Santa Barbara County is taking steps to reopening society and our economy within the framework of Governor Newsom’s Resilience Roadmap. To support implementation of the roadmap for phased reopening, a localized supplemental guide has been produced. The Santa Barbara County RISE Guide, or Reopening In Safe Environment, was developed by medical experts and supported by feedback from all sectors of the community to create a science-based framework for residents, businesses and organizations by which to reopen in a phased manner, while prioritizing public health and protecting our most vulnerable populations. The RISE Guide outlines the steps for reopening that can be safely taken in our community, balanced with the importance of resuming individual and economic activities as the COVID-19 epidemic evolves. The reopening approach is broken down into four phases, each with public health criteria for moving to and from phases:

Stage 1: Safety & Preparedness
Stage 2: Lower Risk Workplaces
Stage 3: Higher Risk Workplaces
Stage 4: End of Stay-at-Home Order

DOWNLOAD The Rise Guide (ENGLISH)

DOWNLOAD The Rise Guide (SPANISH)

 

OPERATING A BUSINESS ON STATE STREET

 The City invites State Street restaurant and retail businesses to temporarily expand their operations onto public sidewalks in order to provide additional outdoor seating capacity for restaurants and safe physical distance for all.
For more information about public health directives for reopening businesses, please review the County’s Reopening in a Safe Environment (RISE) Guide and the State’s COVID-19 Industry Guidance: Dine-In Restaurants.

Additional steps are required prior to re-opening. Please follow the instructions in the RISE Guide and submit the Business Attestation Form and the Industry Checklist. These forms are required for all businesses, even if you have already been open and operating.

More information can be found in the City of Santa Barbara's Guide to Operating a Business on State Street.

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